After a record-breaking weekend at AMSOIL Arena, the No. 8 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will march into the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's first Final Face-Off semifinal game to face the No. 2 University of Wisconsin on Saturday. The game, which will take place in Ridder Arena on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis, Minn., is scheduled to get underway at 2:07 p.m. For ticket information, go to http://www.wcha.com/women/wcha-tournament.
THE SERIES: UMD is 30-52-14 all time against the Badgers, and went 0-3-1 against Wisconsin over the regular season. While UW outscored the Bulldogs 11-18 over the regular season, four of the Badgers goals were on the power play, and a total of five came with an extra skater.
In their last series at AMSOIL on Feb. 21 & 23, UMD took just one point from the Badgers, suffering a 4-1 lost to the Badgers in the first game before tying UW 5-5 in the second game two days later.
Friday night, Ryleigh Houston scored 11:38 into the first period, but the Badgers netted four unanswered goals, including two goals in the second period in the first 6:09. The Badgers were awarded five power plays, scoring once with the extra skater, while UMD was 0-of-1. Maddie Rooney made 28 saves for the Bulldogs, who were outshot 32-18 in game.
On Sunday, UMD became the first team in seven seasons to score five goals on a Wisconsin squad, but the two sides ended up with a 5-5 tie.
The Bulldogs owned two, two-goal leads twice, including at 10:01 of the second period when Houston scored a shorthanded tally to give UMD a 2-0 lead. After the Bulldogs had a 5-3 lead on two third period goals from Sydney Brodt, Wisconsin scored a power play goal with 59 seconds remaining and then again at 14 seconds to draw even at 5-5. UW picked up the extra point in the 3-on-3 double overtime period.
The Bulldogs outshot the Badgers 15-4 in the first period, but UW ended up with a 34-29 SOG advantage after 65 total minutes. Rooney had 29 saves in the game.
OTHER UMD-WISCONSIN NOTABLES: UMD's five goals in its last game against the Badgers was the most goals scored on a Wisconsin side since Minnesota netted five on the Badgers on March 21, 2014. The Gophers handed UW a 5-3 loss in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinal that season.
--No team in the WCHA (or NCAA) has accumlated more goals against the Badgers this season than UMD. The Bulldogs compiled 11 goals in four skates, and surpassed Minnesota's 10, also in four contests.
--Gabbie Hughes and Anna Klein led all UMD players in points against the Badgers this season -- Klein had a team-best three goals and two assists for five points, while Hughes has a goal and four assists, also for five points. Sydney Brodt posted a goal and three assists against UW this season for four points.
--The Badgers have not played a game since their 5-5 tie, 3-on-3 overtime win against the Bulldogs back on Feb. 22 at AMSOIL Arena.
UMD IN THE WCHA TOURNAMENT:
UMD is 43-21 in all WCHA postseason games. A breakdown of UMD's all-time WCHA tournament record --
WCHA Quarterfinal games -- 28-9
WCHA Semifinal games -- 8-9
WCHA Third Place games -- 2-0
WCHA Championship games -- 5-3
In all, UMD owns five WCHA playoff crowns (2010, 2008, 2003, 2001, 2000).
THE BULLDOG -- BADGER WCHA PLAYOFF HISTORY: In nine total WCHA postseason encounters, UMD is 4-5 against Wisconsin, and own a 3-4 record in semifinal showdowns. In WCHA playoff finals, the teams are deadlocked at 1-1.
UMD-UW All-Time in WCHA Playoff History --
March 5, 2017 (Ridder Arena) Final
Wisconsin 4, UMD 1
March 5, 2016 (Ridder Arena) Semifinal
Wisconsin 5, UMD 0
March 2, 2012 (AMSOIL Arena) Semifinal
UMD 3, Wisconsin 1
March 7, 2009 (Ridder Arena) Semifinal
Wisconsin 3, UMD 1
March 9, 2008 (DECC Arena) Final
UMD 5, Wisconsin 4 Overtime
March 5, 2005 (Ridder Arena) Semifinal
Wisconsin 3, UMD 2 Overtime
March 13, 2004 (Ridder Arena) Semifinal
UMD 3, Wisconsin 1
March 8, 2002 (Blaine, Minn.) Semifinal
Wisconsin 4, UMD 1
March 9, 2001 (Rochester, Minn.) Semifinal
UMD 6, Wisconsin 5 Overtime
In their last WCHA Final Face-Off meeting on March 5, 2017, UMD, after knocking off Minnesota 2-1 in double-overtime, turned around 19 hours later to face the rested top-ranked Badgers at Ridder Arena. The result was a 1-1 game until the third period. Wisconsin scored three goals in the third period to defeat UMD 4-1, despite 50 saves from Maddie Rooney. Defenseman Sidney Morin had the Bulldogs lone goal in the game, assisted by Lara Stalder and Katerina Mrázová.
BLAST FROM THE WCHA PLAYOFF PAST: Just four current Bulldogs were on the roster the last time UMD faced Wisconsin in the Final Face-Off. Current senior forwards Sydney Brodt and Brooklynn Schugel, defenseman Jalyn Elmes were all freshmen, while goaltender Maddie Rooney was a sophomore in net for UMD in that championship game on March 5, 2017.
Rooney was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player and the first-ever winner from the non-winning team. Rooney's 112 saves over the weekend shattered the league's record for saves in the WCHA
Final Face-Off.
In addition to the four current players who skated in UMD's last postseason action against the Badgers, current UMD assistant coach Ashleigh Bryklaiuk was a part of that 2016-17 and eventual NCAA quarterfinal squad.
LAST TIME OUT: After a whopping 259:01 total minutes of hockey last weekend the Bulldogs defeated Bemidji State 4-1 Sunday after defeating the Beavers in overtime on Friday 2-1 and suffering a 2-1 loss in four overtimes Saturday.
Friday night, Gabbie Hughes scored a power play goal at 6:20 of the third period, but BSU pulled even just 1:17. After 10:28 of overtime, Maggie Flaherty sniped the game-winner, sealing a 2-1 win in game one for the Bulldogs.
Saturday, Hughes again scored first for the Bulldogs at 8:48, and BSU again answered at 11:36 to knot the game at 1-1. From there, the scoreboard didn't move, and after an incredible seven periods, four overtimes and the second longest game in NCAA history, the Beavers struck at 8:43 of the fourth overtime to force the series into a third and final game. UMD, which outshot BSU 71-61 in the contest, got 59 saves from Maddie Rooney in net.
Sunday, the Bulldogs settled in regulation -- in fact, after a three-goal second period, UMD had a four goal lead and never looked back. Four players recorded a goal and an assist in the skate -- Kylie Hanley, Sydney Brodt, Anna Klein and Mannon McMahon.
NOTES FROM THE BEMIDJI STATE SERIES: Gabbie Hughes and Sydney Brodt led all UMD scorers in the quarterfinal series with three points -- Hughes notched a point in each game and had two goals and an assist, while Brodt had a goal and two assists.
--Maddie Rooney had a total of 95 saves on the weekend, including 59 in the four-overtime game on Saturday -- just three shy of her program record of 62.
--UMD played the second-longest game in NCAA history last Saturday, a four hour, 50 minute, seven period slugfest that resulted in a 2-1 loss to BSU, with a total ice time of 128:43 minutes. The Bulldogs have played in a whopping 10 overtime games this season, a program high. UMD is 3-1-6 in those games.
--Hughes leads all UMD players in scoring against BSU this season, despite having only playing in seven of the eight games. Hughes rang up four goals and seven assists against the Beavers for 11 points. Ashton Bell added three goals and fourassists for seven points against the Beavers, while Brodt netted two goals and five assists for seven points in eight skates.
THE OFFENSIVE BELL-WETHER: How good of a season is junior defensive convert Ashton Bell having? Bell currently leads all WCHA defenseman in points (32) in 35 games, goals (11), power play goals (7) and game-winning goals (5)--which is a WCHA high among blueliners and second among all players.
Bell also has the most points by a UMD defenseman since the 2010-11 season. Bell is in fifth for the most points by a blueliner in a single season and a three-way tie for third for the most goals (11) by a defenseman in a single season in program history.
COMING UP HUGHES: Sophomore center Gabbie Hughes continues to lead the Bulldogs in scoring with 20 goals and 31 assists for 51 points. Hughes ranks fifth in the WCHA in points, with 51 in just 34 games and ranks second in the conference with five game-winning goals. Her 51 points is ninth in the NCAA. In the 34 games Hughes has skated in for the Bulldogs this so far this season, the sophomore center has notched points in all but four.
Hughes is just one of two players in the past eight years to register 51 or more points, as well as 30 or more assists. Only Lara Stalder has compiled more points in the past eight seasons -- Stalder turned in 56 points (23g, 33a) in 35 games in 2016-17.
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 and is just one of four players in program history to lead a UMD squad in scoring in back-to-back seasons.
ROONEY REELS IN ANOTHER 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, and currently owns 3,423 stops.
Rooney took over another UMD program record, and has now played more career minutes than any other goaltender in program history. With 7,218:57 minutes under her belt, Rooney will also play in a goaltender program record 122nd game on Saturday.
Rooney owns three of the program's top-four single-season saves record -- she currently ranks fourth with 938 this season owns the third slot 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.
No current active NCAA goaltender has had more career saves than Rooney, and the Andover, Minn. has also taken aim at WCHA and NCAA marks. Currently, Rooney owns the fourth-most career saves by a WCHA goaltender Rooney also owns the second most career wins among active NCAA goaltenders with 59.
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 18 goals and 22 assists for 40 points in 35 games played. Brodt has also recorded two or more points in 14 games so far this season.
Brodt is also now inching up closer to the 100 career point, currently sitting with 97 points on 39 goals and 58 assists over 140 games.
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