The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will continue on its season-long homestand this weekend at AMSOIL Arena against Quinnipiac University. The Bulldogs and Bobcats will hit the ice for their nonconference series at 3:07 p.m. both Friday and Saturday.
USCHO RANKING: UMD-- Rec. Votes, QU --NR
USA TODAY/USA Hockey Magazine: UMD-- Rec. Votes, QU-- NR
THE SERIES: UMD steps out of Western Collegiate Hockey Association action this week to host Quinnipiac University for the first time in program history. All-time, UMD is 34-13-4 against Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference members, the home of the Bobcats. UMD was swept by ECAC member (and defending NCAA champion) Clarkson 1-4 and 2-4 back on Nov. 16-17 in Potsdam, NY. The Bulldogs and Bobcats also have one other common opponent this season -- QU hosted Ohio State back on Sept. 28-29, a series sweep by the Buckeyes by a score of 2-3 in both games. While UMD is coming off a series sweep of OSU, the Bulldogs and Buckeyes spilt the regular season, going 2-2.
LAST TIME OUT: UMD swept then No. 5 Ohio State over the weekend by scores of 5-2 and 6-3, and never once trailed in the series. The Bulldogs scored four goals in the first period Friday night, including two power play goals. Saturday, UMD netted three goals in the third period to ensure the upset series sweep.
In all seven different players got on the score sheet Friday, including four players who tallied two or more points --Naomi Rogge (2g, 2a), Gabbie Hughes (1g, 1a), Sydney Brodt (1g, 1a) and Ashton Bell (2a). Saturday, eight different players recorded points, with both Rogge and Brodt posting four (2g, 2a).
Goaltender Maddie Rooney posted 75 saves on 80 shots in the series, including 39 saves Friday night.
NOTES FROM THE OHIO STATE SERIES: With the series sweep, UMD and OSU end their regular season meetings even at 2-2, and the Bulldogs improved their overall all-time records to 69-19-13.
--With the wins, UMD is now 4-8-1 against top-10 teams, and has played 13 of 22 games against ranked squads. UMD is also now 7-1-2 at home and unbeaten in games where they lead after the first period (6-0-1) or second period (7-0-2).
--UMD has now scored five or more goals in its last three games, and is averaging 4.40 goals per game in its last five outings.
--The Bulldogs rank fifth in the NCAA and second in the WCHA with a 21.9 conversion rate on the power play. UMD was a whopping 4-of-8 (50.0) on its power play this weekend.
--For just the second time this season, the Bulldogs netted six goals in a game Saturday. UMD also outscored OSU 11-5 on the weekend, the most goals UMD has scored in a series since it put up 11 on St. Cloud State Feb. 23-24, 2017. It also marks the first time the Bulldogs have scored five or more goals in a game for three-straight games since UMD defeated OSU on Nov. 26, 2011 6-2, St. Cloud State Dec. 2, 2011 5-1 and then the Huskies again on Dec. 3, 2011 by a 10-2 margin.
--Both Sydney Brodt and Naomi Rogge had four points (2g, 2a) Saturday, and along with Rogge's four point (2g, 2a) performance Friday night, marks team-high point outputs on the season .
A QUICK LOOK AT THE BOBCATS: Quinnipiac is coming off a 2-1 win against Sacred Heart in Fairfield, Conn. last Friday. Currently in fifth place in the ECAC with an overall record of 8-13-3, 6-7-1 ECAC, the Bobcats are led by senior forward Melissa Samoskevich (9g, 5a) and MacKenzie Lancaster (3g, 11a), who both have 14 points. Junior goaltender Abbie Ives has player 21 of QU's 24 games, and has posted a 1.79 GAA with a record of 8-10-3. At the helm of the Bobcats is Cassandra Turner, who is 75-43-17 in four seasons at QU.
ROGGE AND BRODT NAMED NCAA STARS OF THE WEEK: Naomi Rogge and Sydney Brodt were the most productive duo in the nation last weekend, and the NCAA agreed, naming Rogge its First Star of the Week and Brodt its Third Star of the Week.
A product of Eden Prairie, Minn., Rogge figured in eight of the 11 goals UMD scored in its weekend sweep of then No. 5 OSU, and led the NCAA and WCHA in points (8), goals (4) and assists (4), as well as points per game (4.00). Rogge opened both games against the Buckeyes by scoring the first goals early in both first periods, and in Friday's 5-2 upset, posted two goals and an assist in the opening 20 minutes. Saturday, the sophomore forward recorded both a goal and an assist in the first period before netting her fourth goal and assist of the weekend later in the third period. This marks the second series this season Rogge has led the NCAA and WCHA in scoring. Rogge compiled four goals and an assist for five points back on Oct. 19-20 against Bemidji State. This is the second time this season Rogge was named the NCAA's First Star of the Week -- the sophomore forward also collected the honor back on Oct. 23 after leading the nation in points (5g, 1a) in a UMD sweep over Bemidji State University.
Brodt turned in the second-best offensive performance in the nation and WCHA last weekend, posting three goals and three assists for six points. A native of North Oaks, Minn., Brodt recorded a goal and assist Friday in UMD's 5-2 win before adding two goals and two assists Saturday in the Bulldogs 6-3 stomp. The second-year team captain and junior netted two power play goals and averaged 3.00 PPG against the Buckeyes.
TRIO OF BULLDOGS NAMED WCHA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: After the Bulldogs dominated the nation's statistics over the weekend, it's no surprise they dominated the WCHA weekly awards.
UMD hauled in three of the four weekly honors, including Naomi Rogge, named the WCHA's Forward of the Week, Maddiey Rooney, named the WCHA's Goaltender of the Week and Gabbie Hughes, named the WCHA's Rookie of the Week.
Rogge -- named the NCAA's First Star of the Week -- was a key figure in UMD's sweep over then No. 5 OSU last weekend by scores of 5-2 and 6-3. Of the 11 goals UMD scored against OSU, the Eden Prairie, Minn. product figured in eight, and led the NCAA and WCHA in points (8), goals (4) and assists (4), as well as points per game (4.00).
Rooney, a native of Andover, Minn., helped the Bulldogs sweep the fifth-ranked Buckeyes by posting 75 saves on 80 shots, including 39 saves Friday night in UMD's 5-2 win. The junior goaltender had 75 stops led all WCHA goaltenders and was the second most saves in all of the NCAA, and her 119:42 minutes of action led all WCHA goaltenders in minutes played. One of only six goaltenders to earn a series sweep this weekend in the NCAA, Rooney also was the only WCHA netminder to pick up two wins. This marks the third WCHA weekly award for Rooney so far this season.
Hughes picks up her second WCHA award (she was Forward of the Week on Jan. 8) in three weeks after the Lino Lakes, Minn. freshman led all WCHA rookies, as well as the NCAA with four points against the Buckeyes over the weekend. With an NCAA-high 15 shots, two goals and game-winning goal, Hughes and a goal and the game-winning assist Friday in UMD's 5-2 win over OSU. The rookie again had a goal and assist in the Bulldogs 6-3 win Saturday, including the game-winner at 2:53 of the third period.
COMING UP HUGHES: Freshman Gabbie Hughes continues to leads the Bulldogs with 24 points in 22 games this season (13g, 11a), and ranks fourth in the NCAA for points by a rookie and first in the WCHA with a 1.09 PPG average.
Averaging 1.09 PPG as a freshman is currently putting Hughes in some pretty exclusive company-- the last UMD rookie forward to post at least a point a game through the season was Katie Wilson, who in 41 games played, scored 17 goals and added 26 assists for 43 points, a 1.04 PPG average during the 2009-10 championship season.
Hughes has also now joined current teammate, sophomore Naomi Rogge as the only Bulldog freshmen to hit 24 points in a season since Jenna McParland recorded 32 points (21g, 11a) in 36 games. Rogge ran up a 16 goal, eight assist tab last season as a rookie for 24 points in 35 games. By contrast, Hughes has reached the 24 point mark in just 22 games.
Currently in the midst of a three-game, six point (3g, 3a) scoring streak, Hughes has started off 2019 with 11 points in six games on six goals and five assists.
RANK AND FILE: UMD has played 13 games against top-10 teams so far this season, 11 of which have come against a top-five opponent.
UMD has led the rest of the NCAA in terms of its strength of schedule for the entire season, leading the nation with a 0.5600 and a No. 1 rank, according to USCHO.com's Ratings Percentage Index.
AMSOIL HOMEBODIES: The Bulldogs have played 12 of their 22 games so far on the road, where the Bulldogs are currently just 3-9. At AMSOIL, however, UMD is an impressive 7-1-2, and luckily for the Bulldogs, six of the their next 10 skates are on their home rink.
UMD'S YOUNG GUNS: All of eight of UMD's rookies have now registered goals points, and six of the seven have logged a goal. Two of the Bulldogs top-three scorers are freshmen, including Gabbie Hughes, who sits at the top of UMD's scoring chart, while her high school linemate at Centennial High School Anneke Linser is in a tie for the second most points (17) and a team-high 12 assists.
The Bulldog rookie class currently has netted 23 of UMD's 59 goals, and has dished out just 44 of the Bulldogs 97 assists.
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