It will be be a busy weekend for the No. 8/9 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team at AMSOIL Arena for a Friday-Sunday series with the No. 2 University of Wisconsin. Friday night the Bulldogs will host their annual 'Cram the AM promotion, where fans can get tickets for $1 or get in free with a food shelf donation. The puck will drop at 7:07 p.m., and at the conclusion of Friday's game, UMD will honor its five seniors for Senior Day. Sunday, the Bulldogs will conclude both the series with the Badgers and the regular season at 2:07 p.m.
THE SERIES: The Bulldogs are 30-51-13 all-time against the Badgers after UW swept UMD earlier in the season in Madison. UMD has suffered six-straight losses following a 3-3 tie in overtime at AMSOIL back on Feb. 10, 2018. The Bulldogs are 0-9-1 over their last head-to-head battles against UW.
UMD was swept by then No. 1 Wisconsin in its last action of 2019 back on Dec. 6-7. The Badgers survived a scoring spree from both sides in the first game, with each team netting two goals in the opening period alone. Wisconsin eventually outlasted UMD 4-3, despite Anna Klein's two goals and a two-assist performance from Maggie Flaherty. The Bulldogs three goals on Wisconsin was the most they have landed on a UW team since recording three in a 3-3 tie against the Badgers back on Feb. 10, 2018. It was also the most goals the Bulldogs have scored on the road in Madison since they netted three in a 3-4 overtime loss back on Jan. 21, 2012.
In game two, the Badgers scored two empty net goals in the final 36 seconds of the game to push ahead of UMD 5-2. The Bulldogs got goals from Gabbie Hughes and Sydney Brodt, and Maddie Rooney had 36 saves in the outing. UMD was never awarded a power play in the skate, while UW went 1-of-3 with an extra skater.
Klein led all UMD scoeres with three points in the series (2g, 1a),
LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs picked up five WCHA points from Minnesota State University, Mankato in Mankato, over the weekend, knocking off the Mavericks in overtime 5-4 Friday night before settling for a 1-1 tie and 3-on-3 overtime win Saturday afternoon.
Friday, Kylie Hanley recorded a goal and an assist, while Kailee Skinner added two assists in the five-goal offensive outpouring. Four different players netted goals, and a combined five goals were scored in the third period alone.
Compared to the nine goals scored Friday night, Saturday's contest was a goaltenders showcase. UMD's lone regulation goal came at 14:10 of the second period, an effort from Gabbie Hughes. From her knees behind the net, Hughes found Sydney Brodt alone in front of the goal, and Brodt hammered in her 15th tally of the season to give the Bulldogs the 1-0 lead. MSU knotted the game with just 23 seconds remaining, and after a scoreless overtime, Jalyn Elmes scored on the 3-on-3 second overtime to secure an extra league point for the Bulldogs. MSU outshot UMD 27-22 in the contest, but Maddie Rooney made 26 saves.
NOTES FROM THE MINNESOTA STATE SERIES: UMD improved to 3-0-2 against MSU and remains unbeaten in its last 13 games against the Mavericks, dating back to Nov. 17, 2017. All-time, the Bulldogs are 70-7-9 against MSU.
--The Mavericks are the only team this season that has been able to keep UMD out of the win column when the Bulldogs are leading after two periods. While UMD is 14-0-2 with the lead after 40 minutes of play, both ties have come against MSU.
--Senior forward Sydney Brodt led all UMD scorers against MSU over five games in the regular season. Brodt had four goals and three assists for seven points in five skates. Sophomore center Gabbie Hughes had six points -- three goals and three assists in those same five outings.
SENIOR SALUTE: Although they will be honored Friday night, five UMD seniors will play in their last regular season game Sunday afternoon at AMSOIL.
Forwards Brooklynn Schugel, Syndey Brodt, Ryleigh Houston, defenseman Jalyn Elmes and goaltender Maddie Rooney were almost all members of the 2016-17 NCAA tournament team that went 25-7-5, and together have a combined for a 71-48-18 record, which includes 12 postseason wins. Here is a closer look at the impact each senior has had on the Bulldog program.
Brooklynn Schugel-- After making a gutsy comeback after suffering a season-ending injury as a sophomore, Schugel has dished out two assists so far this season. The blue collar forward has played in 96 games over her career, and has recorded a total of five goals and eight assists for 13 points over that span. Schugel was also named to the 2018-19, as well as the 2017-18, WCHA All-Academic Teams.
Sydney Brodt-- One of only two Bulldogs ever to wear the "C" for three seasons, Brodt is currently in the midst of her most prolific offensive season, having posted 15 goals and 20 assists for 35 points in just 30 games. Brodt is now within eight points of the 100-point plateau, and over her 135 game career, she has scored 36 goals and dished 56 assists for a whopping 92 points. A two-time WCHA Scholar Athlete, as well as two-time WCHA All-Academic Team honoree, Brodt was also named to the 2016-17 WCHA All-Rookie Team. A 2016-17 All-American Scholar by the American Hockey Coaches Association, Brodt has also won a World Championship gold medal with the U.S. National Team last April.
Ryleigh Houston-- Forced to transfer following a dynamic freshmen season at North Dakota, Houston registered the second most points on the team with eight goals and 18 assists for 26 points in 38 games en route to a spot on the 2016-17 WCHA All-Rookie Team. As a Bulldog, the forward has netted 15 goals and 32 assists for 47 points in 99 games, for a collegiate hockey career grand total of 23 goals and 50 assists for 73 points. Houston is also a two-time WCHA Scholar Athlete, as well as a two-time WCHA All-Academic Team member.
Jalyn Elmes-- With 42 career assists in 131 games, senior defenseman Elmes has now cracked the program's all-time list for helpers by a defenseman, and currently sists 10th. Elmes has tallied 13 goals to go with her 42 assists for 55 points in her 131 game career. Named to the 2017-18 All-WCHA Team, she was also voted the Bulldogs Most Valuable Player that season as a sophomore. Elmes has also been a two-year captain for the Bulldogs.
Maddie Rooney-- A fifth-year senior and three-time WCHA Goaltender of the Week this season, Rooney became UMD's all-time career saves leader on Jan. 17, and currently has 3,271 saves in 116 career games. Rooney owns three of the program's top-10 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's 786 saves so far this season also lands her in tenth. Currently in second for the most minutes/games played by a Bulldog netminder over a career, Rooney has logged 6835:52 minutes in her career and is just 94:05 minutes away from owning the all-time minutes record. Rooney was named the 2017 WCHA's Face-Off Most Outstanding Player after shattering the tournament record with 112 saves, and was also named to the WCHA Final Face-Off All-Tournament Team after she was named to the 2016-17 All-WCHA Third Team. A 2016-17 WCHA All-Academic Team member, she was also selected to the 2015-16 All-WCHA Rookie Team.
Currently, Rooney owns the fifth-most career saves by a WCHA goaltender, and trails former Minnesota netminder Noora Raty, currently in fourth, by just 29 saves. Right now Rooney also sits 13th all-time for career saves in the NCAA -- again, just 29 from Raty in 12th and 184 stops from entering the NCAA's top-10.
While Rooney has won two World Championship gold medal with the U.S. National Team (2019, 2017), she is became arguably the best known player in Bulldog history when she backstopped the U.S. to the greatest game in U.S. women's hockey history with 29 saves, and stopped Canada's last two shooters to help the U.S. win its first Olympic gold medal since 1998 in a 3-2 penalty shootout thriller at the Gangneung Centre in South Korea.
THE OFFENSIVE BELL-WETHER: How good of a season is junior defensive convert Ashton Bell having? Bell is now in a three-way tie for third for the most goals (11) by a defenseman in a single season in program history. The last Bulldog blueliner to post 11 or more goals in a season was Jessica Wong during the 2011-12 season (11)...Bell leads the WCHA with 30 (11g, 18a) points with two games in hand over the nearest defenseman..
Bell currently leads all WCHA defenseman in points (29) in 30 games, goals (11), power play goals (7) and game-winning goals (5)--which is a WCHA high among all players, not just blueliners. Bell sits fifth nationally in points, third in power play goals and first in game-winning goals by a defenseman.
COMING UP HUGHES: Sophomore center Gabbie Hughes continues to lead the Bulldogs in scoring with 18 goals and 27 assists for 45 points. Hughes ranks fifth in the WCHA in points, with 45 in just 29 games and leads the conference with five game-winning goals. Her 45 points on 17 goals and 26 assists ranks her eighth in the NCAA. She is also averaging the second most shots per game in the NCAA and the most in the WCHA at 5.28. In the 29 games Hughes has skated in for the Bulldogs this so far this season, the sophomore center has notched points in all but three.
Hughes is just one of three players in the past eight years to register 27 or more assists. Current assistant coach Ashleigh Brykaliuk had 29 assists in 2015-16 and 28 in 2016-17, while Brykaliuk's linemate, Lara Stalder, had 33 over the 2016-17 season.
As a freshman, 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.
BRODT'S BEST FOR LAST: Senior forward Sydney Brodt is having the best offensive season of her Bulldog career, having put up a UMD second-best 15 goals and 20 assists for 35 points in 30 games played. Brodt has also recorded two or more points in 12 games so far this season, and is currently in a career-best five game scoring streak for a second time this year. Brodt has compiled five goals and four assists for nine points over those last five skates -- two goals and four assists of that coming against teams ranked in the top-5.
Brodt is also now inching up closer to the 100 career point, currently sitting with 92 points on 36 goals and 56 assists over 133 games.
ROONEY EYES ANOTHER UMD CAREER RECORD: Senior goaltender Maddie Rooney set UMD's all-time career saves record on Jan. 17 in the Bulldogs 4-0 win over BSU. While the native of Andover, Minn. currently has 3,221 career stops -- so far -- in 114 games. 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 736 saves so far this season in 27 games.
Currently in second for the most minutes/games played by a Bulldog netminder over a career, Rooney has logged 6835:52 minutes in her career and is just 94:05 minutes away from owning the all-time minutes record. Rooney sits second behind Black, who in 121 games logged 6,928:56 minutes. With 13 shutouts, Rooney also sits with the fourth most in program history. Only Black (20), Riitta Schaublin (17), and Kim Martin (16) have had more.
Outside of the Bulldog program, Rooney has also taken aim at WCHA and NCAA marks. Currently, Rooney owns the fifth-most career saves by a WCHA goaltender, and trails former Minnesota netminder Noora Raty, currently in fourth, by just 29 saves. Right now Rooney also sits 13th all-time for career saves in the NCAA -- again, just 29 from Raty in 12th and 184 stops from entering the NCAA's top-10.
BULLDOG NOTES: With 42 career assists in 131 games, senior defenseman Jalyn Elmes has now cracked the program's all-time list for helpers by a defenseman...Elmes is currently tied for 10th... Sydney Brodt and Gabbie Hughes continue to find success against ranked opponents -- Brodt has 17 points (6g, 11a) in 12 games, while Hughes has 18 points (8g, 10a) in those same 12 skates...UMD's fifth tie this season makes it the fourth-straight season the Bulldogs have had at least four draws in a season ... The Bulldogs had five ties back in the 2016-17 NCAA tournament season...UMD is 12-3-5 when it scores the first goal, and is unbeaten at 14-0-2 when it leads after two periods...The Bulldogs are now 6-6-2 with fewer shots on the board than their opponents.
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