In the midst of a season-long home stand, the University of Mnnesota Duluth women's hockey team will spend its second-straight weekend at AMSOIL Arena when the Bulldogs host No. 7 Bemidji State University. UMD, which will host its "Pink Games", will open the series Friday night at 7:07 p.m., and conclude it Saturday at 4:07 p.m. Both games will feature ceremonial puck drops with breast cancer survivors and an in-game silent auction with proceeds going to Essentia's Breast Cancer Foundation.
USCHO RANKING: UMD-- N/A, Bemidji State-- No. 7
USA TODAY/USA HOCKEY MAG: UMD-- Rec. Votes, Bemidji State-- No. 7
THE SERIES: UMD has lost three-straight to BSU, but overall, UMD still owns a 62-8-2 all-time record against the Beavers. The Bulldogs own more wins against BSU than any other program UMD has ever played.
The Bulldogs suffered their first ever series sweep to then No. 9 Bemidji State in Bemidji, Minn. back on Oct. 9-10, losing in consecutive games by scores of 2-0 and 2-1 in overtime.
On Oct. 9, the Beavers netted two goals in the first period, including one at the 7:26 mark, and the Bulldogs, despite outshooting BSU 31-30 in the game and 10-7 in the third period, couldn't solve netminder Brittni Mowat. Lara Stalder led all Bulldogs with six shots in the contest.
Saturday, Oct. 10, Demi Crossman scored a shorthanded goal off a Beaver turnover with 22 seconds left in the first period to give UMD its first lead in four games. Bemidji equalized 4:53 into the second period and broke a scoreless stalemate in overtime at 3:21 to beat the Bulldogs 2-1. UMD outshot BSU 32-28 in the contest, including 12-4 in the second period.
UMD has outshot BSU and Mowat 305-239 over the past nine games, but have been outscored by the Beavers 17-12 over that span.
LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs suffered their second straight sweep of 2016 at the hands of North Dakota over the weekend in Duluth by scores 1-2 Friday and 3-4 Saturday in overtime Saturday.
UMD used a an extra skater from an empty net to pull within a single goal Friday, drawing the game 2-1 with 1:15 remaining. Blueliner Sidney Morin's goal was as close as the Bulldogs would come, however, despite outshooting the Fighting Hawks 10-6 in the final period.
Senior goaltender Karissa Grapp, making the first back-to-back starts of her career, made 25 saves for UMD Friday.
Saturday the Bulldogs netted two goals in the final 89 seconds of regulation, the first coming from Morin again for a second time in the series to bring the game to 3-2. Then with 22 seconds remaining in regulation, junior forward Demi Crossman crashed the net and knotted the game at 3-3 to force UMD's fourth overtime game of the year.
North Dakota scored with just 35 seconds left in extra time, but not before freshman netminder Maddie Rooney picked up a career-high 44 saves.
NOTES FROM THE NORTH DAKOTA SERIES: With the two losses, UMD drops to 37-15-15 all-time against North Dakota. The overtime loss Saturday puts UMD to 1-3-0 against North Dakota this season.
--The extra time was the seventh by the Bulldogs and Fighting Hawks in their last 16 games. UMD is 0-5-2 in overtime against North Dakota over that span.--UMD's picked up its first penalty in 84:56 of action last Saturday afternoon.
RANKED AT THE TOP: UMD has played 16 of its 24 games against teams ranked in the top-eight in the country. The Bulldogs continue to own the nation's hardest schedule with a rating of 283.5 in the current KRACH strength of schedule rating system. Bemidji State ranks second with 280.1.
BRYKALIUK STREAKS ON: With the longest scoring streak intact since the 2011-12 season by a Bulldog, junior forward Ashleigh Brykaliuk's scoring streak now has 17 points on five goals and 12 assists over the last 10 games.
Brykaliuk, who leads the Bulldogs with a total of 29 points (9g, 20a), ranks 23rd in the NCAA with a 1.21 points per game average and also ranks 8th in the WCHA with a 1.11 ppg on 20 points (5g, 11a) in 18 skates. Brykaliuk sits 16th in the nation with 20 assists in 24 games, and fourth in the WCHA with 15 helpers in those same 18 games.
With three assists against North Dakota, Brykaliuk surpassed her former career-high of eight games and now owns the longest scoring streak since former Bulldog Haley Irwin compiled 19 points (3g, 16a) over 12 games from Feb. 18, 2011 through Oct. 29. 2011.
SCORING SID: Sidney Morin's three-game goal streak marks the fourth time in the junior defenseman's career she has recorded a point or more in three consecutive skates. Morin's goals also now give the Minnetonka, Minn. native 11 career goals, tying her for 10th on UMD's all-time career scoring chart for defensemen with Julianne "Montana" Vasichek, who compiled 11 goals in 124 games as a Bulldog between 2001-2005. Morin reached the top-10 list in just 97 games, making her one of only three Bulldogs to crack the top-10 in fewer than 100 games.
CROWELL, USA U-18 GOLDEN: UMD head coach Maura Crowell, an assistant coach for the United States Women's National Under-18 Team, was on the bench when the USA battled back from a two-goal deficit to claim a 3-2 victory against Canada in the 2016 International Ice Hockey Federation Under-18 Women's World Championship in St. Catharines, Ontario last Friday.
Along with Crowell, UMD was well represented in the gold medal contest, with two Bulldog early signees on the ice -- forward Sydney Brodt (North Oaks, Minn.) on the USA roster and her soon to be teammate, defenseman Jayln Elmes (Brandon, Manitoba) on the Canadian.
BULLDOG NOTES: Ashleigh Brykaliuk continues to lead UMD in scoring and assists with 29 points and 11 helpers. Junior forward Lara Stalder owns UMD's goal lead with 12 in 23 skates, while senior forward Michela Cava has posted 10 in 24 games.
--The Bulldogs have scored a whopping 26 of their 55 goals in the third period of play, and have held their opponents to just 15 of the 66 goals scored against them over the same time span.
--UMD remains winless when trailing after the second period (0-11-1) and has rallied just once when behind after the first period (1-11-0).
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