The No. 4 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will put its four-game unbeaten streak on the line this Friday and Saturday when the Bulldogs travel to Minneapolis, Minn. to face the No. 3 University of Minnesota at Ridder Arena.  Game-time is set for 6:07 p.m. Friday night and 4:07 p.m. Saturday.

THE SERIES:  UMD went 0-4 against the Gophers last year and are winless in their last 19 skates against Minnesota (0-18-1), dating back to the 2011-12 season.  The Bulldogs are 24-49-7 all-time against the Gophers.

The last time the two programs met, the Bulldogs were swept by then No. 3 Minnesota in Duluth on Feb. 12-13, 2016 by scores of 7-3 and 6-2.  

In the Feb. 12 7-3 setback, UMD gave up up three power play goals in the first two periods, including two less than two minutes apart midway through the second period.  The Gophers, who outshot UMD a staggering 68-28, set a program high by Bulldog opponents for shots in a period (33, second period).  Ashleigh Brykaliuk, Katherine McGovern and Reagan Haley had goals for UMD in the loss.  McGovern had a goal and an assist in the skate.  Goaltender Maddie Rooney had 61 saves in the contest.

The next evening (Feb. 13), UMD trailed the ranked Gophers by just a single goal after the first 20 minutes of play (2-1), but Minnesota reeled off three unanswered tallies in the second period and tacked on a fourth-consecutive goal at 13:51 of the third period to defeat the Bulldogs 6-2.  McGovern again added a goal and asssit, while Michela Cava netted UMD's first goal and also posted a goal and assist.  Brykaliuk was one of three players with two points (two assists) in the game.

Goaltender Kayla Black made 32 saves and Minnesota outshot UMD 50-16 in the game and 118-44 in the series.  (The 118 shots in series was also a program-high by an opponent).

LAST TIME OUT:  The Bulldogs swept Minnesota State University, Mankato over the weekend in Duluth, Minn. in their first WCHA action of the season by scores of 4-0 and 5-1.  With the sweep, UMD improved to 3-0-1 overall and 2-0-0 in league play.

Three players had two points in Friday's shutout, including senior winger Lara Stalder (2a), freshman defenseman Jalyn Elmes (1g, 1a) and junior forward Katerina Mrázová (1g, 1a).  UMD sophomore goaltender Maddie Rooney turned away 22 saves en route to her third career shutout.

Saturday night Stalder recorded her second Bulldog hat-trick, as well as added an assist to figure in four of the five UMD goals on the afternoon.  Senior forward Katherine McGovern added a goal and two assists, while Stalder's linemate senior winger Ashleigh Brykaliuk registered two assists in the win.

NOTES FROM THE MINNESOTA STATE SERIES:  The Bulldogs have won 12-straight games against MSU dating back to the 2012-13 season.  UMD is 63-6-4 all-time against MSU, and the Bulldogs  63 wins against the Mavericks are now the most wins it has against any program in its 18-year history (the Bulldogs have 62 against Bemidji State). 

--UMD has a 2-0 record to start league play for the first time since the 2009-10 season, when the Bulldogs swept St. Cloud State on Oct. 10-11, 2009 by a combined score of 7-3.

-- The Bulldogs impressive 3-0-1 start is also the best start by UMD since the 2007-08 season, when the program started 5-0-1.

--Five Bulldogs have registered five or more points in their first four games -- Lara Stalder (4-5=9), Ashleigh Brykaliuk (4-3=7), Katherine McGovern (3-3=6), Katerina Mrázová (1-4=5), and Sidney Morin (five assists).

RANK AND FILE: UMD is now ranked fourth in this week's USCHO.com national poll, and No. 4 in the latest USA TODAY/USA Hockey Magazine poll.  Minnesota is ranked No. 3 in the USCHO.com poll and second in the USA TODAY/USA Hockey Magazine poll.

The ranking is the highest so far for the Bulldogs under second-year head coach Maura Crowell.  UMD's No. 4 ranking is the highest by the Bulldog program since October 31, 2011 -- the last time UMD was ranked that high nationally in both polls.

CHART-TOPPING BULLDOGS:  In addition to leading the Bulldogs in scoring with four goals and five assists for nine points in four games, nationally, Lara Stalder ranks fourth with 2.25 points per game, 8th in goals per game (1.00), sixth in assists per game (1.25), and second in game-winning goals (two goals).  Stalder and Ashleigh Brykaliuk are currently 1-2 in the WCHA in points with nine in four games from Stalder and seven in four games for Brykaliuk.

With a goals per game output of 4.25, the Bulldogs currently are tied atop the NCAA with 17 goals in four games.  UMD is also tied for first with a 2.75 scoring margin, and ranked No. 3 with a 26.3 power play success rate, having now gone 5-of-19.

STALDER JOINS THE 100 POINT CLUB:  Lara Stalder became the 20th player in UMD history to become a member of the 100 career point club, and now has 35 goals and 66 assists for 101 points in 103 skates after her assist Saturday at 2:52 of the third period.

The native of Luzern, Switzerland joins Ashleigh Brykaliuk, who became a member late last season and whom currently sits at 16th all-time with 107 points (49g, 58a).

STALDER NAMED WCHA'S OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:  For a second straight-week UMD has the WCHA's Offensive Player of the Week.

Senior forward Lara Stalder hauled in the honor Tuesday after a six-point weekend that included a hat trick on Saturday.  Stalder had six points for UMD in its weekend sweep of MSU figuring in six of the Bulldogs nine goals against the Mavericks.  This marks Stalder's fourth weekly WCHA honor of her career.

Stalder had the first assist on UMD's first two goals in the Bulldogs 4-0 win Friday.  On Saturday, Stalder netted two goals in the first 9:44 of action and added an assist in the second period before completing her hat-trick with just 11 seconds left in the contest.  With her assist in the second period, Stalder became the 20th player in UMD history to reach the 100 point club, and now sits at 35 goals and 68 assists for 101 points in 103 games.  Stalder had 13 shots against the Mavericks in all, and was +5 on the weekend, and has now had two game-winning goals and a game-winning assist in three-straight games.

For the full pdf version of this release, click here.

Friday Stats: http://z.umn.edu/gwhmds1     

Friday Audio: http://z.umn.edu/gwhmda1

Friday Video: http://z.umn.edu/gwhmdv1

Saturday Stats: http://z.umn.edu/gwhmds2      

Saturday Audio: http://z.umn.edu/gwhmda2

Saturday Video: http://z.umn.edu/gwhmdv2