The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will travel to St. Cloud, Minn. Wednesday to face St. Cloud State University for the third time in less then three weeks. The Bulldogs and Huskies will drop the puck on their fourth and final Western Collegiate Hockey Association regular season game at 6:07 p.m. at Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.

Saturday, UMD will return to AMSOIL Arena for a one game exhibition against the Minnesota Whitecaps.  Game-time is set for 4:00 p.m.

THE SERIES: With a loss and a tie two weekends ago, UMD is to 2-1-1 against SCSU this season and 64-12-6 all-time.  

UMD faced St. Cloud State twice over the weekend of Jan. 19-20  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, Jan. 19 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, Jan. 20, 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.

The Bulldogs outshot SCSU a whopping 44-17 in the game and 82-43 in the series. UMD's 44 shots On Jan. 20 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.  The Bulldogs also went 0-of-7 on the power play in the series.  

A QUICK LOOK AT ST. CLOUD STATE:  The Huskies were swept in Madison, Wisc. last weekend by the No. 1 University of Wisconsin by scores of 0-4 Saturday and 2-3 Sunday.  Overall, SCSU is 6-17-3 and 4-13-2 and in sixth place in the WCHA with just 14 points.

Freshman Laura Kluge leads the Huskies with 19 points on six goals and 13 assists.  Sophomore Kayla Friesen has also added three goals and eight assists for 11 points.  Switzerland Olympian Janine Alder has manned the pipes for the Huskies in 14 games and has despite posting a 2.42 GAA and .935 saves percentage overall, Alder had 57 saves in just 94 minutes of action less then two weeks ago.

The Huskies are led by fourth-year head coach Eric Rudd who owns an overall record of 36-86-12 over his tenure.  Like the Bulldogs, SCSU is in the midst of an youth movement with nine freshman (by comparison, UMD has eight currently rostered rookies but started the season with 10.) 

LAST TIME OUT:  UMD stunned then No. 5 Ohio State over the weekend, sweeping the series at AMSOIL by scores of 4-1 and 2-1.  Friday afternoon, UMD was propelled behind an offensive surge in the second period that buried the Buckeyes under three unanswered goals.  Four different players carried the scoring for UMD, including Katerina Mrázová, Jalyn Elmes, Sydney Brodt and Naomi Rogge.  

Jessica Convery had 38 saves for the Bulldogs, who were outshot 39-28.

Saturday, UMD got two goals from rookie Anna Klein at 3:52 and 14:30 of the third period for the game-tying and game-winning tallies in the Bulldogs 2-1 win.  Convery was again brilliant with 33 saves, and UMd was again outshot 34-25.

NOTES FROM THE OHIO STATE SERIES:  With their sweep of the Buckeyes over the weekend, the Bulldogs are now 67-17-3 all-time against OSU, and improve to 2-2 against the Buckeyes this season.  

--The sweep was the first by UMD over OSU since the Bulldogs swept the Buckeyes almost one year ago at AMSOIL by scores of 6-1 and 3-0 on Jan. 27-28, 2017.

--It was also UMD's first sweep of a ranked squad since the Bulldogs defeated then the then No. 2 University of Minnesota on Jan. 13-14, 2017 by scores of 3-2 and 5-3.

--UMD outscored OSU 6-2 despite being outshot 73-53 in the series.

POWERED PLAY: UMD currently owns the second most productive power play in the WCHA with a 20.8 success rate. 

In fact, 16 of UMD's 57 goals have come on its power play so far this season.

BULLDOG NOTES:  UMD is now 3-9-1 against teams ranked in the top-10, after sweeping 

--Rookie forward Naomi Rogge leads UMD with 20 points (13g, 7a) in 27 games.  Rogge's four-game scoring streak came to end on Saturday --  she posted three goals and an assist in those four outings.  Rogge has notched points in 17 of her 27 games as a Bulldog.

--Rogge's 13 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 13 goals in 27 games so far this season.

--With UMD's come-from-behind win Saturday thanks to Anna Klein's two goals, it also handed the the Bulldogs their first win when they trail after the second period (1-10-1). UMD is still winless when they trail after the first period (0-8-2)

--UMD is 5-6-1 in games where it has been outshot this season.

CONVERY NAMED NCAA'S SECOND STAR:  Jessica Convery's goaltending performance over the weekend was so big that the NCAA has recognized it as one of the best in the nation.

Convery was named to the NCAA Stars of the Week, gloving the second star for her role in UMD's sweep of then No. 5 OSU.  A product of Commerce Township, Mich, Convery owned the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's best saves percentage with a .973, the most saves (71), the lowest GAA (1.00) and two wins. (tied).  Convery also led  the NCAA in saves and wins, and ranked third in saves percentage.  UMD knocked off the Buckeyes 4-1 and 2-1, despite being outshot in the series 73-53.  Convery helped hold OSU to just a goal a game on the weekend -- entering the series, the Buckeyes were ranked seventh in the nation with a 3.23 GPG average.

This is Convery's second NCAA weekly award this season -- the senior nabbed the NCAA's First Star back on Nov. 28.

CONVERY AND KLEIN EARN WCHA WEEKLY HONORS: Two players crucial to UMD's success against OSU were rewarded for that effort Tuesday by the WCHA.

Senior goaltender Jessica Convery and freshman forward Anna Klein were named the WCHA's Defensive Player of the Week (Convery) and WCHA's Rookie of the Week (Klein) after helping the Bulldogs stun the then No. 5 Buckeyes at AMSOIL Arena last Friday and Saturday. 

Convery backstopped UMD to an upset series sweep of No. 5 Ohio State over the weekend. The native of Commerce Township, Mich. led the WCHA with a .973 saves percentage, and a league high 71 saves on 73 shots faced.  While the Bulldogs were outshot in the series 73-53, UMD, outscored the Buckeyes behind Convery's defense 6-2 by scores of 4-1 and 2-1.  Convery helped UMD hold OSU to a goal a game average, far under the 3.23 GPG average the Buckeyes came into the series owning.

Klein single-handedly led UMD to a 2-1 win over the No. 5 Buckeyes Saturday (and series sweep).  The product of Edina, Minn., who had four shots total on the weekend but led all rookies with two goals in two games.  Klein's first goal came at 3:52 of the third period, a game-tying tally netted from the extended goal line from an improbable angle.  Then, at 14:30 of the third period, Klein intercepted an OSU breakout pass and buried the shot glove-side to register her first-ever game-winning goal for the Bulldogs.  With a +3 performance on the weekend, Klein entered the OSU series with just one goal in her previous 25 games.

Convery, who was named the NCAA's Second Star earlier in the day, is now a two-time WCHA Defensive Player of the Week, having picked up the honor back on Nov. 28.

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