The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team begins Western Collegiate Hockey Association play this Friday and Saturday when it welcomes Minnesot State University, Mankato to AMSOIL Arena this weekend. The Bulldogs and Mavericks will drop the puck at 3:07 p.m. both afternoons.
Friday night, UMD will wear gold jerseys for the first time since Feb. 22, 2015, and will auction off CCM replicas off their new gold sweaters in an online auction already ongoing on umdbulldogs.com/auctions/.
USCHO RANKING: UMD-- 9, Minnesota State-- NR
USA TODAY/USA Hockey Magazine: UMD-- 9, Minnesota State-- NR
THE SERIES: The Bulldogs finished 2-0-3 with three shootout wins against the Mavericks last season, and are 67-7-7 all-time against MSU. UMD has a unbeaten streak against the Mavericks of nine games -- a streak that dates back to Nov. 17, 2017.
Sophomore center Gabbie Hughes leads all current players with four goals and three assists for seven points against MSU in five outings that all took place last season. Senior forward Ryleigh Houston has posted two goals and four assists for six points in nine career skates against the Mavericks as a Bulldog, while senior forward Sydney Brodt has one goal and five assists in 13 games
LAST TIME OUT: UMD split with then No. 3 Clarkson over the weekend by scores of 2-0 and 2-4. After surrendering two leads to the Golden Knights in a 2-4 setbacklast Friday, the Bulldogs took the lead midway through the second period on a goal from Gabbie Hughes and never looked back. Sydney Brodt doubled that lead at 11:28 of the third period and the Bulldog defense, along with goaltender Maddie Rooney, did the rest.
Brodt and Ashton Bell each posted four-point weekends. Brodt notched two goals and two assists, while Bell added four assists. Hughes added two goals and an assist for three points. Rooney had 57 saves on the weekend, including 29 in Saturday's shutout.
NOTES FROM THE CLARKSON SERIES: All-time, the Bulldogs are now 1-4 against Clarkson and 35-14-4 against ECAC opponents.
--It was UMD's first home shutout since Oct. 20, 2018 (2-0 win over BSU credited to Rooney), and the first time in 53 games that the Golden Knights were held scoreless.
--Hughes has now notched four goals and two assists for five points against Clarkson in four games and is no stranger to raising her game against ranked opponents. To date, she has compiled 14 goals and 12 assists in 20 games against teams ranked in the top-10.
--The Bulldog upset was the first since UMD beat then No. 2 Minnesota at Ridder Arena last season 3-2 on Feb. 2, 2019.
BELL NAMED WCHA DEFENSEMAN OF THE WEEK: Ashton Bell figured in every UMD goal last weekend, and her offensive efforts helped her nab the WCHA Defenseman Player of the Week Tuesday.
The junior defenseman convert from Deloraine, Manitoba turned in a four assist performance on the weekend, helping the No. 9 Bulldogs shutout then No. 3 Clarkson University Saturday night 2-0 to earn a series split with the Golden Knights. While Bell flexed a 2.00 PPG average over the two games and added a game-winning assist, she also helped a defensive core render the Golden Knights scoreless Saturday -- the first time Clarkson has been held scoreless in 53 skates.
Bell's four point weekend tied her for the best offensive performance in both all of the NCAA, as well as the WCHA.
HUGHES EXTENDS SCORING STREAK: Sophomore center Gabbie Hughes finished her rookie season on a five-game scoring streak (4g, 3a), and extended it last weekend with two goals and an assist. Hughes has now compiled six goals and four assists for 10 points in her last seven games, dating back to last March.
ROONEY ON THE RISE: After the weekend, senior goaltender Maddie Rooney moved into the second spot for career saves with 2,514 in 89 games played as a Bulldog. Kayla Black owns the career record with 2,960 saves over 121 games.
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.
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