The No. 9/10 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will step out of Western Collegiate Hockey Association play for a third and final time this season when the Bulldogs welcome Cornell University to AMSOIL Arena this weekend.  Friday's game will start two hours earlier -- at 4:07 p.m. because of the Christmas City of the North Parade.  Saturday night -- Safety Patrol NIght at AMSOIL Arena -- the puck will drop at 6:07 p.m.

USCHO RANKING:  UMD-- 10th, Cornell-- N/A
USA TODAY/USA HOCKEY MAG: UMD-- 9th, Cornell-- N/A

THE SERIES:  The Bulldogs and Big Red have met just once, back in the 2010 NCAA Championship game in Minneapolis, Minn. on March 21, 2010.  

That encounter was a 3-2 win for UMD in triple overtime, and is the one and only meeting between the two programs.

Cornell did play at AMSOIL Arena during the 2012 NCAA Frozen Four, falling to eventual national champion Minnesota 3-1 on March 16, 2012.

The Big Red plays in the ECAC, a conference that all-time the Bulldogs are 28-10-4 against.  UMD has not played another ECAC opponent, however, since beating Cornell in the NCAA title game at the end of the 2009-10 season.

LAST TIME OUT:  No. 9/10 UMD (8-4-2, 5-4-1-1) earned its third-straight sweep with 6-1 and 1-0 wins over St. Cloud State in St. Cloud over the weekend.  

UMD had three points from Ashleigh Brykaliuk and two goals from Katerina Mrázová Friday night en route to a 6-1 win over the Huskies.  In all, four players (Tea Villila, Jenna McParland, Brigette Lacquette and Brykaliuk) notched two or more points in the skate and nine players picked up at least a point.

Saturday the Bulldogs needed just a single goal to earn the series sweep.  Senior center Brienna Gillanders netted her third goal of the season 17:22 into the first period, the game's lone tally.  Junior goaltender Kayla Black made 18 saves for her 13th career shutout and fourth of the current season.

Senior captain Zoe Hickel did not suit up for UMD in Saturday's contest.

NOTES FROM THE ST. CLOUD STATE SERIES:  The Bulldogs are now 52-10-4 all-time against the Huskies, and currently have a four-game winning streak against SCSU dating back to December of 2013.

--With the sweep over the Huskies, UMD owns sole possession of third place in the WCHA with 17 points.

--The Bulldogs have now won seven straight games, the most victories in a row by a Bulldog squad since the 2010-11 season.  That 10-game streak began on Jan. 28, 2010 and lasted until Feb. 26, 2010, and included six shutouts.  UMD currently has recorded three shutouts in its last seven wins.

BRYKALIUK'S BRILLANCE:  With a goal and two assists in Friday's win and an assist on the game-winning goal Saturday, sophomore forward Ashleigh Brykaliuk has now registered at least a point in her last six outings.  

In her last six skates, Brykaliuk has compiled 11 points on five goals and six assists for a 1.83 points per game average.  Overall, Brykaliuk is averaging 1.07 ppg through her first 14 games.  UMD is also unbeaten when Brykalik scores (4-0-1).

Brykaliuk leads the Bulldogs in scoring with 15 points on seven goals and eight assists over 14 games.  McParland runs second with 13 points on six goals and seven helpers.

BULLDOG NOTES:  Currently, UMD owns the third-longest winning streak in the NCAA and the longest in the WCHA.

-- Kayla Black's 13 career shutouts rank her third in UMD goaltendening history behind Riitta Schaublin (17) and Kim Martin (16).

-- Black's four shutouts also have her in a tie nationally for third most shutouts by any goaltender in the NCAA.

-- Currently on a five-game scoring streak of her own, senior winger Jenna McParland has now compiled seven points on three goals and four assists over that span.

-- Now with 106 career points (49g, 57a), McParland has taken over sole possession as the 16th all-time leading scorer in Bulldog history.  She trails the No. 15 slot by just two points and the No. 14 mark by five points.  In that same vein, senior blueliner Brigette Lacquette now ranks as the 10th all-time scoring defenseman, sits ninth in goals scored (14) and is a single assist from entering the top-10 for assists by a blueliner.  

--The Bulldogs own the 10th best power play in the nation with a 21.4 success rate with  12 goals on 56 attempts.

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