In a series that will immediately impact next week's travel plans for the University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team, the Bulldogs travel to St. Cloud State University this weekend. UMD is in need of four points to take over fifth place in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association from the Huskies. Both games will be played at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn. Friday's contest will get underway at 7:07 p.m., while Saturday's will begin at 3:07 p.m.
PLAYOFF SCENARIOS: UMD will be seeded fifth with five points or more this weekend against the Huskies, but will fall to sixth with four or fewer. With four or more points, UMD will either travel to Bemidji State (who needs just two points against Minnesota State this weekend or five or less points for North Dakota against Ohio State to secure third place) or to North Dakota.
THE SERIES: The Bulldogs are 55-10-5 all-time against the Huskies and are unbeaten against SCSU in their last nine outings, dating back to Dec. 2013. UMD surrendered a chance to overtake St. Cloud State in the WCHA race, however, back on Dec. 4-5 after settling for a 2-2 tie before blanking the Huskies 4-0 the next day.
UMD forced the 2-2 tie on Dec. 4 after surrendering two power play goals to the Huskies in the second period. Demi Crossman netted the equalizer 8:35 into the third period, but despite outshooting SCSU 13-2 in the third period, UMD settled for the tie and then lost the shootout.
On Dec. 5 the Bulldogs flexed some offensive muscle with four goals by four different scorers and relied on the goaltending of senior Kayla Black in the net. Black backstopped UMD to her 20th career shutout (Black already owned the Bulldog record for career shutouts) with 20 saves. Both Michela Cava (1g, 1a) and Lara Stalder (2a) had multiple point games for UMD.
LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs were swept by No. 3 Minnesota in Duluth last weekend by scores of 7-3 and 6-2.
In Friday's 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). Leading scorer Ashleigh Brykaliuk, Katherine McGovern and Reagan Haley had goals for UMD in the loss. McGovern had a goal and an assist in the skate. Freshmen goaltender Maddie Rooney had 61 saves in the contest.
On Saturday evening, 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.
Senior goaltender Kayla Black made 32 saves Saturday and Minnesota outshot UMD 50-16 in the game and an impressive 118-44 in the series. (The 118 shots in series was also a program-high by an opponent).
NOTES FROM THE MINNESOTA SERIES: With the sweep, UMD falls to 0-4 against the Gophers this year and are winless in their last 19 skates against Minnesota (0-18-1), dating back to the 2011-12 season. The Bulldogs are 24-47-7 all-time
--The Bulldogs were without second leading scorer Lara Stalder (15g, 19a for 34 points in 29 games) for the series due to injury.
--Friday, Maddie Rooney made 61 saves en route to a program record, eclipsing Kim Martin's former Bulldog high of 50 saves also set against the Gophers back on Nov. 17, 2007. Rooney also nabbed a program-high 31 saves in a single period (the second stanza), also set by Martin the same game. The 68 shots against UMD was a program-high opponent best.
--The five goals UMD scored against the Gophers was the most in a series since the Bulldogs swept Minnesota back on Oct. 16-17, 2010 by scores of 3-2 and 4-2.
----UMD has now played 20 games against teams ranked in the top-eight in the country. The Bulldogs are 2-18-0 against those squads.
BRYK BY BRYK: With three points on the weekend (1g, 2a) Ashleigh Brykaliuk, (who also now has two goals and five assists against the Gophers in 14 career skates) has posted points in six-consecutive games (6-5=11). Brykaliuk ranks No. 15 in the NCAA with a 1.31 points per game average on 42 points (15 goals, 27 assists) in 32 games, and ranks ninth in total points. Brykaliuk also sits 13th with her 27 assists in 32 skates. Only five players in the nation have dished out more assists than Brykaliuk so far this season.
Brykaliuk also is now sitting at 95 career points with 42 goals and 53 assists in 104 games. Five points shy of becoming the program's 19th member of the 100 point cllub, no other Bulldog has hit the 100 point mark since 2012-13, when then seniors Jessica Wong (122 career points), Katie Wilson (102 career points) and Pernilla Winberg (111 career points) all reached the plateau.
The last junior to reach the mark was Audrey Courney, who joined the club in 2011-12.
BULLDOG NOTES: While Ashleigh Brykaliuk leads all UMD players with 42 points, she is followed by junior forward Lara Stalder with 34(15g, 19a) and Michela Cava, who along with 13 assists, has a team-high 17 goals for 33 points. Stalder ranks 8th in the NCAA with six power play goals in 29 skates.
--Junior defenseman Sidney Morin is now tied for 10th in career goals by a defenseman. Morin has notched 11 tallies, including four so far this season, in 105 skates. Morin is currently tied with former All-American Julianne Vasichek, who netted 11 in 124 games.
--UMD is undefeated with a lead after the second period (7-0-0), but winless when behind after the first 40 minutes (0-16-1).
--35 of the Bulldogs 78 goals have come in the third period, while 40 of the 97 goals agaisnt UMD have been scored in the second stanza.
Video Feed: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/scsu/
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/umd/whockey/xlive.htm
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