The University of Minnesota Duluth returns to Chestnut Hill, Mass. this weekend for the first time since the 2012-13 season to face No. 2 Boston College.  The series, the second of the year for the Bulldogs but the season opener for the Eagles, will get underway Friday night at 6:00 p.m. CDT at the Conte Forum.  The second game is slated for 2:00 p.m. CDT Saturday.

USCHO RANKING:  UMD-- Receiving Votes, Boston College-- No. 2

USA TODAY/USA HOCKEY MAG: UMD--Receiving Votes, Boston College--No. 2

THE SERIES: All-time, the Bulldogs are 5-2 against BC, and last met the Eagles on Oct. 25-26, 2012 in Chestnut Hill.  UMD and the then ranked No. 6 Eagles split the series by a score of 3-2 and then 2-3.  In four games played in Chestnut Hill, the Bulldogs are 3-1 overall.  

Against Hockey East opponents, the conference the Eagles are associated with, UMD is an impressive 30-10-4 all-time.  The Bulldogs last Hockey East opponents were Cornell and Connecticut last season, and UMD was unbeaten in those four skates, posting a record of 3-0-1 and outscoring both programs a combined 16-6.  

Senior goaltender Kayla Black is the only current Bulldog who has skated against Eagles, having taken part in the series in Chestnut Hill back on Oct. 25-26, 2012.

Currently, the Eagles are coming off a successful 2014-15 season that landed them in the Frozen Four only to lose to then Maura Crowell's Harvard Crimson.  BC went 34-3-2 a year ago and is led by head coach Katie Crowley in her ninth season with an overall record of 180-73-39.

Crowley returns the services of her top two -scoring threats -- seniors Alex Carpenter and Haley Skarupa.  Carpenter had 81 points in 37 skates on 37 goals and 44 assists last season, while Skarupa registered 71 points in those same games with 31 goals and 40 assists.

BC has not played a regular season game yet, but did defeat Guelph last Friday in an exhibition game by a 5-1 score.

Memorable Moment --  UMD and BC

March 16, 2007:  UMD and BC have one playoff meeting between them, and both schools first encounter with each other is also a historic one.  The skate happened in Lake Placid, NY in the 2007 NCAA Frozen Four.  The Eagles scored two goals in the first period to gain a 2-1 edge and after the Bulldogs tied the game 2-2 52 seconds into the second period, BC responded with a power-play tally 1:04 later. The game would stand at 3-2 in favor of the Eagles until Michaela Lanzl netted the game-tying goal with 4:20 remaining in regulation.

Two overtimes later, senior forward Jessica Kozumi scored her second goal of the game at 14:19 to knock off the Eagles and send the Bulldogs to the NCAA championship game. Senior goaltender Riitta Schaublin made 29 saves in the contest for UMD, including 12 in the overtimes. BC netminder Molly Schaus was outstanding, stopping 47 Bulldog shots.

LAST TIME OUT:  UMD earned its first sweep of the young season -- as well as the first win and series sweep of first-year head coach Maura Crowell's Bulldog  career -- over the weekend against Lindenwood University.  UMD earned a 4-3 overtime victory last Saturday (Sept. 26) before leaving nothing to chance for the Lions Sunday (Sept. 27) in a 4-1 triumph.

UMD outshot LU 40-28 Saturday, but needed four extra minutes to earn the win after the Lions charged late in the third period with two goals in the last five minutes of regulation.  Junior forward Ashleigh Brykaliuk netted the game-winner with a minute remaining in overtime to seal the win, and finished the game with two points (1g, 1a).  Junior Lara Stalder also added a goal and the game-winning assist in the skate.

Sunday, the Bulldogs got the same output from Brykaliuk and Stalder on the scoresheet, as Stalder netted two goals in the contest and Brykaliuk added a goal and two assists to help UMD earn the 4-1 win.

NOTES FROM THE LINDENWOOD SERIES:  All-time UMD moves to 4-0 against LU and has outscored the Lions 17-7 in those four skates.

  --The Bulldogs sweep of Lindenwood was the first road sweep to open a season since UMD swept Niagara back on Oct. 3-4, 2008.  UMD has only gone on the road to open the season three times in the past eight seasons.

--The Bulldogs outshot the Lions 87-52 on the weekend and two players -- Ashleigh Brykaliuk and Lara Stalder had back-to-back multiple point games.  In all, Brykaliuk had five points on two goals and three assists, while Stalder had two goals and two assists for four points.  Nine players recorded a point or more in the series.

--The win and sweep was the first for new Bulldog head coach Maura Crowell, just UMD's second-ever head coach.  Two freshmen also picked up points on the weekend -- Reagan Haley with her first-ever college goal and Megan Morse.  Linnea Hedin netted her first career goal against Lindenwood on Saturday.

BRYKALIUK EARNS WCHA OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS:  Ashleigh Brykaliuk had one of the most impressive season opening series in recent memory for the Bulldogs last weekend, and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association agreed.

Brykaliuk was named the WCHA's Offensive Player of the Week after she compiled two goals – including the overtime game-winner Saturday – and three assists to help UMD earn a two-game road sweep at Lindenwood University.

The product of Brandon, Manitoba had the game's first assist Saturday, before her overtime heroics with just one minute remaining lifted the Bulldogs to a 4-3 win. The junior forward was at it again Sunday, assisting on UMD's first and third goals before netting her own at the 13:27 mark of the third period to seal a 4-1 victory. Overall, Brykaliuk posted a +3 rating and logged six shots on goal during the series.

BLACK-ED OUT RECORD BOOK:  Senior goaltender Kayla Black resumed her  assault on the Bulldog record books over the weekend, playing in both UMD games to bring her career games played total to 104.  That number ties the UMD netminder record for career games played that was owned by Riitta Schaublin.  

Black already owns the career record for shutouts in a career (19), single-season shutouts (9) and career saves (2558).

CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN:  Voted UMD's team captain for the 2015-16 season, junior Ashleigh Brykaliuk will lead the Bulldogs in addition to being its top-scoring returner.  

Brykaliuk will be joined by Minnetonka, Minn. native Sidney Morin, who was voted the assistant captain.  Morin, a junior defenseman, led UMD with a +16 plus/minus rating last season.

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Online Video: bceagles.com/watch

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