The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will return to AMSOIL Arena for just its second home series of the season this weekend when the Bulldogs welcome the No. 1 University of Wisconsin to Duluth.  For UMD, it will mark the second series in a row (with a two week hiatus from outside competition in between) that the Bulldogs will be facing the No. 1 team in the country.  The Friday-Saturday series will get underway at 3:07 p.m. Friday and conclude at 3:07 p.m. Saturday.

THE SERIES:  UMD is 29-33-12 all-time against Wisconsin, who comes into the weekend ranked No. 1 in the nation and in first place in the WCHA.  UMD is winless in its last 10 games against the Badgers, with a record of 0-8-2.  Last season the Bulldogs went 0-1-3 against the Badgers, picking up a 0-0 overtime tie in Madison on Feb. 6 before suffering a 5-0 setback the following night.

In their last series on Feb. 6-7, UMD and then No. 3 Wisconsin battled into the 23rd overtime between them in program history.  The Bulldogs weathered a 41-23 Badger shot advantage, with Kayla Black recording all 41 saves en route to setting a new UMD record for career shutouts.

The following evening the Bulldogs battled a second opponent in the penalty box, and Wisconsin used three first period power play goals to boost an eventual 5-0 effort against UMD.  In all, the Badgers first four goals came with an extra skater, tying a previuos Bulldog opponent record for most power play goals surrendered in a game.  UMD played almost an entire period -- 19 minutes down a skater.

LAST TIME OUT:  The Bulldogs (4-6-0, 2-4-0 WCHA) spent the last two weekends without any games against outside competition after facing the then No. 1 University of Minnesota in Minneapolis back on Oct. 23-24.

UMD was swept by the Gophers by scores of 5-2 and 6-1, but the scoreboard was no indication of the contests, especially the Bulldogs 5-2 effort on Oct. 23.

The Bulldogs held top-scoring Minnesota scoreless for the first 40 minutes of the opening game, taking a 2-0 lead into the second intermission.  The Gophers finally solved UMD's freshman goaltender Maddie Rooney with help from two power play tallies to break the game open at 4-2 before adding an empty-net score with 1:07 remaining in the contest.  Rooney made 43 stops in the skate, a career-high.

NOTES FROM THE MINNESOTA SERIES:  With the Gopher sweep, UMD falls to 24-45-7 all-time against Minnesota, and 0-9-1 in their last 10 outings.

--With a goal and an assist in the series, junior forwad Ashleigh Brykaliuk now owns the most points (1g, 3a) against the Gophers in 12 games.

--Maddie Rooney's 43 saves against Minnesota was the most by a UMD goaltender since Kayla Black turned away 43 on Feb. 23, 2013 in a shootout win over North Dakota.

--UMD was two-of-five on its power play against the Gophers, improving two-fold on their three-of-26 power play numbers prior to the series.

BULLDOG NOTES:  UMD had one current player -- Maria Lindh -- skate at the Four Nations Cup last week.  Lindh skated with Team Sweden with two Bulldog alums -- Pernilla Winberg and Jenni Asserholt.  In addition to Lindh, Winberg and Asserholt,  UMD had a total of five former players in Stockholm.  2014-15 seniors Zoe Hickel and Brigette Lacquette both made the national team rosters, with Hickel representing Team USA and Lacquette skating for Team Canada.  Hickel and Team USA prevailed with a 3-2 overtime win over Canada to win the gold.

--Ashleigh Brykaliuk continues to lead UMD in scoring over the season's first 10 games with three goals and seven assists for 10 points.  Junior Lara Stalder sits second with a team-high six goals and one assist for seven points.  Stalder also owns a team-best three power play tallies.

--Including the top-ranked Badgers this weekend, four of the six opponents the Bulldogs have faced this weekend have been ranked in the top-10.  Besides Wisconsin, UMD also played then top-ranked Minnesota three weeks ago.

--UMD is currently in fifth place in the WCHA, tied with Ohio State with six points apiece.  This weekends opponent, Wisconsin, sits in first with 24 points.

CAVA STEPS OUT:  After quietly contributing three goals and three assists for six points in 32 games last year, her first with UMD, the senior winger has already matched that output in 10 games this season.  

The Thunder Bay, Ontario native transferred from the University of Connecticut to UMD last season, and has four goals and two assists for six points, including one game-winner.  Cava has notched a point in three of her last four skates, recording two goals and three assists for five points over those most recentoutings.

BLACK-ED OUT RECORD BOOK:  Senior goaltender Kayla Black resumed her  assault on the Bulldog record books, playing in three games so far this season to bring her career games played total to 107, a new record for Bulldog goaltenders.

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

CROWELL INKS FOUR IN EARLY SIGNING PERIOD:  UMD head coach Maura Crowell has inked four future Bulldogs in the early signing period, the program announced Thursday.

The future UMD class of 2016-17 includes three Minnesotans, including Sydney Brodt (Oaks, Minn.), Catherine Johnson (Lakeville, Minn.), and Brooklyn Schugel (New Ulm, Minn.), as well as Jayln Elmes of Brandon, Manitoba.

To view the full PDF of this release, click here.
Video Feed: http://www.nchc.tv/umd

Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/umd/whockey/xlive.htm 

TV: Saturday on MY9 (Duluth area)