USCHO RANKING:  UMD-- No. 7, Minnesota-  No. 1

USA TODAY/USA HOCKEY MAG: UMD-- RV, Minnesota-- No. 1

THE SERIES:  The Bulldogs are 24-36-6 all-time against the Gophers, the lone team in the NCAA that UMD remains sub .500 against. UMD was swept in all four games last season for the first time in program history, with the last series at Ridder on Feb. 1-2, 0-5 and 2-6 setbacks for the Bulldogs.
 
On Feb. 2 during their last meeting, it was 52 minutes of great hockey, with the game tied 2-2 5:39 into the third period on a short-handed tally from then sophomore Jenna McParland. The Gophers then reeled off back-to-back goals with 7:45 remaining a mere 48 seconds apart.  Minnesota netted three unanswered goals in a 1:45 span, exploiting a UMD weakside cover issue to blow the game open. The Bulldogs also netted a program-low three goals against Minnesota in 2012-13.
 
UMD is 15-13-2 all-time in Duluth, Minn. against Minnesota and have been swept just twice at home versus the Gophers in program history. Four of UMD's last six skates against Minnesota have been at AMSOIL, with the last Bulldog win over the Gophers back on Jan.13, 2012, a 4-2 triumph for UMD.
 
The Bulldogs are 4-13-1 at the hands of the Gophers since beating them in the 2010 NCAA Frozen Four semifinals on March 4, 2010 at Ridder Arena.
 
LAST TIME OUT:  No. 7 UMD (2-1-1), (0-1-1 WCHA) dropped a 4-3 decision Saturday before earning a 3-3 draw against No. 5 North Dakota in Grand Forks over the weekend.  
 
Jenna McParland had two goals Saturday, but the Bulldogs, despite leading 3-1 after two periods of play surrendered three third period tallies.  
UMD erased a two-goal deficit Sunday after trailing UND 2-0, benefitting from junior winger Meghan Huertas' two scores to earn the tie.  The Bulldogs lost the WCHA shootout for the extra point 1-0.
 
UMD netminder Kayla Black made 71 saves over the weekend on 78 shots. 
 
NOTES FROM THE NORTH DAKOTA SERIES:  The Bulldogs are now 35-9-3 against North Dakota and 1-5-2 in their last eight games. UMD and UND have now gone to overtime in three of their last six games and their last two skates have ended in a league shootout.
 
--Six players had two or more points a game in the series, including Jenna McParland (2g, 1a), Lara Stalder (1g, 2a) and Jamie Kenyon (2a) on Saturday. Sunday featured four players that doubled up,  with Stalder (2a), Meghan Huertas (2g), Zoe Hickel (1g, 1a) and Tea Villila (2a) recording more than a points.
 
--The North Dakota series was the first back-to-back, injury-free action for sophomore goaltender Kayla Black since she played in both games against Wisconsin back on Feb. 16-17 of last season.
 
--UMD lead North Dakota for 24:17 minutes on Saturday, almost 10 minutes more than the Bulldogs led UND the entire 2012-13 season. In all, UMD led North Dakota for 41:51 in the series.
 
TIME TO KILL: UMD has the NCAA's most effective penalty kill, staying a perfect 23-of-23 in its last four skates despite being called for the nation's fourth most penalty minutes a game (12).
 
OFFENSE TAKEN:  The Bulldogs rank fourth in the NCAA with a 4.75 goals per game scoring offense and second with a 26.7 success rate on the power play, having scored four goals on 15 attempts with the extra skater.
 
STALDER NAMED WCHA ROOKIE OF THE WEEK:  Rookie defenseman Lara Stalder racked up one goal and four assists, figuring in five of UMD's six goals against North Dakota and earning her WCHA Rookie of the Week.
 
The Luzem, Switzerland native ripped a shot from the point Saturday that resulted in UMD's third goal at 16:21 of the second period after dishing out to first period assists. Sunday she had two assists, helping UMD erase a 2-0 deficit in the second period. In the series, she had seven shots overall and helped UMD stay perfect on its penalty kill, denying UND in 11 power play attempts. 
 
Stalder leads UMD in scoring with nine points (two goals, seven assists) and tops the NCAA with an assist per game average of 1.75. She's ahead of all rookies with a points per game average of 2.25, and her 2.25 points per game average also ranks her third in overall points with nine points (2g, 7a) in just four skates, as well as second among all defensemen.  
 
Stalder also owns a four-game scoring streak with two goals and seven assists in her last -- and only played at UMD -- games.  She has recorded two or more points in three of her four first games, including three points twice.
 
BULLDOG NOTES:  Junior winger Jenna McParland ranks second in scoring for the Bulldogs with six points on four goals and two assists...McParland ranks fourth in the NCAA in goals with a 1.00 goal per game average...Six Bulldog players are averaging 1.00 points per game through four skates...UMD has scored eight of its 18 goals in the first period of play and allowed half of the eight goals scored against in the third period.
 
 
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