After a week off from outside competition, the No. 3 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will travel to Grank Forks, N.D. this weekend to face the No. 9 University of North Dakota.  The Bulldogs will put their four-game unbeaten streak on the line at Ralph Engelstad Arena at 2:07 on both Saturday and Sunday.

THE SERIES:  UMD is 37-15-15 all-time against North Dakota, and went 1-3 against UND last season.

The Bulldogs and Fighting Hawks have played into overtime in seven of their last 16 games, and UMD is 0-5-2 in those outings over that span.

The two last tangled back on Jan. 15-16, UMD losses in Duluth by scores 1-2 on Jan. 15 and a 3-4 loss on Jan. 16.

UMD used a an extra skater from an empty net to pull within a single goal in the opening game, drawing 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.

The following day 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, 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 then freshman netminder Maddie Rooney picked up a career-high 44 saves.

LAST TIME OUT:  No. 3 UMD stretched its unbeaten streak to four games with a sweep at Ohio State on Oct. 28-29.  The Bulldogs shutout the Buckeyes 6-0 Oct. 28 for their second shutout of the season and then defeated OSU 3-2 the following afternoon.

Senior forward Katherine McGovern led the way for the Bulldogs the first night, recording four points, including three in the first period.  McGovern had two assists that bookened a goal in UMD's opening stanza, while rookie Sydney Brodt compiled two goals and an assist in the opening 20 minutes.

On Oct. 29, senior forward Ashleigh Brykaliuk posted a goal and an assist as three different goal scorers helped the Bulldogs stave of a late Buckeye charge in the 3-2 win.

Overall, UMD had seven players net its nine goals against the Buckeyes.  Only McGovern and Brodt scored more than one goal on the weekend.

The Bulldogs outshot OSU  41-27 in game one and 47-27 in game two for a 88-54 SOG advantage.  UMD has now put 41 or more shots on goal in its last three games.  

NOTES FROM THE OHIO STATE SERIES:  UMD is now 65-15-3 all-time against the Buckeyes.

--The Bulldogs overall record of 6-2-2 is its best start since the 2010-11 team started 8-2.  At 5-2-1, its also UMD best WCHA start since it went 5-1 in 2010-11.

--Maddie Rooney and Catherine Johnson's 6-0 shutout effort of OSU was the first road shutout by UMD in almost a year.  Rooney last shutout an opponent on the road on Nov. 21, 2015, a 1-0 clean sheet against North Dakota in Grand Forks.

--UMD is 0-of-13 in its last five games on the power play since netting two against Minnesota back on Oct. 14.

RANK AND FILE:  For a third consecutive week, UMD is ranked in the top-three in the nation by both national polls.  

The Fighting Hawks will be the fourth top-10 opponent the Bulldogs have faced so far this season, with North Dakota ringing in at No. 9 in both the USCHO.com and USA TODAY/USA Hockey Magazine polls.

UMD is 2-2-2 against teams ranked in top-10 so far this season.

HOME SWEET HOME:  The Bulldogs are unbeaten at home this season, and own a record of 4-0-2 at AMSOIL Arena.  UMD owns a seven game unbeaten streak dating back to last season.

CHART TOPPERS: Despite averaging the ninth most goals a game in the NCAA (3.60gpg), the Bulldogs don't have any players higher than No. 14 in points per game, with both Lara Stalder and Katherine McGovern sitting with a 1.40 ppg average.  

Stalder and McGovern lead UMD with 14 points each (Stalder 7-7=14, McGovern 6-8=14), while Brykaliuk sits in third with six goals and six assists for 12 points.  16 players have recorded two or more points, while 11 have registered four or more. Five Bulldogs have compiled eight or more points through their first 10 games.

PUPS WITH POINTS:  UMD has three players that are averaging one or more points a game this season.  

At the top of the list is Lara Stalder and Katherine McGovern, who are each averaging 1.40 points per game, and then Ashleigh Brykaliuk, averaging 1.20 points per game.

Stalder and McGovern rank No. 14 in points per game in the NCAA, and Stalder's seven goals put her in 15th among goal scorers in the nation.

Rookie forward Sydney Brodt ranks No. 9 among freshmen scorers with her nine points on three goals and six assists in 10 games.  She ranks second in the WCHA among rookie scorers.

Brodt is the first rookie since Brykaliuk and Stalder in 2013-14 to crack UMD's top-four in points.  10 games into Stalder's rookie campaign (and a defenseman)m she had three goals and eight assists for 11 points and ranked in third.  Brykaliuk finished her freshman season fourth in scoring with 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points, Stalder in fifth with four goals and 18 assists for 22.

FIVE CURRENT AND FORMER BULLDOGS SUITED UP FOR 2016 FOUR NATIONS CUP: Two current UMD players and three alums suited up for the 2016 Four Nations Cup that was held in Vierumaki, Finland Nov. 1-5.

Current Bulldogs Michelle Lowenhielm and Maria Lindh skated in four games for the Swedish National Team that finished fourth.

Alums Haley Irwin, Bridgette Lacquette and Jocelyne Larocque skated for the Canadian National Team that finished in second.  Irwin, who was also a team captain, had two goals and an assist for Canada, while Lacquette added a goal.

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