The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will hit the road for Mankato, Minn. this weekend to face Minnesota State University, Mankato on Friday and Saturday.  The Bulldogs, who will be looking to nab their first Western Collegiate Hockey Association win on the young season, will face-off Friday at 7:07 p.m. against the Mavericks and then at 3:07 p.m. on Saturday.  Both games will be played at All Seasons Arena in Mankato.

 USCHO.COM RANKING:  UMD -- Receiving Votes, Minnesota State -- N/A
USA TODAY/USA HOCKEY MAGAZINE:  UMD -- Receiving Votes, Minnesota State -- N/A

THE SERIES:  The Bulldogs are 49-7-1 all-time against MSU but went just 1-2-1 against the Mavericks last season.  UMD outshot MSU 134-93 in those four games but managed to score the same amount of goals -- eight.  UMD also netted just a single goal in 16 attempts against the Mavericks on the power play.
 
In their last series on Feb. 9-10 at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, the Bulldogs split with MSU, dropping a 2-1 contest on Saturday, Feb. 9.  UMD -- crippled by injuries most of last season -- was missing then leading scorer Zoe Hickel, as well as forward Jamie Kenyon for the entire series.  Jenna McParland scored UMD's lone and late third period goal, while the Bulldogs shelled the Mavericks 16-6 in the final stanza and outshot MSU 40-25 in the game.
 
UMD bounced back Sunday, Feb. 10 with a 4-2 win with two goals from Brienna Gillanders and two assists credited to McParland.  Kayla Black made 22 stops in the game for the Bulldogs between the pipes. 

FULL UMD NOTES VS MINNESOTA STATE
 
LAST TIME OUT:  UMD (2-3-1) (0-3-1 WCHA) was swept over the weekend at AMSOIL by No. 1 Minnesota by scores of 4-0 and 6-3.  Friday night the Bulldogs made it a game until midway through the third period.  In all, UMD gave up three of the Gophers four tallies in the final stanza.
 
After being shut out Friday night, seven UMD players notched a point Saturday night, including two by junior winger Jenna McParland, who picked up a goal and an assist.  The Bulldogs were called for nine penalties in Saturday but were almost even with MInnesota in shots (37-30).
 
NOTES FROM THE MINNESOTA SERIES:   The Bulldogs are now 24-38-6 against the Gophers all-time and have not triumphed over Minnesota since Jan. 13, 2012 (a 4-2 UMD win).  UMD is also now 15-15-2 all-time against the Gophers in Duluth, Minn.
 
--Jenna McParland has recorded two goals and an assist in her last three outings against Minnesota.
 
--The Bulldogs surrendered three power play goals Saturday, their first power play goals surrendered in six games this season.  UMD now ranks No. 6 in penalty kill in the NCAA with a 90.3 success rate.
 
--The last time UMD defeated the No. 1 team in the nation was on March 2, 2012, a 3-1 victory for the Bulldogs over Wisconsin in the semifinal game of the WCHA Final Face-Off at AMSOIL Arena.
 
OFFENSE TAKEN:  The Bulldogs rank sixth in the NCAA with a 3.67 goals per game scoring offense.  With the exception of Friday's shutout against Minnesota, UMD has scored no fewer than three goals a skate and twice registered six or more.
 
Lara Stalder still leads the Bulldogs in scoring despite being held scoreless in both outings this past weekend, owning nine points (2g, 7a) in six games.  Jenna McParland rings in second with eight points on a team-high five goals and three helpers.  Stalder remains the No. 2 scoring rookie in the nation with a 1.50 points per game average and sits sixth among all defenseman in points.  McParland and Stalder each have had three games with two or more points and has twice recorded three points in an outing.
 
12 different UMD players have helped net 22 goals for the Bulldogs in their first six skates.  Nine of the 22 tallies have come against teams ranked in the top-six or higher.
 
BULLDOG NOTES:  UMD has scored nine of its 22 goals in the first period of play and allowed half of the 18 goals scored against  (nine) in the third period...After freshman Sidney Morin's first goal of her Bulldog career last Saturday night against Minnesota, all six of UMD's freshmen who have skated so far this season have notched at least a point, with five of the six recording at least one goal.

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