The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team gave its seniors the one thing they wanted most on Senior Day — a shot to host the first round of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association at home.
The Bulldogs picked up a league point, and more impressively, against the No. 2 University of Wisconsin in a 3-3 overtime draw at AMSOIL Arena, the 14th such tie between the two programs in their history. The result of that tie is a point that now puts UMD two points ahead of Bemidji State University for the fourth and final home playoff spot with just one regular league series left.
"A great response after a tough loss on Friday," said head coach Maura Crowell following the game. "Tying the top-team in the country at this point in the season is very encouraging, and from our goaltender on out, everyone played a strong game today."
It was apparent from the initial face-off UMD had no intention of repeating its Friday night start, and a Badger penalty at 12:07 was just what the Bulldogs needed to remedy that memory. UMD's nationally sixth-ranked power play delivered 43 seconds in when Jalyn Elmes tracked down the puck from wide of the goal and shoveled it past UW's Kristen Campbell to put UMD up 1-0 at 12:50.
The Bulldogs opened the second period with more of the same offensive grit, and shamelessly cashed in an individual effort from Ashton Bell to force a Badger turnover in their own zone. Bell's steal found a crashing Naomi Rogge, who poked the puck through for her team-high 15th goal at 5:53. Wisconsin finally got on the board at 8:07 on Claudia Kepler's 18th tally of the season, but the Bulldogs would go back up by two goals just 1:33 later.
UMD caught the Badgers on a long shift change and made them pay in the form of Anna Klein's five-hole effort at the 9:40 mark to extend the Bulldog lead to 3-1. Klein's fourth goal of the season was also her second against the Badgers, and all four of Klein's scores have come against teams ranked in the top-5 this season.
A pair of third period penalties allowed Wisconsin to equalize, and the Badgers scored at 2:12 and again at 6:40, with help from a five-minute boarding call against UMD that drew the game even at 3-3. The scoring on both sides dried up after that, and despite playing down a skater for more than a quarter of the third period, UMD matched the Badgers in shots with five apiece in the third period and two each in the overtime.
The mandated WCHA shootout went to four skaters, but Wisconsin finally prevailed to pocket the league point.
Senior UMD goaltender Jessica Convery had 25 saves in the contest to Campbell's 23, and the Badgers had the slight shots on goal advantage at 28-26. Wisconsin, who was 2-of-3 on its power play, is now 27-3-2 overall and 18-2-2 in the WCHA.
The Bulldogs (12-14-4, 8-11-3) will travel to Mankato, Minn. next weekend in control of their own first round home playoff ice destiny. UMD will face Minnesota State University, Mankato next Friday and Saturday at 2:07 p.m.
