After a weekend away, the University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team is back at AMSOIL Arena to face No. 5 Ohio State University in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association series. Both the Friday and Saturday game will get underway at 3:07 p.m. Friday's game will also be available to watch on Fox Sports North Plus.
Saturday will be the Bulldogs Pink the Rink Game, and UMD will wear pink arm bands and use pink stick tape in honor of breast cancer survivors. There will also be a silent auction in game to benefit the Essentia Health Breast Cancer Foundation.
THE SERIES: The Bulldogs are now 65-17-3 all-time against OSU. UMD was swept by OSU over back on Oct. 13-14 in Columbus, Ohio by scores of 0-2 and 3-4. The October sweep of UMD by OSU was also the first Buckeye series sweep of the Bulldogs since the first round of the WCHA playoffs on March 1-2, 2013 during the 2012-13 season.
The Bulldogs outshot the Buckeyes 32-18, but suffered a 2-0 loss on Oct. 13. The loss snapped UMD's 11-game unbeaten streak in Columbus dating back to 2011-12 season.
On Saturday, Oct. 14, UMD owned a 2-1 lead until 7:15 of the third period. After surrendering three unanswered goals to the Buckeyes, Naomi Rogge scored her second goal of the game with 34 seconds remaining, but it was too little, too late for UMD.
A QUICK LOOK AT OHIO STATE: The Buckeyes are enjoying one of their best seasons in program history with an overal record of 17-5-4 and 10-2-4-3 in the WCHA. OSU is currently in second place in the conference, and 17 points in front of the Bulldogs who are in fifth.
At the helm of the Buckeyes is second year head coach Nadine Muzerall, who in two seasons is currently 31-23-9 overall. OSU is coming off a home sweep of the then No. 5 University of Minnesota by scores of 3-2 and 5-1, and overall, the Buckeyes are 7-2-1 against teams ranked in the top-10.
Ohio State is led by a pair of freshmen, Emma Maltais and Tatum Skaggs, who together have combined for 27 of OSU's 84 goals so far. Maltais leads the Buckeyes with a team-high 31 points on 11 goals and 20 assists, while Skaggs has a team-best 16 goals and 11 assists for 27 points. Junior goaltender Kassidy Sauvé has played in 24 of OSU's 26 games and posted a 2.10 GAA and .930 saves percentage with her 15-5-4. She also owns the third most shutouts in the NCAA with seven.
LAST TIME OUT: UMD faced St. Cloud State twice over the weekend in St. Cloud, Minn., with just one contest counting as a WCHA game.
The Bulldogs suffered a late-game 3-2 loss to the Huskies Friday after drawing even twice in the outing. Katerina Mrázová and Naomi Rogge each had goals that drew the Bulldogs level -- Mrázová at 15:49 of the second period and Rogge at 16:35 of the third. But the Huskies took the lead again for good 53 seconds later. UMD outshot SCSU 38-26 in the setback.
Saturday, the Bulldogs and Huskies became the first-ever NCAA D-I teams to play outdoors on Hockey Day Minnesota, right on the shores of Lake George in St Cloud, Minn. The game ended in a 1-1 tie, which will count in both teams overall records but have no bearing on WCHA standings.
SCSU scored its lone goal 4:42 into the game, the third of the series for Hallie Theodosopoulos. UMD answered at the 10:59 mark of the third period, Rogge's second goal of the series that locked the game into the 1-1 score that it end in.
UMD outshot SCSU a whopping 44-17 in the game and 82-43 in the series.
NOTES FROM THE ST. CLOUD STATE SERIES: UMD's 44 shots last Saturday was the most it has had against an opponent since it registered 44 against Minnesota State University, Mankato on the road on Feb. 6. 2016.
--After UMD netted a total of five power goals on just six power plays in the series against Bemidji State University two weekends ago, the Bulldogs went 0-of-7 against the Huskies last weekend. Despite that, UMD still owns the second best power play in the WCHA at 15/74 for 20.3.
--With a loss and a tie last weekend, UMD moves to 2-1-1 against SCSU this season and 64-12-6 all-time.
--UMD will face the Huskies one more time over the regular season next Tuesday in St. Cloud, Minn. in what will serve as the fourth WCHA contest between the two squads so far this season.
--Sophomore goaltender Catherine Johnson picked up her first collegiate tie last Saturday outside against St. Cloud State. Johnson, who hails from Lakeville, Minn., skated in just her third complete game of season and posted 16 saves in the draw.
YOUNG PUPS: One look at UMD's stat sheet and one thing is apparent -- the Bulldog underclassmen are starting to get offensive.
UMD lost its top four scorers from its NCAA tournament squad of a year ago in forwards Lara Stalder (23-33=56), Ashleigh Brykaliuk (17-28=45), Katherine McGovern (17-17=34) and defenseman Sidney Morin (8-16=24). Ironically, the Bulldogs top-two scorers currently were in high school during that UMD run.
Four of UMD's five leading scorers right now are underclassmen, let by rookie forwards Ashton Bell (11-8-19) and Naomi Rogge (12-7-19) over 25 games. Sophomore defenseman Jalyn Elmes is third with 15 points on four goals and 11 assists, while the lone upperclassmen of the group, Katerina Mrázová has 13 points (4g, 9a) and is tied for fourth with sophomore transfer Ryleigh Houston (2g, 11a).
POWERED PLAY: UMD currently owns the second most productive power play in the WCHA with a 20.3 success rate.
In fact, 15 of UMD's 51 goals have come on its power play so far this season.
BULLDOG NOTES: Ohio State is ranked No. 5 in both national polls this week ... UMD is 1-10-0 against teams ranked in the top-10, and has not played against a ranked opponent since Dec. 9, 2017 (then No. 6 Minnesota).
--Rookie forward Naomi Rogge leads UMD with 19 points (12g, 7a) in 25 games. Rogge is currently in the midst of a three game scoring-streak, and has posted two goals and an assist in those three outings. Rogge has notched points in 16 of her 25 games as a Bulldog.
--Rogge's 12 goals are the most by a UMD freshman since Jenna McParland dropped 21 goals in 36 games in 2011-12. By comparison, Rogge has compiled 12 goals in just 25 games so far this season.
--The Bulldogs are still winless when they trail after the first period (0-8-2) and the second period (0-10-1).
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