Prior to the University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey series with Lindenwood University, head coach Maura Crowell made references to Lion goaltender Nicole Hensley, and after Saturday's 4-3 Bulldog victory, UMD fans now know why.

Despite outshelling the Lions 40-28, the Bulldogs needed four extra minutes to defeat LU 4-3 on a goal by junior Ashleigh Brykaliuk Saturday afternoon in Lindenwood Ice Arena.  The win keeps UMD perfect against the Lions all-time in three games, and puts the Bulldogs at 1-0 to start the season.

Sophomore Linnea Hedin netted her first career goal in unassited fashion to set off UMD's scoring just 7:04 into the first period.  The Bulldogs doubled that lead with 1:35 remaining in the stanza on junior center Lara Stalder's goal, and after outshooting LU 20-5, took a 2-0 advantage into the first intermission.

The Lions used a power play to draw within one 7:50 into the second period before rookie forward Reagan Haley buried her first career tally 4:06 later to put UMD up 3-1.  

Lindenwood rallied in the third period, outshooting the Bulldogs 12-8 and scoring two goals in the last five minutes of play, including a game-tying goal with just 17 seconds remaining in regulation.  But Brykaliuk, on a Stalder assist, picked up her game-winning score four minutes into extra time to propel UMD past the Lions.

Senior goaltender Kayla Black made 25 saves in the contest, while Hensley stopped 36 for LU.

Both teams will wrap up the series tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m.

BULLDOG NOTES:  Ashleigh Brykaliuk's game-winning goal was the eighth of her career ... Kayla Black played in game No. 103 of her career, and now is a single game shy of tying the UMD goaltending record for career games played currently held by former All-American Riitta Schaublin at 104.