Box Score No. 10 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team had to find a way to overcome the early scoring success of the University of Connecticut Friday night in Storrs, Connecticut.
After falling behind 3-0 in the first 14:38 of the game, the Bulldogs were able to do just that just that and mounted a whopping three-goal comeback to earn a 4-4 overtime tie with the Huskies at the Mark Edward Frietas Arena. Â The tie keeps the Bulldogs unbeaten all-time against UConn in seven meetings (6-0-1). Â
"They had three shots and three goals in the first period, and that tells the tale of the first period," said head coach
Shannon Miller after the game. Â "Our team responded with great character to pull us out of the ditch. Â To come back from 3-0 shows the making of a great team."
UConn jumped on the scoreboard with an early goal 29 seconds into the game. Â The Huskies followed it with a score at the 11:42 mark and again at the 14:38 mark of the opening stanza, and just like that, the Bulldogs were trailing 3-0 in the first 20 seconds of the 2014-15 season.
That all changed when recent convert to center, sophomore
Lara Stalder, netted UMD a power play goal 11:31 into the second period. Â Sophomore center
Ashleigh Brykaliuk then reduced UConn's lead to a single goal with a tally of her own with 2:52 remaining in the period, and the Bulldogs trailed 3-2 heading into the final intermission.
Eager to prove she belonged on the frontline, Stalder struck again with a blast from the blueline a mere 1:24 into the last stanza. Â Stalder's goal knotted the game at 3-3, and with 5:29 remaining in the third period, Brykaliuk hit paydirt with her second goal of the game and UMD's first shorthanded tally of the ripe season. Â Brykaliuk's second goal gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the game, but it only stood for 44 seconds, the result of a UConn power-play goal. Â Despite the Bulldogs best effort, which included outshooting the Huskies 55-19 in regulation, overtime ensued.
UMD put three shots on goal in the extra five minutes to UConn's single shot, but the 4-4 score held.
Junior netminder
Kayla Black made 13 saves for the Bulldogs in 59:38 of work, while junior
Karissa Grapp, who manned the pipes for the final 5:22 of the first period, made three stops. Â The Huskies Elaine Chuli turned away 54 shots on the night, one shy of UConn's record of 55 saves in a game.
Both teams will hit the ice to attempt to break the stalemate tomorrow afternoon, with game time set for 3:00 p.m. ET.
BULLDOG NOTES:  UMD is now 13-3-1 all-time in season openers ... Three Bulldogs had two point nights, with Jenna McParland dishing out two assists in addition to Stalder and Brykaliuk's two-goal nights ... With her two assists, McParland is sitting at 95 career points, five shy of joining UMD's 100 point club.