The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will make its 17th appearance in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association semifinal postseason game this Saturday when the Bulldogs face the No. 1 University of Minnesota in game one of the WCHA Final Face-Off semifinals. The puck will drop in Minneapolis, Minn. at Ridder Arena at 2:07 p.m.
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THE SERIES
UMD trails the all-time series with Minnesota 28-58-9, but the Bulldogs went 1-3-1 with a shootout win this season in five skates against the Gophers. Most recently, UMD split its last regular seasons series at Ridder Arena with a 3-2 overtime win on Feb. 2 before suffering a 5-3 setback in game two on Feb. 3. Prior to that, UMD and Minnesota met in the Minnesota Cup on Jan. 5, also at Ridder, a 4-3 overtime loss for the Bulldogs. Back on Oct. 5-6 at AMSOIL, the two teams played to 2-2 tie before UMD took the extra shootout point 2-0 before the Gophers took game two 3-2.
The Bulldogs and Gophers have played three of their last five games into overtime, as well as five of their last 11 skates. The Bulldogs are 2-1-2 with two shootout wins in those extra time games.
This will be the sixth meeting of the season between the two programs -- just the fourth time in program history the Bulldogs and Gophers have hit the ice six times in a season (2016-17, 2009-10, 1999-00).
ADDITIONAL UMD-MINNESOTA SERIES 2018-19 HIGHLIGHTS
Rookie center Gabbie Hughes leads all UMD scorers with eight points on five goals and three assists in five games against Minnesota, and has netted at least a goal.
in each of her five appearances against the Gophers.
--Maddie Rooney had a total of 81 saves in the February series, also an NCAA-high weekend high, and has made 176 stops against the Gophers this season so far. Rooney has six 40-plus save games against Minnesota over her career (and had a 39 save game in her last appearance against the Gophers). In six career appearances at Ridder, Rooney has also now averaged 44 saves a game.
--UMD's regular season win against Minnesota at Ridder Arena was the first for the program since Jan. 23, 2009 (a 4-2 clip). While the Bulldogs had won an WCHA Final Face-Off semifinal contest on March 4, 2017, a WCHA Final Face-Off Championship on March 7, 2010 and an NCAA Frozen Four semifinal on March 19, 2010 all against Minnesota at Ridder Arena, they had not won a regular season conference game since Jan. 23, 2009 until last Saturday.
UMD AND MINNESOTA IN WCHA POSTSEASON PLAY
UMD has faced-off against Minnesota in six WCHA tournament semifinals, and is 1-5 all-time in those meetings, defeating the Gophers 3-2 in overtime on March 4, 2017 in their last head-to-head semifinal showdown.
All-time, the Bulldogs and Gophers have met in WCHA postseason play 11 times, with a record of 4-7, including in five WCHA tournament title games where UMD is 3-2 against Minnesota.
UMD -- Minnesota WCHA Semifinals History
March 4, 2017 UMD 2, Minnesota 1 Overtime
March 7, 2014 UMD 1, Minnesota 4
March 4, 2011 UMD 2, Minnesota 4
March 3, 2007 UMD 2, Minnesota 3 Overtime
March 11, 2006 UMD 1, Minnesota 2
UMD IN THE WCHA TOURNAMENT
With its sweep over Bemidji State last weekend, UMD is now 41-19 in all WCHA postseason games. A breakdown of UMD's all-time WCHA tournament record --
WCHA Quarterfinal games -- 26-8
WCHA Semifinal games -- 8-8
WCHA Third Place games -- 2-0
WCHA Championship games -- 5-3
In all, UMD owns five WCHA playoff crowns (2010, 2008, 2003, 2001, 2000). Only Minnesota and Wisconsin have more league playoff titles -- both programs own seven, with the Gophers entering the Final Face-Off as the defending champion.
LAST TIME OUT
UMD swept Bemidji State last weekend in the WCHA Quarterfinals by scores of 3-2 and 4-3 at AMSOIL Arena. Freshmen Gabbie Hughes and Maggie Flaherty led all scorers with three points each -- Hughes with two goals and an assist and Flaherty with three assists.
Friday, the Bulldogs never trailed after two first period goals from Naomi Rogge and Anneke Linser and a third period goal from Hughes. Maddie Rooney made 27 saves -- the Bulldogs outshot BSU 34-29.
In game two on Saturday, UMD fell behind by two early goals in the first period, but scored a goal in both the first and second period before Hughes scored the go-ahead tally midway through the third period. Linser added an insurance goal at 14:10 and Rooney made 32 saves for UMD, who just barely outshot the Beavers 36-35.
NOTES FROM THE BEMIDJI STATE QUARTERFINAL SERIES
UMD improved to 5-1 against BSU on the season and is now 74-18-4 all-time against the Beavers. UMD improved to 11-4 against BSU in the postseason and 26-8 in quarterfinal contests. In all WCHA postseason action, the Bulldogs are now 41-19.
--UMD outscored the Beavers 21-12 in those six games, but only outshot them 186-173.
HUGHES EYES HISTORY
Gabbie Hughes is the third UMD freshman in program history to lead a Bulldog squad in scoring as a rookie. Currently, Hughes has a team-high 36 points on 18 goals and 18 assists over 32 games.
Hughes teammate, Naomi Rogge, was the last UMD freshman to lead a team in scoring after registering 24 points last season (16g, 8a) over 35 games. In addition to Rogge, the only other rookie to have led a Bulldog side in scoring is three-time Olympian Haley Irwin, who put up 23 goals and 37 assists for a whopping 60 points in 37 games during UMD's 2007-08 NCAA championship season.
With a 1.12 PPG average, Hughes is also nearing another unique catergory -- 12 former Bulldog rookies have averaged more than a point a game over their first collegiate seasons, including seven that have averaged 1.10 PPG or more.
Hughes, who currently sits as the 16th highest-scoring UMD rookie in history, has now amassed the most points by a rookie since Katie Wilson scored 17 goals and added 26 assists for 43 points in 41 games, a 1.04 PPG average during the 2009-10 championship season. Wilson was also the last UMD rookie to average over a point a game at 1.04 PPG.
To get into the Bulldog record books, Hughes will need to hit the 40 point mark -- Saara Tuominen currently holds down the No. 10 spot with 12 goals and 28 assists for 40 points in 39 games, a mark the Finnish Olympian reached over the 2005-06 season.
RUNNING TOWARDS THE RANKED
UMD has lined up against top-10 teams in 17 games this season (with 15 games against top-five teams), and will face its 18th ranked squad in Minnesota Saturday. In fact, the Bulldogs have led the NCAA with the strongest strength of schedule according to USCHO.com's Ratings Percentage Index (.5461).
Currently ranked No. 1, Minnesota will mark the first top-ranked team the Bulldogs have faced since skating with Wisconsin on Dec. 2, 2017, when the Badgers sat at No. 1.
UMD's last upset over a top-ranked team was a 4-1 triumph over Wisconsin at AMSOIL on Nov. 18, 2016.
ROARING ROOKIES
UMD currently has five of the top-16 scoring rookies in the WCHA, the most in the league. The Bulldogs have Gabbie Hughes in second (18-18=36), Anneke Linser at sixth (10-14=24), Maggie Flaherty in 11th (4-15=19), Lizi Norton in 14th (3-9=12) and Kailee Skinner (2-8=10) in the 16th slot.
Just under half -- 42 -- of UMD's goals so far this season have been scored by true freshman.
ROONEY'S CHART RISE
Junior goaltender Maddie Rooney has made 949 saves this season -- the third most stops in a single season by a goaltender in UMD history. Rooney already owns the second spot -- then a sophomore, Rooney had 985 saves in 2016-17.
Rooney is also just two saves from owning the third most saves in Bulldog career with 2,445 in 84 contests. Former UMD All-American Kim Martin (2006-09, 10-11) currently sits in third with 2,446 stops over 99 career games. Rooney is also 49 saves shy of the second slot, held by former All-American Riita Schaublin of 2,494 in 84 games from 2003-07.
FLAHERTY ON FIRE
Freshman defenseman Maggie Flaherty has caught on fire offensively in the second half of the season. With a total of four goals and 15 assists for 19 points in 34 games, Flaherty has notched just five points (1g, 4a) in her first 16 collegiate skates. But in the second half of the season, Flaherty has combusted -- in 18 games, the rookie blueliner has 14 points on three goals and 11 assists, and is currently in the midst of a four-game, six point (2g, 4a) career-best scoring streak.
Flaherty's output is the most by a freshman defenseman since then blueliner Lara Stalder rang up 22 points on four goals and 18 assists in just 28 games during the 2013-14 season. (Stalder converted to forward the following year). In the past decade, only Stalder and Brigette Lacquette (who had five goals and 20 assists for 20 points in 2011-12) have compiled more points as a rookie defenseman as Flaherty.
Only eight freshmen blueliners have compiled more points than Flaherty in program history. Krista McArthur owns the most points by a freshman defenseman -- McArthur rang up 15 goals and 24 assists for 39 points in 34 games during the 2002-03 season.
BULLDOGS OF NOTE
Four players are in the midst of four-game scoring streaks, including Gabbie Hughes (3g, 3a), Maggie Flaherty (2g, 4a), Anneke Linser (3g, 1a) and Anne Klein (2g, 2a). All but Klein (a sophomore), is a freshman ... UMD ended the regular season 4-0 in WCHA shootouts, with Maddie Rooney backstopping the Bulldogs in all four shootouts. Rooney stopped 16 of the 17 shots she faced.
