The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will spend the Thanksgiving holiday out east as the Bulldogs prepare to take on defending NCAA champions, No. 3 Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY. UMD, who currently owns the nation's strongest strength of schedule, will face-off against the Golden Knights at 5:00 p.m. CDT Friday before wrapping up the series Saturday at 2:00 p.m. CDT at Cheel Arena at the Cheel Campus Center.
USCHO RANKING: UMD-- Rec. Votes, Clarkson-- No. 3
USA TODAY/USA Hockey Magazine: UMD--Rec. Votes, Clarkson-- No. 3
THE SERIES: The Bulldogs and Golden Knights have never met in their storied college hockey histories, but between them own almost half (eight) of the NCAA titles captured over the past 19 years. While the Bulldogs dominated the first decade of NCAA hockey and own the second most NCAA titles in all of Divison I women's hockey (five), Clarkson has raised three of the last four banners, including just last season.
This season, while the Bulldogs have played the strongest schedule in the NCAA, the Golden Knights have so far played just the 19th strongest schedule, and between them, they have had just one common opponent in Bemidji State University.
Both teams swept the Beavers this season, with the Bulldogs posting 6-1 and 2-0 wins at AMSOIL Arena back on Oct. 19-20. Clarkson faced BSU on Sept. 28-29, sweeping the Beavers on the road with 5-1 and 5-3.
All-time, UMD is 34-11-4 against Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference members, the home of the Golden Knights. The Bulldogs last took the ice against an ECAC foe one year ago when they knocked off then No. 2 Colgate 4-1 in the Windjammer Classic on Nov. 24, 2017.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS: Clarkson is led by sophomore forward Elizabeth Gigucre, who has 24 points in 12 games on 11 goals and 13 assists. Both Loren Gabel and Michaela Pejziova each have nine goals apiece -- Gabel has 22 points overall and Pejziova owns 21. Gabel, who has played in just 10 games, leads the NCAA with a 2.20 PPG average.
A majority of the Golden Knight's goaltending duties have so far gone to fifth-year senior transfer Kassidy Sauve. The former Ohio State University goaltender has played in nine games, going 8-1-0 in those outings with a 2.00 GAA and .918 GAA. Over her OSU career, Sauve manned the pipes in 10 games against the Bulldogs, posting just a 2-8 overall record. UMD has scored 28 goals against Sauve in those 10 games, and Sauve is averaging 30.7 saves against the Bulldogs after making a total of 307 in those 10 games.
At the helm of the Golden Knights is Matt Desrosiers, who has been on the bench with Clarkson for 10 seasons. In addition to leading the Golden Knights to three NCAA titles, Desrosiers has an overall record of 266-94-41.
Clarkson's last game was a loss to Yale Univerity in New Haven, Conn. last Saturday, a 5-1 ECAC setback for the Golden Knights.
LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs were swept last weekend in Columbus, OH against then No. 7 Ohio State University by scores of 3-1 and 4-1. UMD struggled to find its offense in the series, despite scoring the first goal of the game in both skates.
Things looked up for the Bulldogs early, a Friday, and their NCAA-best power play delivered just 6:22 into the opening period. Sophomore forward Anna Klein skated the puck around the net and found sophomore defenseman Jalyn Elmes in the slot for the 1-0 lead. But 1:24 later, OSU capitalized on a scrum in front of the net for the game's equalizer.
The Buckeyes scored their lone power play goal (OSU went 1-of-4 overall) of the contest 11:00 into the second period. OSU took a 3-1 lead at 18:14 of the same stanza after outshooting the Bulldogs 17-9 in the frame. Overall, OSU put 45 shots on goal, while UMD put just 28 on net Friday night. Maddie Rooney had 42 saves for the Bulldogs.
On Saturday, OSU did something that almost no team has been able to do against UMD this season -- it stopped the Bulldogs nation-leading power play completely.
The No. 7 Buckeyes pulled off the weekend sweep over the then No. 7/8 Bulldogs with a 4-1 win at the OSU Ice Rink in Columbus, Ohio. OSU, who got a hat trick from Tatum Skaggs, stifled all six of UMD's power play attempts. Prior to Saturday's contest, the Bulldogs entered the game with the NCAA's highest extra skater conversion rate at 27.6
Junior forward Sydney Brodt netted the lone UMD goal of the day just 3:50 into the first period, with assists from her linemates Anna Klein and Gabbie Hughes. But the Buckeyes scored a power play goal at 12:31 and then took a 2-1 lead 1:16 later.
After a scoreless second period that was saw each team post eight shots on goal, Skaggs put OSU up 3-1 at 7:05 of the third period before adding her third goal on an empty netter at 18:42. The Buckeyes outshot UMD 30-22 in the game, but Bulldog goaltender Maddie Rooney made 26 stops.
NOTES FROM THE OHIO STATE SERIES:
--OSU's sweep of UMD knocked it out of the national rankings for the first time this season. The Bulldogs are currently still receiving votes in both national polls.
--The Bullodgs are now 67-19-3 all-time against the Buckeyes.
--UMD was outshot in both games and overall in the series 78-50. The Bulldogs came into the game having outshot its last four opponents 150-89.
--Maddie Rooney faced a total of 75 shots in the series, making 68 saves on the weekend.
--Rookie Gabbie Hughes continues to rank 14th among all rookies in the NCAA with four goals and five games for nine points in 12 games. Hughes currently ranks third among all WCHA freshman, and leads UMD in scoring.
POWERED PLAY: For the first time in over a decade, the Bulldogs owned the nation's best power play after last Friday's contest, a 27.6 conversion rate. After Saturday's setback , UMD is in a virtual tie for third in the NCAA with a 23.5 success rate on 8-of-34 power attempts. Almost as impressive for the Bulldogs is that all eight goals have been scored by different players.
BULLDOGS OWN STRONGEST SCHEDULE: UMD is towering over the rest of the NCAA in terms of its strength of schedule so far this season, leading the nation with a 0.5834 and a No. 1 rank, according to USCHO.com's Ratings Percentage Index. Four of the six series that the Bulldogs have skated in have come against teams ranked in the top-seven, including three series and six games against squads in the top-four. With Clarkson sitting currently at No. 3, after this weekend, UMD will have played 10 of its 14 games against top-10 teams, and eight of its 14 skates against teams ranked fourth or higher.
Video: http://www.espn.com/watch/search/clarkson%20w%20hockey
Live Stats: https://clarksonathletics.com/sidearmstats/whockey/media
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