The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will drop the puck on the 2016 portion of its season this Friday when the Bulldogs head to Madison, Wisc. to take on the No. 2 University of Wisconsin. The Friday-Sunday series gets underway in LaBahn Arena Friday at 2:07 p.m. before wrapping up Sunday at 12:07 p.m.
USCHO RANKING: UMD-- No. Rec. Votes, Wisconsin-- No. 2
USA TODAY/USA HOCKEY MAG: UMD-- Rec. Votes, Wisconsin-- No. 2
THE SERIES: All-time, the Bulldogs are 29-35-12 against the Badgers, who come into the weekend ranked second in the country and in first place in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association with 38 points. UMD is winless in its last 12 skates against UW, with a record of 0-10-2, including a Badger sweep at AMSOIL Arena earlier this season.
The two teams last tangled back on Nov. 13-14 in Duluth, with UW handing UMD a 0-3 loss on Nov. 13 where the then No. 1 Badgers scored a goal in each period and outshot the Bulldogs 37-17. Freshman goaltender Maddie Rooney got the start in goal and made 34 saves.
Saturday, Nov. 14, the Bulldogs were hampered by a deflected own goal and three UW power play tallies before Maria Lindh put UMD on the board at 3:03 of the third period, snapping the Badgers NCAA-record scoreless streak. Defenseman Lynn Astrup then scored her first-ever collegiate goal to cut the UW lead to 4-2. The Bulldogs, though outshot 40-22 in the game, outshot UW 13-8 in the second period. While the Badgers were 3-of-6 on their power play, UMD, forced to kill off a five-minute major midway through the third period, was 0-of-4. Senior goaltender Kayla Black got the start and turned in a 36 save performance. UW outshot UMD 77-39 in the series.
UMD struggled with an extra skater in the series, going scoreless in eight attempts. The Badgers, by contrast, went 3-of-7. Wisconsin outshot the Bulldogs 77-39, and in five of the six periods played. UMD outshot UW Saturday in the second period by a 13-8 margin.
The Bulldogs and Badgers have skated in 23 overtime games all-time between them.
LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs ended 2015 with a sweep over Ohio State in Columbus back on Dec. 11-12 by scores of 4-2 and 5-2. The six points helped UMD climb into sole possession of fifth place in the WCHA.
In the Dec. 11 4-2 win, UMD got two goals and two assists from Ashleigh Brykaliuk, along with three assists from her line mate Lara Stalder. The Bulldogs trailed 2-1 after the first period before scoring three unanswered tallies, including three in the third period to secure the triumph.
On Saturday, Dec. 12, UMD broke a 2-2 tie at 4:22 of the second period on the first goal of Stalder's natural hat trick, and went on to defeat the Buckeyes 5-2. Stalder had four points in all, while Brykaliuk had three assists and Michela Cava had two goals and two assists four points.
NOTES FROM THE OHIO STATE SERIES: The Bulldogs are now 62-14-3 all-time against the Buckeyes and are now unbeaten against OSU in their last seven outings. UMD has gone 9-2-3 in its last 14 skates with the Buckeyes.
--Stalder's hat trick on Dec. 12 was the first by a Bulldog since defenseman Brigette Lacquette recorded one against OSU on Jan. 25, 2013, and the first natural hat trick by a UMD player since Pernilla Winberg netted four-consectuve goals to open a 9-0 Bulldog win against St. Cloud State University back on Feb. 18, 2011.
--UMD's five goal output against the Buckeyes was a season-high. The Bulldogs have netted four goals a total of nine times.
MISSING DOGS: UMD will be missing more than a few faces this weekend in Madison, starting with head coach Maura Crowell, who is serving as an assistant coach for the USA's Under-18 squad currently at the World Championship that begins in St. Catharines, Ontario Friday.
Junior Lara Stalder, as well as sophomore Maria Lindh and Linnea Hedin are expected to miss Friday's game against Wisconsin after playing in the Nations Cup for Switzerland (Stalder) and Sweden (Hedin and Lindh) in Fussen, Germany.
STALDER EARNS WCHA OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE MONTH HONORS: Lara Stalder was named the WCHA's Offensive Player of the Month for December after racking up a league-high 10 points on three goals and seven assists in four games.
The native of Luzern, Switzerland also led the WCHA with assists and a power play goal. In addition to recording a point in each of the four games she played in last month, Stalder posted a +9 plus/minus rating and earned her first collegiate hat-trick against Ohio State University on Dec. 12.
Her performance against the Buckeyes in Columbus -- she figured in seven of the nine goals the Bulldogs scored against OSU in the 4-2, 5-2 series sweep -- also landed her WCHA Offensive Player of the Week honors on Dec. 15.
Stalder becomes the first Bulldog in program to land the player of the month honor. The WCHA is in its first season of handing out the newly created award.
LINE SHINE: Eight games after Lara Stalder, Michela Cava and Ashleigh Brykaliuk were put on the same line, five wins, (two against ranked opponents) and one tie later, its clear the move is paying huge offensive dividens for the Bulldogs.
Brykaliuk has now registered at least a point in her last six skates, (5-7=12) the second longest scoring streak of her UMD career, while Stalder's five-game scoring streak is the longest of her career. Stalder's run has reached four goals and seven assists for 11 points. Michela Cava owns the Bulldogs third longest scoring streak of four games on four goals and four assists for eight points.
BULLDOG NOTES: Ashleigh Brykaliuk leads UMD in scoring with 24 points in 20 games on nine goals and eleven assists... Lara Stalder ranks second with 21 points but owns a team-high 11 goals to go with 10 assists, while Michela Cava sits in third with 18 points (10g, 8a), 12 of which have come in her last eight games...Stalder currently ranks seventh in the NCAA with four power play goals, while Brykaliuk ranks 25th with 11 assists.
--Friday and Sunday's games against the No. 2 Badgers will mark the 13th and 14th games this season that UMD will play against a ranked opponent.
--UMD is 6-0-0 with a lead after the second period, but falls to 0-7-1 when the Bulldogs trail after the second stanza.
UMD AT NATIONS CUP: Three current UMD women's hockey players -- Lara Stalder, Maria Lindh and Linnea Hedin -- suited up for the 2016 Nations Cup in Fussen, Germany that ran Jan. 4 and through Jan 7.
Stalder, a junior forward from Luzern, Switzerland will skated for Switzerland, while sophomores Lindh, a forward from Stockholm, Sweden and Hedin, a native of Huddings, Sweden represented Sweden in the six team tournament.
Former Bulldog defenseman Brigette Lacquette will man the blueline for the Canada for the four-day international tournament, while UMD alums Jenni Asserholt and Pernilla Winberg will skated for Sweden.
The Nations Cup, formerly known as the Air Canada Cup, MLP Cup and Meco Cup, brings together teams from Canada, Finland, Germany, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland.
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TV: BTN Plus Friday, Wisconsin Public TV Saturday
