The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will continue with its four-game road stand this weekend when it travels to Buffalo, N.Y. to particpate in the Ice Breaker Tournament at Buffalo's Harbor Center. The Bulldogs open up play against Mercyhurst University Friday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. ET, and will play either the University of Connecticut or Colgate University at either 4:30 p.m. ET or 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday in their second game.
USCHO RANKING: UMD-- RV, Mercyhurst-- RV
USA TODAY/USA Hockey Magazine: UMD-- RV, Mercyhurst-- RV
THE SERIES: UMD has faced the Lakers just six times in program history, and own a 4-1-1 all-time record against them. The Bulldogs last faced Mercyhurst back on Oct. 30-31, 2009 in Erie, Penn., as series that UMD split with the then No. 1 Lakers by scores of 2-5 and 4-3. Prior to that, UMD and Mercyhurst had only clashed in one other series and twice in the postseason.
The two programs met on the ice of the DECC on March 15, 2008, in the 2008 NCAA Quarterfinal game, and UMD overcame three, one-goal deficits (and some youthful nerves) to outlast Mercyhurst 5-4. That Bulldog win was the second-straight setback UMD had dealt the Lakers in NCAA Quaterfinal play after knocking out Mercyhurst on March 9, 2007 3-2 in overtime to secure a trip to the 2007 NCAA Frozen Four.
UMD hosted the Lakers three times during that 2007-08 national championship season, including an early year match-up on Oct. 20-21, 2007 that the Bulldogs tied 1-1 in overtime, and then won the following day 3-1.
VS CONNECTICUT: The Bulldogs are 7-0-1 all-time against UConn and last faced the Huskies on Sept. 26-27, 2014 in Storrs, Conn. UMD came back from a three-goal deficit in the first game to earn a 4-4 tie with UConn before shutting out the Huskies the following day 3-0.
VS COLGATE: UMD has faced Colgate just once in program history -- a 4-1 win on Nov. 24, 2017 in the Winderjammer Classic in Burlington, Vermont.
It is the only program that currently rostered Bulldogs have logged points against -- Sydney Brodt and Naomi Rogge both had goals against the Raiders, while Ashton Bell had both a goal and an assist in their one and only meeting. Jalyn Elmes and Monique Aanenson also added assists in the skate.
LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs were swept by Bemidji State last weekend by scores of 2-4 and 1-2 at the Sanford Center in Bemidji, Minn., the first sweep by a BSU squad over UMD since Oct. 9-10, 2015.
UMD surrendered a 2-0 lead in Friday night's 4-2 loss -- the Beavers netted three-unanswered goals -- not including an open net tally. Anna Klein and Jalyn Elmes had UMD's goal, while Gabbie Hughes had two assists. The Bulldogs had a season-high six infractions in the game.
Hughes did not dress in Saturday's 2-1 setback, and BSU netted its second power play goal in the series to sweep UMD for the first time in four seasons.
NOTES FROM THE BEMIDJI STATE SERIES: With the sweep, UMD falls to 74-20-7 all-time against the Beavers. Friday's loss broke a three-game winning streak for the Bulldogs, as well as a three-game winning streak UMD had against BSU.
--UMD's season-high six penalties last Friday night was just a penalty shy of the infractions called on the Bulldogs for their first four games combined (seven).
HUGHES EXTENDS SCORING STREAK: Dating back to Feb. 22 of last season, Gabbie Hughes now has a 10-game scoring streak intact. The sophomore forward has compiled seven goals and eight assists for 15 points over those last 10 skates. This season alone, Hughes has registered four goals and five assists for nine points in five games.
Hughes has logged the longest scoring streak by a Bulldog since Lara Stalder ran up a 15-game run during the 2016-17 season. Stalder had 15 goals and 15 assists for 30 points in 15 games from Dec. 10, 2016 through March 5, 2017. UMD assisstant coach Ashleigh Brykaliuk actually owns the second longest scoring streak in Bulldog history -- a 19-game span that ran from Oct. 29, 2016 through Feb. 11, 2017. Brykaliuk compiled 26 points over that streak.
SHARING THE WEALTH: UMD is averaging 2.33 goals per game through its first six games, and has scored 14 goals over that span. The Bulldogs have shared the goal scoring duties -- seven different players have notched at least a goal, with three of those players having two or more tallies, and two -- Gabbie Hughes and senior forward Sydney Brodt -- having secured four.
RING THE SCORING BELL: Junior defenseman convert Ashton Bell ranks third in the WCHA among all defenseman with seven points on a goal and six assists in six games. Bell ranks fifth among all blueliners in points in the NCAA, and fourth with a 1.17 assist per game ratio.
ROONEY ON THE RISE: Maddie Rooney has made a number of moves on the career charts already so far this year. After just four games, (and 93 career games), Rooney has climbed into the No. 2 for all-time saves (2,614), No. 5 wins (45) and No. 4 minutes played (5475:31). Rooney is less than two minutes shy of taking over the third all-time minutes played currently owned by Kim Martin, who had 5,477:05 minutes in 99 games.
THEY HAVE A POINT: Three Bulldogs currently rank in the top-11 of the WCHA in points per game, including Gabbie Hughes at fifth with a 1.80 ppg average, Sydney Brodt, at eighth with a 1.50 ppg and Ashton Bell in 11th with a 1.33 ppg average.
Bell ranks second among all defensemen in the league with her 1.33 ppg, and Hughes sits 11th in the NCAA among all players with a 1.80 ppg.
RANK AND FILE: The Bulldogs fell out of the top-10 in both national polls this week after the BSU sweep, but sit in both polls as the top-voted team for receiving votes. Two other teams in the Ice Breaker Tournament are also receiving votes -- Mercyhurst, who sits between UMD and Colgate in the latest USCHO.com poll and of course Colgate, that sits between UMD and Mercyhurst in the lastest USA TODAY/USA Hockey Magazine this week.
LONG-TIME LEADERSHIP: Sydney Brodt will begin her third season as a UMD captain, along with senior defenseman Jalyn Elmes (in her second year with the "C"). The senior forward is the first-ever Bulldog player to have worn the "C" for three seasons. Brodt was also the youngest UMD player ever to be named captain when she earned the title as a sophomore three seasons ago.
ROGGE TO MISS SEASON: Junior forward Naomi Rogge will miss the entire 2019-20 season due to an injury she siffered prior to the season. Rogge was tied for the second most goals last season (12) and finished third in scoring (23) after leading the Bulldogs in scoring as a rookie in 2017-18 with 24 points (16g, 8a).
BULLDOG NOTES: Sophomore defenseman Maggie Flaherty leads UMD with 15 blocks through her first six games.
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