A slow start Friday night tripped up the 6/7 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association showdown with the No.5/6 University of Minnesota at AMSOIL Arena.

The Gophers struck twice in the opening period, including 2:36 into the contest to stun the Bulldogs and eventually upset UMD 3-1 with the help of a late empty-net goal.  

"It needed to be better from us at the start of the game," said UMD head coach Maura Crowell.  "I think we gave too much momentum to them in the first period.  We got going in the second and the third, but just a little too late.  We had two evenly matched teams here, again, we really just needed to show on time."

Minnesota started the game buzzing, and on just its second shot of the game, Audrey Wethington scored off a rebound to take the early 1-0 lead.  The Gophers doubled that lead at the 18:45 when Ella Huber walked in from Emma Soderberg's right and wrapped the puck past her left pad on the backhand to push Minnesota into the first intermission up 2-0.

The Bulldogs fought their way back, and finally broke through, late in the second stanza.  Senior forward Élizabeth Giguère scored her second goal in as many games and first-ever at AMSOIL, and the tally cut Minnesota's lead in half.  The winger took a pass from Gabbie Hughes out of the corner and stickhandled Gopher goaltender Lauren Bench across the crease before backhanding the puck over Bench's shoulder at 17:26 of the second period to pull UMD to 2-1.

That score would hold -- despite UMD outshooting Minnesota 9-5 in the final frame -- until the Gophers added an empty-net goal by Emily Oden at 18:42.  The Bulldogs edged the Gophers on the final shot count 25-24.

Senior goaltender Emma Soderberg made 21 saves for the Bulldogs, while Bench had 24 for the Gophers.  Neither team struck on the power play, with UMD holding Minnesota scoreless in three attempts, and the Bulldogs 0-of-2 with an extra skater. The loss gives the Bulldogs and Gophers identical 1-2-0 records in league play and sets up Saturday's second game as crucial for both squads.

Both teams will hit the ice again tomorrow afternoon when the puck drops on game two at AMSOIL Arena at 3:01 p.m.

BULLDOG NOTES:  Both Élizabeth Giguère and Gabbie Hughes have picked up a point in all three of UMD's games so far this season...Giguère and Hughes each have scored two goals and added three assists for five points in three skates.