By Jacob Messing

The Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs won the 2018 NCAA championship on Saturday, overcoming significant personnel turnover a year after falling just one goal short in 2017.

This year, they got the redemption that seemed almost impossible when they defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2-1 in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

“I couldn't be more proud of our team, the way they battled all year and tonight,” coach Scott Sandelin said following Saturday's win. “Obviously it's a special championship for the program. I was fortunate to be part of the first one but this one is just as special. This never gets old.”

Sandelin led the Bulldogs to their first national title in 2011 and has participated in seven of the past 10 NCAA tournaments, including each of the past four.

“It just tells you how great of a program this is,” forward Riley Tufte told Chip Scoggins of the Star Tribune. “It’s on the rise.”

DEJA VU - MINNESOTA DULUTH WINS IN SAINT PAUL AGAIN

The Bulldogs defeat Notre Dame, 2-1, to win their second national championship at the 2018 #FrozenFour!! pic.twitter.com/0sIJqjtoAw

— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) April 8, 2018

A loaded Bulldogs team fell to the Denver Pioneers 3-2 in the 2017 title game. The odds were certainly against their return this season after the departure of 10 players, including four of the team’s top five scorers.

Four of those nine departures include Neal Pionk, Alex Iafallo, Dominic Toninato, and Carson Soucy, each of whom spent time in the NHL this season, further proving how stacked this Bulldog roster was in the 2016-17 campaign.

But hungry youth, persistence, and leadership overcame a dominant Notre Dame team for the national championship victory.

“When you look at how young [Sandelin’s defensive] core is, it is remarkable,” Air Force coach Frank Serratore said after Sandelin’s Bulldogs ousted his Falcons for a trip to the Frozen Four.

Five true freshmen were consistent pieces on the blue line for Sandelin this season after he lost four senior defensemen and sophomore Pionk last season.

With nine freshmen on the roster this season, growing pains were to be expected, and while the Bulldogs had a rocky first semester record of 9-9-3, the young team wasn’t going to throw in the towel.

“As a team, we struggled early on,” senior Avery Peterson told Chris Lerch of USCHO.com. “It was just because we had so many young guys. The role for the older guys was to be there for them, show them the ropes and let them adjust to the new game and the new level. Once the guys did that, the team really took off.”

The Bulldogs started off the winter semester with four straight wins on their way to a 16-7-0 finish, including the NCHC conference and NCAA tournaments. A 25-16-3 overall mark is more than acceptable for a team with 15 underclassmen.

This summer, six more seniors will be departing, including NCAA tournament MVP Karson Kuhlman, who scored a goal and an assist in the 2-1 victory over the Irish.

“As much as it was a learning year for our younger guys, especially our freshmen, I think it was a learning year for me as well,” Kuhlman told Lerch. “I learned a lot of things about how to push some buttons and motivate guys in different ways. And I couldn’t be prouder about that freshman class, just watching them grow throughout the year and obviously stepping up into big roles.”

As team captain, Kuhlman held every characteristic the term stands for. While he guided the youth through the season, he scored the opening goal and had the primary assist on what stood to be Jared Thomas’ game-winner when it mattered most.

The ability for two of the three seniors who suited up in the title game to step up and claim it will leave a lasting impression on the team’s youth. Next season, Sandelin will name a new captain and new players will step forward even further as the young team continues to grow together.

Experience and confidence will run through the Bulldogs’ veins as players return home for the summer and prepare to defend the title next season. This time around, the odds are in their favor and they are set up to be the first back-to-back champs in more than a decade.

Have a question or a comment for Jacob? You can find him on Twitter @JMessing23.