In a league showdown that had multiple lead changes and a plethora of scoring, the No. 7 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team took a point from the top-ranked University of Wisconsin in a contest so contentious it needed extra time to determine a winner.


The Bulldogs and Badgers battled to a 3-on-3 overtime skate Sunday afternoon at AMSOIL Arena before UW scored to defeat UMD 5-4 in one of the best games so far of the young season.
 

The Bulldogs bounced back from their disappointing Friday setback in a big way, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first period behind two goals from senior winger Anna Klein.  Gabbie Hughes, from behind the net, found Klein below the left circle and Klein's one-time effort gave UMD a 1-0 boost 5:43 into the frame.  It was Klein from Hughes and Elizabeth Giguere late in the second period, with Giguere leaving the puck for Hughes as she skated into the zone, and Hughes moving the puck left to right and across the slot to Klein, who again one-timed it past Kennedy Blair for a 2-0 UMD at the 18:14 mark.

Held to just a single shot in the opening first period by the Bulldogs, Wisconsin pushed back in the second period when Sarah Wozniewicz struck at 6:43 and 13:55 to draw the game even at 2-2 into the second intermission.

The Badgers would take their first lead of the day four minutes into the third period on a goal by Nicole LaMantia, but just 1:36 later Giguere, with help from Klein and Hughes, knotted the game back up.  Klein skated to the top of the circle and slid the puck over to Giguere, who beat Kennedy five-hole to for the 3-3 tie. 

Wisconsin retook a 4-3 lead at 12:47 on Maddie Wheeler's rebound goal after Emma Soderberg made the initial save. But again UMD -- and Giguere -- would answer.  On the power play at 16:30, Nina Jobst-Smith moved across the blueline to her right, and threw the puck over to Giguere at the top of the slot.  Giguere did what Giguere does -- ripping a wrist shot by Blair to force the epic battle into a 4-4 tie and UMD's second overtime skate in its last three outings.

23 seconds was all it took for the Badgers to grab the extra league point, however, as Casey O'Brien finished off a 2-on-1 to land a 5-4 win over the Bulldogs in the 3-on-3 overtime.

 
While the Bulldogs maintained their stellar power play effort, going 1-of-2 in the skate, Wisconsin ended up outshooting UMD 31-21.  Soderberg had 28 saves for the Bulldogs, and Blair had 17 for UW, which stays unbeaten on the season at 8-0-0 and 4-0-0 in WCHA play.

"I really liked how resilient our group is coming back," said UMD head coach Maura Crowell after the game."Fighting back and fighting back and pushing it to overtime and you know, taking a point off the number one team in the country in October. It's encouraging as a coach and I know we're only going to get better and I'm excited for that.

UMD (2-4-0, 2-4-0) will get a reprieve from ranked teams next weekend when it travels to the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. next weekend to face the Tommies for the first time in program history.  The Saturday-Sunday series gets underway at 2:01 p.m. both days.

 
BULLDOG NOTES:  Gabbie Hughes figured in all four UMD goals Sunday (four assists) and led all scorers...two other Bulldogs finished with multiple point games -- both Elizabeth Giguere and Anna Klein had two goals and an assist for three points … UMD's power play conversion rate is 33.3 -- the fifth-highest power play in the NCAA … Both Hughes and Giguere rank seventh in the nation with a 1.83 points per game average … that average ranks them fourth in the WCHA … Hughes and Giguere are also both tied for the WCHA lead in points with 11 (4g, 7a) in just six games … Hughes now has 17 points (6g, 11a) against the Badgers in 13 career skates.