The University of Minnesota Duluth women's team has been unbeaten in 2020 so far, and the Bulldogs are looking to kepp that momentum going this weekend as they head to St. Cloud, Minn. for a Western Collgiate Hockey Association series against St. Cloud State University. The Friday-Saturday series gets underway at Herb Brooks National Hockey Center at 6:07 p.m. Friday and wraps up Saturday at 2:07 p.m.
QUICK HITS--
--Maddie Rooney became UMD's all-time saves leader last Friday, and now owns 3,030 career saves (and counting)
--Ashton Bell leads the WCHA in goals from a defenseman with nine, and sits second in points with 22. Bell has scored a goal in her last three games (all against BSU) and has already scored the most goals from a UMD blueliner in a season since Jessica Wong netted 11 over the course of the 2011-12 season.
--Gabbie Hughes continues ranks fifth in the WCHA with a 1.42 PPG average and leads UMD with 12 goals and 19 assists for 31 points in 21 games.
THE SERIES: The Bulldogs are 68-14-6 against the Huskies and swept SCSU for the first time since November 2017 by scores of 3-2 and 6-0 on Nov. 1-2 at AMSOIL Arena.
UMD came from behind the opening night, netting two goals 14 seconds apart midway through the third period on goals from McKenzie Hewett and Anna Klein to grab the 3-2 win. In game two, the Bulldogs scored early and often with their biggest win of the season, a 6-0 rout of the Huskies. Anneke Linser had two goals and an assist in the win, while Kylie Hanley added two assists and a goal. In all, five players recorded two or more points in the skate.
Seven of UMD's nine goals over the weekend were scored by different players, and 13 different players recorded points in the series. The Bulldogs outshot SCSU 94-42 on the weekend, and have now outshot the Huskies 285-131 in their last six skates.
LAST TIME OUT: UMD swept Bemidji State in an all-important WCHA series, outscoring the Beavers 8-2 on the weekend.
On Friday night, UMD struck early -- 25 seconds into the action early -- on a goal from Ashton Bell. Anna Klein added another one at 19:29 of the first period and Taylor Anderson and Gabbie Hughes scored goals in the third period. UMD was outshot 30-27, but Maddie Rooney made all 30 saves en route to setting the Bulldog career saves record that night.
In the 4-2 win Saturday, BSU struck first early in the first period, but Kylie Hanley equalized for UMD at 18:58. Hanley's power play goal was followed by power play tallies from Ryleigh Houston (6:57) and Ashton Bell (7:38) of the second period. Senior forward Sydney Brodt added another goal at 8:51 of the third period to put the game out of reach for BSU.
Both teams had 31 shots on net, but UMD went 3-of-5 on the power play.
NOTES FROM THE BEMIDJI STATE SERIES: UMD is now 77-20-7 all-time against the Beavers, and have won three straight against BSU in January.
--The Bulldogs have outscored the Beavers this month by a combined 10-2 score, including two shutouts, despite BSU having outshot UMD 99-83 over those same three outings.
--Gabbie Hughes has registered points in each of her last five games, including a goal and four assists against BSU for five points in those last three head-to-head battles with the Beavers.
--Ashton Bell has compiled five points on three goals and two assists against BSU in her last three-straight skates, including a goal in each game.
BELL, HUGHES AND ROONEY EARN WCHA WEEKLY HONORS: Ashton Bell, Gabbie Hughes, and Maddie Rooney -- scooped up WCHA weekly awards Tuesday for their contributions to the Bulldogs hearty series sweep of BSU last weekend. Bell was named the WCHA Defenseman of the Week, Hughes earned the WCHA Forward of the Week honor and Rooney gloved the WCHA Goaltender of the Week.
Bell figured on both ends of the ice for the Bulldogs over the weekend, tying Hughes with the most points output and led the WCHA in points for ALL players, not just defenseman. The junior blueliner convert and led the NCAA in points from the blueline with four (2g, 2a). scored a goal and added an assist in each game, and had both game-winning goals on the weekend. In the midst of a three-game scoring streak of three goals and two assists for five points, Bell has now scored three-straight game-winning goals for the Bulldogs. Bell has already scored more goals (9) than any Bulldog defenseman since the 2011-12 season.
Hughes posted two points in each game on the weekend, and figured in half of UMD's eight goals. The Lino Lakes, Minn. native led all WCHA forwards with four points on a goal and three assists, and was tied for fifth among all forwards in the NCAA. Hughes had the game-winning assist in Saturday's 4-2 win and is currently in the midst of a five-game scoring streak where the sophomore has put up three goals and five assists for eight points over that span. In 21 games this season, Hughes has only twice not put points on the board for UMD.
Rooney led the WCHA with a saves percentage of .967, and was the only netminder who picked up two wins, as well as a shutout, this weekend in play. The product of Andover, Minn., had 30 saves Saturday en route to her 12 career shutout. In that skate, Rooney also became UMD's all-time career saves leader when she hit 2,999 saves. Rooney finished the weekend with a total of 3,030 career stops after making 59 of 62 saves. Rooney was also one of only four goaltenders in the nation to win two games this weekend. This is Rooney's third WCHA weekly honor so far this season.
ROONEY SETS UMD CAREER SAVES RECORD: Senior goaltender Maddie Rooney set UMD's all-time career saves leader last Friday night in the Bulldogs 4-0 win over BSU. The native of Andover, Minn. had 30 saves and picked up her 12th career shutout as she took over the career spot in the third period. Rooney tallied 59 saves in the weekend series, bringing her to a career total of 3,030 saves -- so far. Rooney climbed past Kayla Black for the record, who posted 2998 stops in 121 games during her time as a Bulldog
Rooney owns two of the program's top-three single-season saves record -- she ranks third with 989 saves over 31 GP in 2018-19, and second in 2016-17 with 1013 stops in 37 games, only the second UMD goaltender ever to make more than 1000 saves in a season. Rooney already has 545 saves so far this season in 21 games.
Rooney has also climbed into sole possession of the second most minutes/games played by a Bulldog netminder over a career. With 6,363:25 minutes in 108 games, Rooney sits second behind Black, who in 121 games logged 6,928:56 minutes.
COMING UP HUGHES: Sophomore center Gabbie Hughes continues to lead the Bulldogs in scoring with 21 goals and 19 assists for 31 points. Her points per game average of 1.42 ranks her fifth in the WCHA and 10th in the NCAA.
Hughes has twice tied her season-long scoring streak of seven games, and her career-long scoring streak of 12 games dating back to last season finally ended on Oct. 26. From Feb. 22, 2019 through Oct. 26, 2019 Hughes accumulated 19 points on 11 goals and eight assists.
In the 21 games Hughes has skated in for the Bulldogs this so far this season, the sophomore center has notched points in all but two.
As a rookie, Hughes led UMD in scoring with 19 goals and 18 assists for 37 points in 33 games -- just the third freshman to lead the Bulldogs in scoring in program history.
RING THE SCORING BELL: Junior defenseman convert Ashton Bell leads the WCHA with goals from a defenseman with nine, She ranks second in the league in points with 19 (9g-10a). Bell also sits tied for sixth in goals from a defenseman in the NCAA and fourth in points per game.
Bell has now scored a goal in her last three games (all three against BSU) and has already scored the most goals from a UMD blueliner in one season (nine) since Jessica Wong netted 11 over the course of the 2011-12 season.
Bell has tied her freshmen career-high of 23 points (11-12=23) in 35 skates already this season, entering the weekend at 23 points on 10 goals and 13 assists.
BRINGING OUT BRODT'S BEST: Senior forward Sydney Brodt surpassed her career-best of 21 points last weekend, and now is already sitting with 23 points on 10 goals and 13 assists in just 22 games. Brodt's 10 goals and 11 assists were already career-highs on their own. Brodt owns 80 total career points on 31 goals and 49 assists over 127 games as a Bulldog.
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