The No. 8/9 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will hit AMSOIL Arena ice Friday for the first time in 42 days to host Western Collegiate Hockey Association member Bemidji State University at 3:01 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday afternoon. Icebreaker Tournament weekend in Duluth, the Bulldogs will pair up with Sophie's Squad for a Hockey Hits Back Mental Health Awareness game on Saturday. For more information about Sophie's Squad, click here.
BULLDOG QUICK HITS
HUGHES CONTINUES TO LEAD NATION IN POINTS PER GAME -- Senior center Gabbie Hughes leads the nation with a 1.94 points per game average through her first 18 games. Senior forward Élizabeth Giguère sits third with a 1.83 ppg average, while Anna Klein ranks 13th at 1.56. Giguere also ranks second with a 1.28 assists per game clip, while Hughes is third with 1.17 assists per game . Hughes also averages the second most goals a game in the NCAA with 0.78, while Klein ranks third in the nation in goals per game 0.74
THE GREAT GIGUERE -- Giguère is currently first among all active players in the NCAA for career assists (156) and second in points (265). Giguère also ranks second in points per game (1.71), first in assists per game (1.01), second in goals (109) and first in game-winning goals (25).
A TRIO OF OFFENSIVE TROUBLE: UMD's line of Hughes, Giguère, and Klein, with three of the top-10 scorers in the nation, is the second-most offensively prolific line in the nation. The trio is averaging 2.05 points per game -- UMD as a whole is averaging 3.78 goals per game. Only Wisconsin's first line of Daryl Watts, Casey O'Brien and Makenna Webster is averaging more goals a game -- a clip of 2.31 a game (having also played four more games this season.)
KLEIN'S DURABILITY CLIMB: Senior winger Anna Klein has never, in her previous four and a half seasons of college hockey, missed a game. The fifth-year senior is now at 143 consecutive games played. Klein is chasing former standout defenseman Sidney Morin, who skated in 147 consecutive games between 2013-17. Klein also sits 11th for all-time games played -- the Edina, Minn. native will jump into a tie for eighth (145) if she hits the ice in both BSU games this weekend.
Notably, graduate transfer Elizabeth Giguere has also never missed a collegiate game over her career for a total of 155 consecutive skates.
THE SERIES: The Bulldogs are 82-22-4 all-time against BSU. UMD and BSU did not play in Duluth during the 2020-21 season -- the last time the Beavers faced the Bulldogs at AMSOIL was during the first round of the WCHA playoffs back on Feb. 28, Feb. 29 and March 1, 2020. UMD eventually won the series despite losing in the second-longest game in NCAA history (four overtimes in all on Feb. 29, 2020).
The two sides met earlier this season in Bemidji, Minn. After three weeks off, UMD proved it was more than ready to return to the ice last weekend, sweeping BSU by scores of 9-0 and 4-1.
On Friday afternoon, the Bulldogs offensively unloaded on BSU, scoring five goals in the first period alone en route to a 9-0 thrashing of the Beavers. Senior forward Elizabeth Giguere led all scorers in the contest, hitting a milestone of her own -- 250 career points -- midway through the third period. In all, 12 UMD players notched at least a point, while five players had at least two points. Senior goaltender Emma Soderberg earned her third shutout of the season, making 20 stops.
UMD ran its current winning streak to four games Saturday afternoon, delivering a decisive 4-1 win against the Beavers. Sophomore Clara Van Wieren and senior forward Anneke Linser led all scorers with two points each on two assists. Four different players scored for the Bulldogs, including senior Naomi Rogge, who netted a power play goal for her third goal in as many games. Soderberg had 23 stops in her sixth win of the season
The Bulldogs went 3-of-4 on their power play in the series -- a whopping 75% conversion rate, while Giguère's five assists in game one was the most points by a Bulldog since Jan. 25, 2013, when Brigette Lacquette had three goals and two assists against Ohio State University.
UMD's nine goals in the opening skate was also the most goals and margin of victory by a Bulldog squad since they put up 12 against Minnesota State University, Mankato on Jan. 24, 2015.
LAST TIME OUT: Notably, UMD's series at St. Cloud State was canceled last weekend due to Covid-19 protocols.
The weekend prior to that, UMD swept No. 10 Harvard in Cambridge, Mass. two weekends ago, 5-2 Friday afternoon and then 4-3 Saturday. The Bulldogs were led by the six points of Gabbie Hughes (4g, 2a) and Elizabeth Giguere (1g, 5a) and four points of Anna Klein (2g, 2a).
In the first outing, the Bulldogs offense simply overwhelmed the Crimson from start to finish, with three players posting two or more points in the 5-2 win. Hughes led the way with two goals and an assist, Klein added a goal and an assist, and Giguere posted two assists. UMD senior goaltender Emma Soderberg was impressive between the pipes with 23 saves, including one off the tip of her stick in the second period that was so incredible it had to be reviewed by officials. The Bulldogs outshot Harvard 29-25 and went 1-of-4 with an extra skater, while the Crimson went 2-of-6.
On Saturday, the Bulldog line of seniors Giguère, Hughes and Klein accounted for all the goals scored in the 4-3 triumph, with Hughes posting two and Giguere and Klein each adding one. Harvard took the first lead of the game midway through the first period and retook it in the second, on a power play, but UMD answered every time, securing the series shutout behind Soderberg's 23 stops in the game. The Bulldogs outshot the Crimson 33-26 and went 1-of-3 on the power play. Harvard's Becky Dutton had 29 saves for the Crimson, who went an impressive 2-of-3 with an extra skater.
NOTES FROM THE HARVARD SERIES:
--UMD is 14-5-1 all-time against Harvard and has won five-straight games, including four consecutive road wins in Cambridge.
--The Bulldogs are 5-1 against the Crimson with head coach Maura Crowell at the helm.
--Elizabeth Giguere now has a whopping 16 points (6g, 10a) against Harvard in eight career games for a 2.00 points per game average. Giguere figured in all four goals the Bulldogs scored on Saturday and a total of six points (1g, 5a) on the weekend.
HUGHES NAMED HCA NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE MONTH: After an offensively dominant December, senior center Gabbie Hughes was named the Hockey Commissioners Association's Player of the Month for December just one day after being named the WCHA's Forward of the Month, and two days after earning WCHA Forward of the Week honors.
Hughes, who led the NCAA for the entire month with her points per game average, led the WCHA with nine points (4g, 5a) in five games. The Lino Lakes, Minn. native posted a 1.80 points per game average in December, and all of Hughes points came against top-10 ranked teams, including six points (2g, 4a) in four games against teams ranked in the top-3 or higher.
Hughes has had 12 multiple point games out of 18, including five skates with three or more points. The Bulldogs leading scorer with 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points in just 18 games, Hughes continues to lead the NCAA and WCHA with a 1.94 points per game average. Hughes has recorded points in 12 of her last 13 games and a mind-bending 28 points on 10 goals and 18 assists for a 2.15 ppg average over that span. Against teams ranked in the top-10, Hughes has scored 18 points (8g, 10a) in just 10 games for a 1.80 ppg average.
NATIONALLY OFFENSIVE: Senior center Gabbie Hughes leads the nation with a 1.94 points per game average through her first 18 games, and ranks second with a 0.78 goals per game average and third with a 1.28 assist per game average. Senior forward Élizabeth Giguère sits third in the NCAA with 1.83 points per game clip and second with 1.28 assists a game . Anna Klein ranks third in the nation in goals per game with 13 in 18 skates, while Hughes ranks second in the NCAA with four game-winning goals.
Because UMD has played two-to-four fewer games than all but six teams in the NCAA, the points per game statistic is the most accurate in comparing Bulldog players against the nation's other top offensive skaters.
HIGHLY OFFENSIVE BULLDOGS: UMD has been on an offensive tear, having now compiled 68 goals through its first 18 games. While their 68 goals are the sixth most scored this season in the NCAA (and note, all teams ahead of them have played at least two and most three to four more games than UMD), the Bulldogs rank sixth nationally with a 3.78 goals per game average --which only ranks them fourth in the WCHA.
UMD has already surpassed its goal total for the entire 2020-21 season. The Bulldogs scored 58 goals in 19 games one year ago -- by contrast, UMD has already scored 68 tallies in 18 skates.
POWERED PLAY: The Bulldogs rank fifth in the NCAA with a 25.0 conversion rate on 14-of-56 attempts.
A TRIO OF OFFENSIVE TROUBLE: UMD's line of Gabbie Hughes, Elizabeth Giguère, and Anna Klein, with three of the top-10 scorers in the nation, is the second-most offensively prolific line in the nation. The trio is averaging 2.05 points per game -- UMD as a whole is averaging 3.78 goals per game. Only Wisconsin's first line of Daryl Watts, Casey O'Brien and Makenna Webster is averaging more goals a game -- a clip of 2.31 a game (having also played four more games this season.)
FAST START, BEST START: UMD is 8-2 overall when it scores first and 6-3 with a lead after the first period. The Bulldogs are almost untouchable with a lead after two periods of play -- UMD is 9-1 in those games so far this season.
HOME AWAY FROM HOME: The Bulldogs are 9-3 this season outside the confines of AMSOIL Arena, and just 2-4 on home ice.
UMD has only played top-five teams at home so far, however. Four of the Bulldogs six home games have been against the No. 1 or No. 2 team in the country.
THE CENTURY CLUB: When Anna Klein joined the 100 career point club on Dec. 3, she joined fellow teammates Gabbie Hughes (144 career points) and Elizabeth Giguere (265 career points). Klein currently has 107 career points.
They are the first trio of 100 points club members since the 2012-13 season (Jessica Wong, Pernilla Winberg and Katie Wilson, and Audrey Cournoyer all had 100 or more points over that season.) In all, UMD has had three or more members of the 100 career point club on its roster eight times in program history.
GIGUERE BY THE (CAREER) NUMBERS: Élizabeth Giguère currently ranks first among all active players in the NCAA for career assists (156) and second in points (265). Giguère also ranks second in points per game (1.71), first in assists per game (1.01), second in goals (109) and first in game-winning goals (25).
Only Wisconsin's Daryl Watts has more career points and goals than Giguère.
HUGHES' CLIMBING ACTIVE NUMBERS: Bulldog senior center Gabbie Hughes has cracked the top-10 among all active NCAA players and ranks in a tie in fifth in the D-I with 144 career points. Hughes also ranks seventh in career assists (81) and fifth assists per game (0.77).
Among all active players, Hughes also ranks fourth overall with 0.60 goals per game, fifth in points per game (1.37), and ninth with 63 career goals.
Hughes currently ranks 14th all-time in career points for UMD.
KLEIN'S DURABILITY CLIMB: Senior winger Anna Klein has never, in her previous four and a half seasons of college hockey, missed a game. The fifth-year senior is now at 143 consecutive games played. Klein is chasing former standout defenseman Sidney Morin, who skated in 147 consecutive games between 2013-17. Klein also sits 11th for all-time games played -- the Edina, Minn. native will jump into a tie for eighth (145) if she hits the ice in both BSU games this weekend.
Notably, graduate transfer Elizabeth Giguere has also never missed a collegiate game in career for a total of 155 consecutive skates.
Giguere skated in 137 consecutive games over her four year playing career at Clarkson University.
**While the NCAA does not track a career games played record, UMD's record is 157, currently held by Jaime Rasmussen, who skated in 157 games between 2006-2010.
BELL, LAROCQUE NAMED TO CANADA OLYMPIC TEAM: Ashton Bell has become an Olympian.
The UMD senior defenseman was named officially to the 2022 Canadian Olympic Team after having centralized with Hockey Canada for the past five months. The Bulldog captain, who was converted from a forward to defense by the UMD coaching staff prior to her third season as a Bulldog, is one of seven defenseman that will represent Canada in Beijing, China next month.
"I am so incredibly honored and grateful for the opportunity to represent Canada at the Olympic Games," said Bell Tuesday. "I am thrilled to head to Beijing with this group and to wear the Maple Leaf. This is absolutely a dream come true."
The product of Deloraine, Manitoba, Bell was named both a 2020-21 USCHO First Team All-American and a 2020-21 CCM/AHCA Second Team All-American. Bell finished last season as the seventh-highest scoring defenseman in the nation and second highest in the WCHA with 14 points on four goals and 10 assists. The offensive blueliner was named the WCHA's Defenseman of the Year, as well as an All-WCHA First Team selection, and also turned in a plus/minus rating of +19 over the season.
Bell will join former Bulldog All-American defenseman Jocelyne Larocque, who was named to her third Canadian Olympic Team on Tuesday. Larocque won a gold medal with Canada in 2014 and a silver medal in 2018.
UMD now has two currently rostered team members on Olympic Teams -- in addition to Bell, Kassy Betinol has already been named to the Chinese Olympic Team and will represent the host country in Beijing. Senior goaltender Emma Soderberg helped Team Sweden qualify for the 2022 Winter Olympics, but Sweden has not yet announced its Olympic roster. The Bulldogs have a total of five former players so far set to suit up in the Olympics -- Gold medalist Maddie Rooney will represent the U.S. Olympic Team for a second time, while former UMD All-American Lara Stalder, a bronze medalist with Switzerland in 2014, was named to her third Olympic Team. While standout former forward Katerina Mrázová punched her first Olympic Games ticket by helping lead the Czech Republic through Group C in November, Alexandra Vafina looks to make her third appearance with the Russian Olympic Team. Both Linnea Hedin and Michelle Lowenhielm still await their official Olympic fates with Sweden -- it would mark Lowenhielm's second call-up to the Olympics and blueliner Hedin's first.
Bell becomes the fifth-ever Bulldog player to be named to the Canadian Olympic Team, and follows in the footsteps of former Canadian Olympian and Bulldog great Haley Irwin as the last Canadian UMD player to have collegiate eligibility to return to following an Olympic year. (Irwin made the 2010 Olympic team, won gold with Canada in Vancouver as a junior at UMD and then played the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons). In addition to Bell, Irwin and Larocque, former UMD defenseman Brigette Lacquette earned silver with Canada in 2018, and UMD All-American and four-time Canadian gold medalist Caroline Ouellette was the program's first-ever Canadian Olympian, with a golden span that ran from 2002, 2006, 2010 and finished in 2014. Current UMD assistant coach Laura Schuler coached Canada to a silver medal in 2018 after earning bronze as a player in the 1998 Olympics
This will also mark the fourth-consecutive Winter Olympics that UMD has had two or more players skate for the Canadian Olympic Team.
SODERBERG HELPS SWEDEN QUALIFY FOR OLYMPICS: UMD senior goaltender Emma Soderberg has the opportunity to become an Olympian for the first time in February after Team Sweden qualified for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
After a three-year absence, Sweden will return to a top-level event after beating France 3-2 at the Final Olympic Qualification Group E on home ice in Lulea, Sweden. Sweden has yet to name their official Olympic roster, but Soderberg, who picked up a shutout for Sweden Nov. 13 in a 15-0 win over Korea, could possibly make the team and head to Beijing with former Bulldogs Michelle Lowenhielm and Linnea Hedin. Lowenhielm scored the Swedes first goal Sunday, and will be making her second appearance in a Winter Olympics with Sweden.
BELL AND BETINOL WITH CENTRALIZE AHEAD OF THE 2022 WINTER OLYMPICS, WILL MISS 2021-22 SEASON: Gone for the season but not forever, the Bulldogs will be without senior All-American defenseman Ashton Bell and junior forward Kassy Betinol this season.
Bell was named to the Canadian Olympic Team Tuesday, while Betinol continues to train with CHhina ahead of the Games.
Betinol is centralized with Team China, the host of the 2022 Olympics. Betinol has played in 55 games for the Bulldogs over the past two seasons, recording three goals and four assists for seven points.
BULLDOGS WITH OLYMPIC TIES: While the world awaits the naming of the 2022 Swedish Olympic Teams and the implications that would have for UMD and senior goaltender Emma Soderberg, the Bulldogs will already be well represented in Beijing.
Here's a look at players already named to Olympic Teams ahead of the Games:
Canada
Ashton Bell
Jocelyne Larocque
China
Kassy Betinol
Czech Republic
Katrina Mrazova
Russia
Alexandra Vafina
Sweden
TBD (possible UMD players -- Emma Soderberg, Michelle Lowenhielm, Linnea Hedin
Switzerland
Lara Stalder
United States
Maddie Rooney
