The No. 6 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will hit the road for the first time in 2021 to face Bemidji State University in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association series at the Sanford Center. The conference showdown gets underway Friday night at 7:37 p.m. and concludes Saturday with a 4:07 p.m. puck drop.
For a full PDF of this release, click here.
THE SERIES: The Bulldogs own a commanding 79-21-7 lead in the all-time series with the Beaves after going 4-3 against BSU in 2019-20. Last season, each team swept the other on their own home ice before meeting in the First Round of the WCHA Playoffs. While the Bulldogs moved on to the WCHA Final Face-Off semifinals, it wasn't without a whopping 259:01 minutes of ice time in their legs.
The Bulldogs defeated Bemidji State 4-1 on March 1 to punch their semifinal ticket, just two days after defeating the Beavers in overtime on Feb. 28 2-1 and one day after suffering a 2-1 loss in a four overtime slugfest on Feb. 29.
In game one, 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.
The following afternoon (Feb. 29), UMD played the second-longest game in NCAA history against the Beavers on Feb. 29, 2020 -- a four hour, 50 minute, seven period with a total ice time of 128:43 minutes. 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.
In the final game of the series (March 1), the Bulldogs settled the contest 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.
Hughes led all UMD players in scoring against BSU last season, despite having only playing in seven of the eight games the Bulldogs and Beavers hit the ice in. Hughes rang up four goals and seven assists against BSU for 11 points. Ashton Bell added three goals and four assists for seven points against the Beavers, while Brodt netted two goals and five assists for seven points in eight skates.
A LOOK AT THE BEAVERS: BSU suffered a 3-1 loss against St. Cloud State last weekend before rebounding for a 2-2 overtime tie and shutout win in the Huskies home rink. The Beavers are led in scoring by senior forward Clair DeGeorge, who has four goals and four assists for eight points through 10 games. Senior goaltender Kerigan Dowhy has manned the pipes in nine of BSU's 10 games, and has a .912 goals against average and 2.62 GAA. UMD will be just the second ranked team the Beavers have faced this year -- BSU was swept in Columbus by OSU back on Jan. 1-2 by scores of 4-1 and 7-1.
LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs split with No. 3 Ohio State University last weekend at AMSOIL in their first action of 2021 (and first action in 41 days) by scores of 2-0 and 0-1.
On Friday night, the gritty Bulldogs, already missing four players out of the line-up, struck midway through the first period. Anna Klein's lone goal of the opening period from the edge of the circle at the 11:54 mark gave UMD a 1-0 lead that it would never relinquish. The Bulldogs didn't need their season long offensive firepower with Emma Soderberg unflappable between the pipes en route to her third shutout in seven games and fourth game without allowing a goal. As the Buckeyes applied some offensive pressure in the final 40 minutes, outshooting the Bulldogs 20-12 over that span, Soderberg stayed calm and collected. Taylor Anderson added an empty net goal late to cement the 2-0 win.
Soderberg made 34 saves against the Buckeyes, tying a career-high in her first win against a top-3 team.
Saturday, the Buckeyes finally scored their first goal of the series late in the second period -- the 18:42 mark, to be exact. UMD rallied in the third period to outshot the Buckeyes 13-10 in the final 20 minutes, but could not draw even.
Soderberg -- who tied her collegiate career-high saves mark of 34 after the second period -- made 44 in the contest for a new career-best mark.
NOTES FROM THE OHIO STATE SERIES: UMD is 72-21-14 all-time against the Buckeyes, and went 2-1-1 against OSU last season. UMD is 7-4-1 in its last 12 games with the Buckeyes, and even more impressively, UMD is 10-2 against OSU at home in the Maura Crowell era.
--In UMD/OSU's 12 games at AMSOIL since Crowell took the helm, the Bulldogs have outscored the Buckeyes, 45-23. Overall, Crowell has maintained a 14-7-1 advantage against the Buckeyes.
--Unless they meet in the post season, the two games the Bulldogs and Buckeyes played last weekend will be the fewest games they have ever met in the entire existence of the UMD program.
--After peppering UMD goaltender Emma Soderberg for five periods over the series, OSU's goal at the end of the second period last Saturday not only ended 98:42 minutes of Soderberg holding the Buckeyes scoreless, but it also broke Soderberg's 219 minute shutout streak that the junior had begun on Nov. 28.
--With a goal in Saturday's game, Anna Klein's career-high scoring streak as a Bulldog became seven games. Klein's career-best included seven goals and five assits for 12 points over the first seven games.
SODERBERG'S STELLAR PLAY LANDS WCHA GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK: No goaltender in the nation had a better weekend than Emma Soderberg, and Monday, the WCHA cemented it.
The junior from Jarved Sweden led the league in saves and save percentage and tied in a goals against in UMD series split with No. 3 Ohio State. Her 78 saves on 79 shots led the country, and, among goaltenders that played in two games, she again posted the highest save percentage (.987) and tied for the lowest GAA (051). Söderberg now leads the WCHA in overall save percentage, goals against average and shutouts and ranks second in the NCAA in GAA and saves percentage among goaltendersthat have played more than 50 percent of their team's games. The junior netminder is tied for the most shutouts in the nation with three.
BELL INVITED TO TEAM CANADA CAMP: Senior defenseman Ashton Bell has been invited by Hockey Canada, one of the top 47 players from across the country, to attend the BFL National Women's Team Training Camp in Calgary Jan. 17-30. Because of the camp will take place in a bubble environment, only 35 players will be able to participate in the opportunity to evaluate players in preparation for the 2021 IIHF Women's World Championship in Halifax and Truro, Nova Scotia.
Bell is one of nine current college players in their collegiate seasons that will be unable to attend the camp. The Deloraine, Manitoba native, who would have joined former Bulldog blueliners and Canadian stalwarts Brigette Lacquette and Jocelyne Larocque, has seven points on two goals and five assists through UMD's first eight games.
SODERBERG BY THE NUMBERS: Any way you look at it, Emma Soderberg is surging. Nationally among goaltenders who have played more than half of their teams games, Soderberg ranks second in both goals against (1.19) and saves percentage (.958), and her three shutouts rank her in a tie for first. In the WCHA, Soderberg leads all goaltenders in almost every catergory, and has allowed a league-low nine goals in eight games.
But what's almost as staggering is where Soderberg is currently stacking up in the UMD record books. Soderberg's stats right now in GAA (1.19) and saves percentage (.958) would rank her first in a single-season among all UMD goaltenders. With 17 career games played -- the fewest amount of games allowed to keep career stats at UMD -- Soderberg sits second with a .946 saves percentage and third with a 1.45 GAA.
BULLDOGS RANK THIRD NATIONALLY, FIRST IN THE WCHA IN SCORING: After eight games, UMD remains the third highest scoring team in the NCAA with a 3.25 goals per game average. The closest WCHA team to UMD is Wisconsin, which ranks fifth and is averaging 3.12 G/GP.
The Bulldogs also sit tied for fourth in the NCAA and tied for first in the NCAA with a 1.38 GA/GP.
KLEIN CONTINUES TO HAVE THE REIGNS AS UMD'S TOP SCORER: Senior Anna Klein continues to lead UMD in scoring and goals scored, having run up a seven-game scoring streak over her first four games. In eight games, Klein has scored seven goals and five assists for 12 points.
Klein also continues to lead the NCAA and WCHA in points per game (1.50 PPG) and goals per game (0.88).
2020-21 NOTABLES: Clara Van Wieren is the first Bulldog rookie to score five goals in her first six career games (5g, 1a) since Noémie Marin scored five (5g, 2a) over her first collegiate skates during the 2003-04.
--UMD's seven goals scored against Minnesota State on Nov. 21 is the most it has put up since Jan. 23, 2015, when the Bulldogs scored 12 goals against MSU in Mankato. It was also the most goals scored in a series (12), also from the same weekend -- UMD scored 16 on Jan. 23-24, 2015 (where UMD registered scores of 12-0 and 4-0, respectively).
--Van Wieren had a goal in both of her first two collegiate games -- she is the first rookie since Laura Fridfinnson during the 2007-08 season to score goals in her first two UMD games.
--UMD posted a 3.72 GPA this past fall -- a program semster high. It also was the highest GPA posted by any team in the entire Bulldog athletic department in the fall of 2020.
CROWELL CLOSES IN ON THE CENTURY MARK: UMD head coach Maura Crowell, currently in her sixth season at the helm of the Bulldogs, enters the weekend seven wins shy of 100.
HUGHES CLIMBS TOWARDS CAREER MARK: Junior center Gabbie Hughes is closing in on 100 career points, currently sitting at 96 career points on 40 goals and 56 assists over 76 games. Hughes is looking to become the first player since Lara Stalder hit the mark on on Oct. 8, 2016. If Hughes hits the mark this year, she will become the first junior since current UMD assistant coach Ashleigh Brykaliuk to get to the Brykaliuk reached 100 points on Feb. 27, 2016 of her junior campaign.
Hughes was 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.
Ironically, Stalder was the last Bulldog to become a member of the 100 career point club.
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. As the fourth player in UMD history to lead the Bulldogs in scoring in back-to-back seasons, Hughes joins two-time All-Americans Maria Rooth (2000-01, 2001-02) and Caroline Ouellette (2003-04, 2004-05), as well as Jenna McParland (2012-13, 2013-14) as the only four players ever to repeat as team scoring leaders.
BELL AND KLEIN EXTEND CONSECUTIVE GAME STREAKS: Both seniors Ashton Bell and Anna Klein have played 116 straight-games, and are now just three shy for the all-time second slot of 119 consecutive games played by Sarah Murray in (2006-10).
Sidney Morin owns the UMD record for consecutive games played with 147 over her career from 2013-17.
