The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will hit the ice in its first NCAA Frozen Four in over a decade Thursday afternoon when it faces top-seed Northeastern University at the Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, Penn. Puck drop in the first national semifinal is set for 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
The Bulldogs will be on ESPN3 tomorrow or https://www.espn.com/watch/
Fans can also follow along on and listen live on Duluth radio station 610 KDAL http://player.listenlive.co/28881
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UMD IN THE NCAA FROZEN FOUR: The Bulldogs will be making their eighth Frozen Four appearance and first since 2010 -- which also doubles as the last time UMD won an NCAA title. All-time, the Bulldogs have had nothing but success on college hockey's biggest stage, having gone 11-2 in all Frozen Four contests and a dominate 6-1 in Frozen Four semifinal games.
UMD is coming off its first NCAA Quarterfinal win since 2010 -- the Bulldogs fell in both 2017 and 2011, its most recent years invited to the dance since 2010. This will mark the eighth time in program history the Bulldogs have made it to the Frozen Four, and the first time during the Maura Crowell era.
All-time, the Bulldogs are 16-6 in the NCAA Tournament, which is the third most wins in the NCAA postseason in NCAA history, and also UMD owns the highest Frozen Four winning percentage of all-time at .846. The Bulldogs have won five NCAA titles (2010, 2008, 2003, 2002, and 2001), and finished runner-ups in 2007, as well as third in 2009. (Since 2005, both semifinal losers are awarded third place.)
A look at UMD in the NCAA Frozen Four Semifinals--
March 19, 2010 -- UMD 3, Minnesota 2 OT at Ridder Arena, Minneapolis, MN
March 20, 2009 -- Wisconsin 5, UMD 1 at Agganis Arena, Boston, MA
March 20, 2008 -- UMD 3, New Hampshire 2 at the DECC, Duluth, MN
March 18, 2007--UMD 4, Boston College 3 2OT at Herb Brooks Arena, Lake Placid,NY
March 21, 2003 -- UMD 5, Dartmouth 2 at the DECC, Duluth, MN
March 22, 2002 -- UMD 3, Niagara 2 at the Whittemore Center, Durham, NH
March 23, 2001 -- UMD 6, Harvard 3 at Mariucci Arena, Minneapolis, MN
THE SERIES: UMD meets Northeastern for just the third time in program history, and the two sides haven't faced each other since the 2000-01 season -- before a single current Bulldog freshman was born. In its one and only series played in Duluth, Minn. at the DECC, UMD swept the Huskies on Jan. 7-8 by scores of 3-2 and 12-0.
OTHER UMD-NORTHEASTERN NOTABLES: --While UMD has only met Northeastern twice, the Bulldogs have played in a total of 34 games against teams in Northeastern's conference -- Hockey East -- and own a 23-7-4 all-time record against the league. UMD has played Hockey opponents 10 times since the 2015-16 season, and have gone 4-5-1 over that span.
A LOOK AT THE HUSKIES: Northeastern will make its fifth Frozen Four appearance in program history Thursday, and has made four-straight (omitting last season), starting in 2018.
Led by junior forward Alina Mueller, who has recorded 37 points on 12 goals and 25 assists in 23 skates, the Huskies have lost just one game so far this season. Notably, senior goaltender Aerin Frankel leads the NCAA with a 0.71 GAA, .959 saves percentage and nine shutouts. At the helm of the Huskies is head coach Dave Flint, currently in his 13th season with a record of 255-131-39.
LAST TIME OUT, NCAA QUARTERFINAL EDITION: UMD upended fourth-seeded Colgate University Monday night, using overtime at the Erie Insurance Arena to knock out the Raiders in a 1-0 triumph.
UMD outshot the Raiders 10-7 in the second period and after a 8-8 third period, grabbed the momentum in overtime and never let go.
Senior defenseman Ashton Bell finally lit the lamp to break the scoreless game at 6:39 of the overtime and after 66:39 quarterfinal minutes had been played. Bell intercepted the puck on her own blueline and skated along the boards before cutting into the circle and unloading a shot off the bar to send UMD both into an on ice celebration and into the next round.
UMD goaltender Emma Soderberg held the Raiders off all night, making 30 saves in her NCAA postseason debut. Soderberg also posted her sixth shutout of the season.
NOTES FROM THE COLGATE NCAA QUARTERFINAL: UMD improves to 3-0 all-time against the Raiders with its Monday win, and improve to 16-6 all-time in NCAA games, including 5-4 in quarterfinal contests.
--Ashton Bell has now scored a goal in all three of the games she has played (and the program has had) against Colgate. In three career games against the Raiders, Bell leads all UMD players with five points on three goals and two assists.
--Emma Soderberg's shutout Monday was the sixth of the season, which ties her for the third most in program history in a single season as she becomes the fourth Bulldog netminder to record six or more shutouts. Soderberg is tied for the second most shutouts in the nation this year.
--Soderberg's shutout was also the first time a Bulldog goalie has posted a shutout in an NCAA Quarterfinal game. It's just the second UMD shutout in any NCAA Tournament play -- fellow Swede Kim Martin had the other one in the 2008 title tilt.
--Only one of the Bulldogs nine NCAA Quarterfinal games was decided by more than a goal -- eight decisions have been one goal differences, including three that have gone to overtime. UMD is 2-1 in those overtime quarterfinal games.
--UMD is now 2-0 in NCAA Quarterfinal contests in Erie, Penn. -- the Bulldogs beat Mercyhurst 3-2 in overtime back on March 9, 2007 on the Lakers rink on campus.
CROWELL HITS THE CENTURY MARK: UMD head coach Maura Crowell, currently in her sixth season at the helm of the Bulldogs, grabbed her 100th win at UMD Monday night, fittingly against her alma mater Colgate.
Crowell currently owns the seventh most overall wins in WCHA history, and sits seventh with 70 WCHA wins. Only the second head coach in UMD program history, Crowell also owns the sixth-best all-time winning percentage, currently at .555.
BULLDOGS GET DEFENSIVE: UMD remains tied for the lowest amount of goals against in the WCHA this season at 30 in 18 games, which also ranks third in the NCAA
The Bulldogs rank second in the WCHA and fifth in the NCAA with a 1.61 GAA. UMD is averaging 2.94 goals a game, the third most in the WCHA and seventh most in the nation.
From a historic perspective, UMD's current goals against of 1.61 would be the fourth lowest in program history over an entire season. The Bulldogs existing low was 1.49 GAA over the 2007-08 NCAA title season.
KLEIN AND HUGHES HOLD REIGNS AS UMD'S TOP SCORERS: Senior winger Anna Klein and junior center Gabbie Hughes led the Bulldogs in scoring over the regular season -- Klein led UMD for almost the entire year with a team-high 11 goals and 10 assists for 21 points -- a 1.17 points per game mark that ranks fourth in the WCHA along with Hughes. Klein also ranks fourth in the league with 11 goals, and her two shorthanded goals reigns the highest.
Both Klein and Hughes rank 12th in the NCAA with a 1.17 points per game average.
Hughes, who compiled points in seven of her last nine games, ran up a seven-game scoring streak that sparked the Bullodgs offense between Jan. 23 to Feb. 27 registered a blistering nine goals and four assists for 13 points over that span for a 1.86 points per game average, and a 1.29 goals per game statline. Over that period, Hughes ranked second in the NCAA, and first in the WCHA in points per game (1.86).Hughes joined UMD's 100 career point club back on Jan. 30, and since then has climbed into 17th place with 109 points in 85 games.
Hughes has averaged 0.87 points per game through eight skates so far this season against teams ranked in the top-4.The center also currently owns a career points per game average of 1.26. She posted a career-best 1.45 points per game last season as a sophomore.
SODERBERG BY THE NUMBERS: Any way you look at it, Emma Soderberg is having a career season. Soderberg has blossomed in her first season as the Bulldogs starter. The junior netminder finished the regular season with the WCHA's lowest GAA -- a 1.34, earning the statistical 2020-21 WCHA Goaltendiing Champion title.
Soderberg continues to lead the WCHA with a 1.51 goals against average, which also ranks fourth in the NCAA among goaltenders that have played 10 or more games. The Jarved, Sweden product sits first in the league and third in the nation with her .945 saves percentage among goaltenders that have played 12 or more contests. With six shutouts, Soderberg is tied for second nationally and tied for first in the WCHA.Soderberg has made 444 saves, and has twice made more than 40 saves, including a career-best of 45 against Wisconsin in the regular season title game two Saturday's ago.
Soderberg sits third in program history with a 1.51 GAA and fifth with a .945 saves percentage for a single season at UMD.
HUGHES EYES 50 GOALS: Gabbie Hughes is looking to become just the 15th player in UMD history to reach the 50 goal mark. The junior center is sitting at 49 career goals entering UMD's NCAA Frozen Four date with Northeastern. The last player to reach that scoring plateau was Lara Stalder, who hit it during the 2016-71 season. Current assistant coach Ashleigh Brykaliuk also hit the 50 career goal mark just prior to Stalder during the 2016-17 season.
Nine players have reached 50 goals or more in three or less seasons as a Bulldog.
BELL AND KLEIN EXTEND CONSECUTIVE GAME STREAKS: Both seniors Ashton Bell and Anna Klein have played 124 straight-games, which now crowns them tied for the second-longest consecutive games played streak in program history.
Sidney Morin owns the UMD record for consecutive games played with 147 over her career from 2013-17.
BRYKALIUK BECOMES FOURTH ALUMNI TURNED ASSISTANT TO HELP LEAD UMD TO NCAA TOURNAMENT: Ashleigh Brykaliuk joined some elite company Monday, becoming just the fourth former UMD player to play in both a NCAA Quarterfinal game and coach in one.
Brykaliuk, who played for the Bulldogs from 2013-17, joins Caroline Ouellette, Michelle McAteer and Maria Rooth as players turned coaches that helped lead their teams to an NCAA bid from both the ice and the bench.
Ouellette, an assistant from 2006-2008 over two season, helped lead the Bulldogs two two NCAA Frozen Fours, including one NCAA title in 2008. McAteer also guided UMD to two NCAA Frozen Fours and one NCAA title (2010) over her two seasons behind the bench (2008-2010). Rooth's only season, 2010-11, was ironically the last NCAA Tournament UMD played in until Brykaliuk and Co. earned a spot in the 2017 NCAA Quarterfinals at AMSOIL Arena.
UMD's win will make Brykaliuk just the third former player to coach in an NCAA Frozen Four. (Ouellette and McAteer were the others).
Overall, former UMD players turned Bulldog coaches are now 6-3 in NCAA Tournament/Frozen Four contests.
