After a two week hiatus from NCAA competition, the No. 7 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will dive right back into one of the nation's strongest schedules when it heads to Columbus, Ohio this weekend to take on Ohio State University. The Western Collegiate Hockey Association series will get underway in the OSU Ice Rink Friday at 5:00 p.m. CDT, and then again at 12:00 p.m. CDT on Saturday.
USCHO RANKING: UMD-- No. 7 (tied), Ohio State-- No. 7 (tied)
USA TODAY/USA Hockey Magazine: UMD--No. 8, Ohio State-- No. 7
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THE SERIES: The Bulldogs are 67-17-3 all-time against OSU, and went 2-2 against the Buckeyes one season ago.
UMD stunned then No. 5 Ohio State back on Jan. 26-27, sweeping the series at AMSOIL by scores of 4-1 and 2-1. In the first game (Jan. 26), 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.
In the regular season series finale (Jan. 27), UMD got two goals from then freshman 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.
The sweep was the first by UMD over OSU since the Bulldogs swept the Buckeyes at AMSOIL by scores of 6-1 and 3-0 on Jan. 27-28, 2017. UMD also outscored OSU 6-2 despite being outshot 73-53 in the series.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE BUCKEYES: OSU was swept for the first time this season by Bemidji State University in Columbus last weekend by scores of 1-2 and 2-4, despite outshooting the Beavers 73-50 in the series. OSU currently owns an overall record of 9-5-0 and 5-3-0 in the WCHA.
Sophomore forward Emma Maltais leads the Buckeyes with 21 points (6g, 21a), while both Maltais and senior forward Charly Dahlquist lead OSU with six goals a piece. Rookie goaltender Andrea Brandli has played in 11 of OSU's 14 games, and has posted a 2.01 GAA and .934 saves percentage with a record of 6-5-0.
LAST TIME OUT: While UMD hosted in the Minnesota Whitecaps of the NWHL back on Nov. 3, a 1-5 exhibition setback, the Bulldogs last official action was a series split against St. Cloud State University on Oct. 26-27 in St. Cloud, Minn. by scores of 2-1 and 2-3.
The Bulldogs overpowered the Huskies with 41 shots on goal to SCSU's 16 on Friday night, and a 16-7 shot on goal advantage in the opening period translated into a 2-0 UMD lead. Sophomore forward Anna Klein gave the Bulldogs an early 1-0 lead just 57 seconds in the action. Klein's goal was assisted by Jalyn Elmes and Ashton Bell -- Bell's fourth assist in her last three games.
UMD's second goal came on the power play, courtesy of rookie forward Anneke Linser at the 14:43 mark of the first period. Elmes picked up her second assist on the night on the goal, and freshman Maggie Flaherty had the second helper on Linser's score. Freshman goaltender Emma Soderberg made 15 saves in her official UMD debut.
Saturday the Bulldogs again put up season-high shots on goal -- 50 to be exact to SCSU 21, but the Huskies found the net when it mattered for the 3-2 upset.
Four of the five goals on the afternoon were tallied in the second period, including the game's lead-off goal by Hannah Potrykus 5:02 into the stanza for the SCSU 1-0 lead. The Bulldogs responded 3:35 later when Ryleigh Houston cashed in a power play to draw UMD even at 1-1.
The Bulldogs took a 2-1 lead at 13:44 on another power play goal, this time by sophomore forward Naomi Rogge, who had assisted Houston's score. Houston had an assist on the goal, and freshman forward Gabbie Hughes picked up second assists on both UMD goals in the skate. The Huskies scored late in the second period and again in the third period to seal the upset.
SCSU, who got 39 stops from Janine Alder Friday night, got even more from goaltender Emma Polusny Saturday. Polusny had 48 saves for the Huskies, while UMD netminder Maddie Rooney had 18 for UMD.
NOTES FROM THE ST. CLOUD STATE SERIES: UMD is now 65-13-6 all-time against the Huskies.
--UMD put 91 shots on goal compared to just 37 by SCSU over the series, but both teams netted four goals apiece. The Bulldogs have outshot their opponents 150-89 in their last four games, outscoring them 12-5 in those skates.
--The 50 shots on goal posted Oct. 27 was the first time UMD has hit the half a century mark since racking up 59 against Minnesota State back on Jan. 23, 2015, a 12-0 win for the Bulldogs in Mankato, Minn.
--For the first time this season, the Bulldogs split their series between two goaltenders. Maddie Rooney played Saturday after freshman Emma Soderberg made her UMD debut Friday night. Rooney had played in eight-straight games prior to Soderberg's start last Friday.
POWERED PLAY: The Bulldogs currently own the second-best power play in the nation, as well as the top power play in the WCHA. UMD sits at a 25.9 conversion rate after having gone 7-of-27 extra skaters. All seven Bulldog goals have come from different UMD players.
TOP DOGS: The Bulldogs have presented a balance scoring attack so far this season, and their offensive stats have backed that up.
Three players currently sit as team point leaders with eight points -- Naomi Rogge (5g, 3a) (who also leads UMD with five goals), Ryleigh Houston (4g, 4a), and Gabbie Hughes (4g, 4a). Three other players own six points through the same 10 games, with an additional two players with five.
Hughes ranks 14th in the NCAA among all rookies with her eight points.
BRODT SHINES IN U.S. WIN OF FOUR NATIONS CUP: A trio of current and former UMD players on the U.S. National Team won the 2018 Four Nations Cup Sunday, including current junior captain Sydney Brodt and junior goaltender Maddie Rooney, as well as former All-American defenseman Sidney Morin. Both Brodt and Morin had assists in Sunday's championship game, a 5-2 win over Canada in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The win marked the fourth consecutive Four Nations Cup title for the U.S. Women's National Team. The U.S. has claimed the title nine times (1997, 2003, 2008, 2011-12, 2015-18).
Brodt was imperative in the U.S. run last week, registering the fifth most points (five) in the entire tournament, and tied for first overall with three goals in four games. The North Oaks, Minn. native notched a point in all four U.S. games, including both a goal and an assist in her first official U.S. National Team skate on Nov. 6 against Finland (a 5-1 win). Morin added two assists in four games, and Rooney's sole action came on Nov. 6, where the Olympic hero posted nine saves on 10 shots during the contest.
Current Bulldog freshman goaltender Emma Soderberg (Jarved, Sweden) made 35 saves on 40 shots in her lone action on Nov. 9 against the U.S. Soderberg's teammate, former Bulldog and Swedish national team stalwart Pernilla Winberg recorded two goals in her final skate of the tourney against Finland Sunday. UMD also had a representative on the Canadian side -- Olympic gold and silver medalist and former Bulldog All-American defenseman Jocelyne Larcoque, who was also an assistant captain for the Canada.
In all, seven current or former players skated in the 2018 Four Nations Cup for all four national teams participating.
Video: http://bit.ly/2OSWKEN
Live Stats: http://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/womens-ice-hockey-live-stats/
