The second-ranked University of Minnesota Duluth will host the University of North Dakota this Friday and Saturday at AMSOIL Arena. Both games will get underway at 3:07 p.m., and Saturday will be the Bulldogs annual 'Cram the Am' promotion. Bulldog fans will gain free admission with a non-perishable food donation or can purchase tickets for only $1. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the UMD Athletic ticket office or at AMSOIL on game day. UMD will collect food donations in the Ice Cube outside the ticket windows on game day. Donations will be delivered by the UMD women's hockey team to the Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank.
USCHO RANKING: UMD-- No. 2, North Dakota-- Receiving Votes
USA TODAY/USA HOCKEY MAG: UMD-- No. 2, North Dakota-- Receiving Votes
THE SERIES: The Bulldogs are 38-15-16 all-time against North Dakota after defeating the Fighting Hawks 2-1 in Grand Forks on Nov. 12 before settling for a 2-2 overtime tie on Nov. 13.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period on Nov. 12 on a goal and assist from Lara Stalder just 34 seconds apart at the 7:32 and 8:06 marks. UMD won the game 2-1 behind 24 saves from goaltender Maddie Rooney.
On Nov. 13, the Bulldogs again jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a goal by Katherine McGovern in the first period and a power play goal from Sidney Morin at 3:47 of the second period. But UMD ended up settling for a 2-2 overtime tie before losing the WCHA's extra point shootout. Rooney made 30 saves in Sunday's skate.
Stalder led the Bulldogs with a goal and two assists in the series for three points.
While North Dakota outshot UMD 57-43 in the series, Maddie Rooney made 54 stops between the pipes for the Bulldogs.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE FIGHTING HAWKS: North Dakota is led by head coach Brian Idalski, who is in his 10th season with an overall record of 166-149-33. The Fighting Hawks are coming off a 3-1 win and 1-1 overtime tie and shootout win at home last weekend against Bemidji State. In 28 games, rookie forward Ryleigh Houston has a team-high 20 points on six goals and 14 assists, while senior Amy Menke has 19 points on eight goals and 11 assists. Senior goaltender Lexie Shaw ranks second in the WCHA and sixth in the NCAA with a 1.49 goals against average
LAST TIME OUT: No. 2 UMD swept Ohio State over the weekend at AMSOIL, staying unbeaten in 2017 with a 5-0-1 record in addition to its 18-4-4 overall record.
Friday night, the Bulldogs reeled off four goals over a 1:40 early in the third period en route to a 6-1 trounce over the Buckeyes. Senior forward Katherine McGovern had two of those third period tallies and added an assist for a game-high three points, while 10 players in all recorded points. In all, Five players notched two or more points — McGovern (2g, 1a), Demi Crossman (1g, 1a), Maria Lindh (1g, 1a), Lara Stalder (2a) and Ashleigh Brykaliuk (2a).
UMD helped sophomore goaltender Maddie Rooney get her fourth shutout of the season Saturday in a 3-0 triumph over OSU. The Bulldogs netted a goal in each period, with junior defenseman Linnea Hedin getting the first period game-winner. Stalder had a game-high two points on a goal and an assist.
NOTES FROM THE OHIO STATE SERIES: With the sweep, UMD improves to 65-15-3 all-time against the Buckeyes and 4-0 over the regular season.
--The Bulldogs sweep over OSU in the regular season is the first for the program since the 2008-09 season, though the Bulldogs went went 3-0-1 in 2014-15 and 2015-16 and 2-0-2 in 2013-14.
--Both of UMD's season-high six goal games against the Buckeyes (Oct. 28, 6-0 and Jan. 27 6-1). The Bulldogs outscored OSU 18-3 in their four games this season.
--With their win Friday night, UMD clinched a home first round WCHA playoff berth.
--UMD's 3.27 goals a game average is the most by a Bulldog squad since the 2011-12 season, where UMD finished the season with a 3.36 GPG statline in 36 games.
BRYK BY BRYK: Ashleigh Brykaliuk's goal 4:39 into the second period Saturday night makes her just the second UMD player ever to run a scoring streak to 17 games (10g, 14a). Only Hanne Sikio has recorded a longer scoring spree as Bulldog. Sikio set her record during the 1999-00 season, a 23-game streak where the Finnish Olympian tallied 17 goals and 31 assists for 48 points.
TOP DOGS: While Ashleigh Brykaliuk owns the teams longest current scoring streak, Lara Stalder has now recorded a point in her last seven outings. Stalder has nine goals and eight assists over that span for 17 points — and has turned in multiple-point games in six of those seven skates.
Stalder currently ranks third in the NCAA with 43 total points in 26 games for a 1.65 ppg average. With the third most goals in the nation, Stalder ranks ninth for with a 0.65 goals per game average and fourth with 26 assists in those same 26 games for a 1.00 assist per game ratio.
With a .938 saves percentage in 26 games, Maddie Rooney ranks eighth in the NCAA. She also sits ninth in winning percentage at .750 with a record of 16-4-4, which ties her for the second most wins in the NCAA.
STALDER NETS UNPRECEDENTED THIRD-STRAIGHT WCHA OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD: Lara Stalder has a stranglehold on the WCHA's Player of the Week honor.
The senior forward from Luzern, Switzerland picked up her third-consecutive award Tuesday after Stalder had a goal and three assists in the series, and punched in two points in each game.
The award marks Stalder's fifth WCHA Offensive Player of the Week award of the 2016-17, a league-best, and the eighth WCHA weekly honor of her Bulldog career.
CAREER CLIMBERS: With 43 points this season, Lara Stalder joins Katherine McGovern with career-best offensive seasons. Stalder's 17 goals, 26 assists surpasses her junior output of 17 goals and 24 assists for 41 points.
McGovern has almost doubled her entire previous three-years offensive production this season along, having recorded 15 goals and 13 assists for 28 points in 26 games. Over her four-year career, McGovern has compiled 45 points on 23 goals and 22 assists.
BY THE BOOK: In the Bulldog record books, Lara Stalder now ranks as the 13th highest scorer out of UMD program history (and three points out of 12th) with 135 points (48g, 87a) in 125 games. While Stalder also ranks No. 9 all-time for assists in a career, Ashleigh Brykaliuk sits 14th in total points with 134 points with 60 goals and 74 assists in 135 games.
Blueliner Sidney Morin has moved into ninth all-time among defensemen in scoring with 64 points (17g, 47a) in 136 games. Goaltender Maddie Rooney now has the seventh most career saves with 1,143 in 45 appearances.
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