If this season has proved one thing, it's that when the Bulldogs are forced to take a step back from outside competition, they return to the ice one of the most prolific scoring teams in the country.

 

Friday afternoon was no exception for the offensively explosive No. 8/9 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team, who crushed Bemidji State University 8-2 behind a four-goal outburst in the second period. UMD, which has now scored 21 goals against the Beavers in three games so far this season, improves to 12-7-0 overall and 9-6-0 in Western Collegiate Hockey Association  play.  The Bulldogs are unbeaten in their first three games of 2021.

 

"I think I think we love what we're doing, we love to play hockey, we love to be around each other," said UMD head coach Maura Crowell. "When that's taken away from you sometimes unexpectedly, it makes you a little more appreciative, a little more grateful for the times that you do get out there. I think that has a lot to do with it and these guys are training all year long to play games, so when they have the opportunity after a break, we usually see a nice performance from them. We'll expect to keep that continuing throughout the weekend."

 

After a scoreless first period, UMD scored four unanswered goals, including four that came between 2:50 and 12:42 of the second period.  Senior Anna Klein started the scoring off, smacking in a pass from Elizabeth Giguere from behind the net for the first goal of the game.  The Bulldogs continued their behind the net success at 7:30 when Naomi Rogge buried a helper from Clara Van Wieren from the back boards.  Giguere, again camped out behind the net, fed Rogge for her second goal of the game at 11:08, and Gabbie Hughes connected with a wide open Kate Davis on the doorstep at 12:42 to blow open the game at 4-0 before the ice settled for the Beavers.
BSU found the lone gap in the Bulldogs armor, scoring a power play goal at 1:29 of the third period on Claire Vekich's fifth goal of the year to make it a 4-1 game, but UMD responded with three more goals.  Klein took a Hughes face-off win and walked by a BSU defenseman before ringing up her second goal of the day at 6:51, and just over a minute later, Davis intercepted a Beaver pass and backhanded it past BSU goaltender Hannah Hogenson to push UMD's lead out to 6-1. Giguere jumped on an open puck off Klein tip for a power play goal at 11:52, and despite a BSU goal by Taylor Larson at 14:34 to make it a 7-2 contest, UMD still found the net one last time.

 

Anneke Linser iced the game at 19:03, extending UMD's final goal count to eight for the day – the second most goals the Bulldogs have scored in a game so far this season.

 

UMD outshot the Beavers 42-22 in the contest, and went 1-of-3 on the power play.  Bulldog netminder Emma Soderberg had 20 stops for UMD, while BSU's Hogenson had 31 saves in 51:52 of time, and Abbie Thompson made three in 8:08 of action.  The Beavers fall to 7-11-3, and 4-11-2 in the WCHA).

 

The Bulldogs will try for their second sweep of 2022 tomorrow afternoon when they host the Beavers at AMSOIL in a Hockey Hits Back, Sophie's Squad game for mental health awareness tomorrow at 3:01 p.m.

BULLDOG NOTES:  In all, six players posted two or more points, including three with three – Elizabeth Giguere (1g, 2a), Naomi Rogge (2g, 1a) and Anna Klein (2g, 1a) … Giguere has notched nine points in her last three games (2g, 7a) and was her 10th game with multiple points … Klein has also scored two or more points in her last three skates, putting up seven points (4g, 3a) … Klein has 13 multiple point skates so far this season … Gabbie Hughes, who had two assists, has now compiled eight points (4g, 4a) in her last three games … has a team-high 14 games with two or more points … Katie Davis had a career-best two goals Friday … Rogge is on a three-game scoring streak, having recorded three goals and two assists for five points in her last three outings … UMD now has seven players with 10 or more points through its first 19 games, including five with 16 or more and three with 31 or more.
 

Another look at Rogge's second ??of the night and Giguere's second ?? ?? pic.twitter.com/YyQsa1qZwC

— UMD Women's Hockey (@UMDWHockey) January 14, 2022

 

Hughes ? Davis ?? (First goal of the season for Davis!) pic.twitter.com/g3DaSYN6Tn

— UMD Women's Hockey (@UMDWHockey) January 14, 2022