The No. 9 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will drop the curtain on the 2018-19 season this Friday and Saturday when it welcomes No. 4 Boston College into the confines of AMSOIL Arena. The Bulldogs will also honor past, current and future military members with Military Appreciation night Saturday. UMD will wear special camoflauge jerseys throughout the weekend which will be auctioned off to raise funds for Operation One Voice. Games get underway at 7:00 p.m. Friday night and 4:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
THE SERIES: The Bulldogs are 6-6-1 all-time against BC after the Golden Eagles swept UMD last season by scores of 4-3 and 4-1 in Chestnut Hill, Mass . Against Hockey East opponents, UMD is 32-14-5 all-time after going 1-2 against them a year ago.
On Oct. 5, 2017 UMD trailed the then No. 3 Eagles 4-1 with 13 minutes remaining and turned in two goals on 5-on-3 power plays to pull within 4-3, but despite outshooting BC 31-26, still suffered their first setback of the season. Three different Bulldogs logged goals, including then senior defenseman Catherine Daoust, and then freshmen forwards Ashton Bell and Naomi Rogge. Both Sydney Brodt and Jessica Healey recorded two assists in the game.
On Oct. 6, 2017, Bell again scored a power play goal to tie the game at 1-1 at 11:39 of the first period, but a natural hat-trick by Daryl Watts doomed the Bulldogs 4-1. UMD again outshot the Eagles 32-26.
In the series, the Bulldogs outshot BC 63-52, but the Eagles outscored UMD 8-4.
RANK AND FILE: While the Bulldogs start the season in the ninth position in both USCHO.com's and USA TODAY/USA Hockey Magazine's national preseason polls, Boston College sits fourth in both polls.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE GOLDEN EAGLES: The Golden Eagles bowed out to Ohio State in the NCAA Regionals last March in Columbus by a score of 2-0. Like the Bulldogs, BC retains its top-three scorers from a year ago in sophomore Daryl Watts (42g, 40a), junior Catrin Lonergan (30g, 45a) and senior Makenna Newkirk (24g, 37a).
The Golden Eagles went an impressive 30-5-3 overall in 2017-18 and averaged just over four goals an outing while holding opponents to two tallies a skate.
LAST TIME OUT: The Minnesota Whitecaps of the NWHL defeated the No. 9 Bulldogs 4-3 at AMSOIL Arena Saturday, but UMD flexed an early offensive outburst in the first period, thanks in part to two goals by freshmen forward Gabbie Hughes.
Hughes shoveled in a rebound just 1:23 into the game to give UMD the early 1-0 lead. Sophomore forward Naomi Rogge, UMD's leading scorer from a year ago, backhanded a rebound off an Ashton Bell shot to double that lead at the 8:49 mark.
Hughes struck again at 15:05, picking up her own rebound for her second goal of the afternoon, but the Whitecaps took advantage of their power play twice. Maddie Rooney's Olympic teammate Hannah Brandt netted two power play goasl and the Whitecaps then went ahead late on a game-winning tally by Lee Stecklein that came with just 1:05 remaining in the third period.
In addition to Hughes' double goal effort, both sophomore Anna Klein and junior Ryleigh Houston had two assists for the Bulldogs.
UMD outshot the Whitecaps 37-36 in the contest, but the Whitecaps outshot the Bulldogs 28-19 in the second and third periods. Two goaltenders logged time for UMD, including Rooney, who made 19 saves in the first 40 minutes -- her first Bulldog action since March of 2017 in a UMD jersey.
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