Against the backdrop of AMSOIL Arena, the No. 7/8 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team had another historical night against one of its most storied rivals.

Senior winger Anneke Linser led the way with two goals and Emma Soderberg recorded the 15th shutout of her career, but the spotlight shone brightest on fifth-year senior defenseman Ashton Bell, whose assist in the last minute of play put the Bulldogs over Harvard University 4-0 and earned her a spot in the 100 career point club.  The win is UMD's third in a row and seventh-straight against the Crimson, dating back to Nov. 28, 2015.

The Bulldogs offensively overwhelmed Harvard, and it started just 2:57 into the first period when Linser continued her hot hand with a backhander to take the 1-0 lead. Despite outshooting the Crimson 34-12 in the first two frames and a crushing 21-2 in the third, the dam in front of the goal held until midway through the third period.  Junior forward Katie Davis took a feed from Taylor Stewart in the UMD's defensive zone and split Crimson skaters at center ice to skate in unscathed on Harvard's goal. Davis drove to the net, held off the last Crimson defenseman and flipped the puck over Alex Pellicci's shoulder for her first goal of the year to double UMD's lead at 11:30.

The Bulldogs were nowhere near done highlighting their offense when Clara Van Wieren took a puck from the top of the left circle, skated to the slot and looked off any player in red for a super snipe at 16:36, her fourth goal of the season. That 3-0 lead wasn't enough for the still chomping Bulldogs, and at 19:04, Bell's blast from the point was tipped down and in by Linser, securing Linser's fourth point in three games and Bell's 100th of her career.

"I just waited until the end there and then had an opportunity to get the puck on net and saw Ane (Anneke Linser) in front of the net and she got something on it," said Bell on her 100 point. "She said she didn't get anything on it, but she got something on it to tip it in there somehow. It was a pretty special goal to get that one, the assist on that play."

 

Bell may have reached her milestone Friday night, but Soderberg inched closer to another one for her record book, recording her 14th career shutout and fourth of the season.  The clean sheet,  the result of 12 saves, moves the graduate senior and native of Jarved, Sweden just a single shutout from tying former UMD standout (and Stockholm, Sweden product) Kim Martin, who ranks third all-time in program history with 16 shutouts.  

UMD outshot Harvard 55-14 in the contest, while both teams held firm on its penalty kill.  UMD killed off a total of nine minutes down a skater -- seven minutes of which took place in the middle of the second period. Pellicci had 51 stops for Harvard, who falls to 2-5-2 overall.

The Bulldogs (10-5-0) will close out the series with the Crimson tomorrow afternoon with a 3:00 p.m. start at AMSOIL, designated the annual Teddy Bear Toss game.  All fans are asked to bring a teddy bear or stuffed animal to be thrown on the ice after UMD's first goal.

 

BULLDOG NOTES: Ashton Bell becomes just the third defenseman ever to reach 100 points and the 24th player to get the mark … Bell reached the mark six days after teammate Naomi Rogge hit it last weekend in St. Cloud … Bell, Rogge and Gabbie Hughes are all members of the club – the first trio to reach it since Jessica Wong (also a forward to defense convert), Pernilla Winberg and Katie Wilson did it in 2012-13 … Bell is just two points shy of entering the top-10 for blueliner scorers … in 70 games in the back, Bell has 59 points (21g, 38a) … Anneke Linser turned in her second multiple-point performance of the season and even more impressive, second two-goal game of the year … with a goal on the evening, Clara Van Wieren has now notched a point in her last four games … Van Wieren has three goals and an assist over that span.