The No. 5 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team returns to the site where they last celebrated a back-to-back NCAA Frozen Four berth in March when the Bulldogs take on the No. 1 University of Minnesota at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, Minn. this weekend.

Date:  November 4-5, 2022,  6:00 pm Friday, 2:00 pm Saturday

          Site: Ridder Arena (3,400), Minneapolis, Minn.

          UMD: 7-3-0 (3-3-0)

          Minn.: 7-0-1 (7-0-1)

Video: https://www.bigtenplus.com/en-int/page/home

Radio: https://gophersports.com/watch/?Live=4891&type=Live                  

Live Stats:  https://gophersports.com/sidearmstats/whockey/summary

THE SERIES: The Bulldogs and Gophers were an even 3-3 last season, splitting the  regular season series. UMD averaged 2.17 goals against Minnesota for 13 in six skates, while the Gophers averaged 2.83 with 17. Minnesota maintains a healthy all-time series lead of 32-66-10, but UMD is 4-6 in its last 10 games against Minnesota. UMD went 2-2 at Ridder Arena against the Gophers last season, and 3-2 overall in Minnesota's rink.

In their last meeting -- and arguably biggest in of the past five seasons -- UMD knocked out the No. 2 University of Minnesota Saturday 2-1 at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, Minn. to advance to their second Frozen Four in as many seasons back on March 12, 2022.

Minnesota took advantage of a power play midway through the first period on a goal from Abigail Boreen, the Bulldogs were skate for skate with the Gophers and even with 10 shots apiece after 20 minutes.

UMD equalized at 14:46 of the second period on a blast from Mannon McMahon that snuck past Minnesota netminder Lauren Bench to draw the Bulldogs even at 1-1.  The goal was the lone tally of the period, setting the table for an epic third period and another notch between two storied programs.

Enter Gabbie Hughes, fresh off a natural hat trick against Harvard University in the first round.  Élizabeth Giguère pinched a Gopher attempt to break out of their zone and tipped the puck up to Hughes' stick along the boards. The senior center skated under the right circle and fired it past Bench to push UMD into the lead, and then followed it with a jersey tug and a celebration even the often hard-celebrating Hughes will not soon forget.

Emma Soderberg, who is now tied for the second most NCAA tournament wins in program history with three, was again brilliant for the Bulldogs, and made 37 saves in the game.



COMING UP HUGHES AGAINST THE GOPHERS: In 18 career games against Minnesota, no one has been better in recent memory that senior center Gabbie Hughes in point production. Hughes has 11 goals and nine assists for 19 points -- better than a point a game average over her previous four seasons against them. Perhaps no point bigger than Hughes' game-winning goal last March in the NCAA Regional Final that sent the Bulldogs past the Gophers 2-1 at RIdder and into the NCAA Frozen Four.

LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs earned a series split against No. 3 Wisconsin at AMSOIL Arena, defeating the Badgers 2-1 Friday night and suffering a wild 4-3 setback Saturday.

On Friday night, the Badgers put a plethora of shots on goal in the first period – 16 to the Bulldogs six, but their first real break came off a UMD turnover in the neutral zone that Lacey Eden buried to give UW the lead at 18:18 of the first period.

From there, the Bulldogs started to push back offensively, outshooting the Badgers 8-7 in the second frame and 9-5 in the third to force the eventual game-tying goal.

At the 17:10 mark of the third period, Maggie Flaherty's shot from the left face-off dot was tipped to Gabbie Hughes on the back post, and Hughes slammed it in knot the game up at 1-1. As a result, another WCHA 3-on-3 overtime awaited the Bulldogs, and this time, UMD delivered. After both sides had skated for 4:03 of extra time, Nina Jobst-Smith scored her seond career overtime game-winner to seal UMD's fate.

UMD had three different goal scorers in Saturday's skate, including a power play goal from Hanna Baskin in the firrst period and another by Gabby Krause at 5:30 of the second.  Wisconsin then reeled off three even strength, taking a 4-2 lead early in the third before Ashton Bell struck on the power play to make it a 4-3 game at 10:59 of the third period.

UMD thought it had found an equalizer from Naomi Rogge with 1:52 remaining, but a Wisconsin challenge on the Bulldogs just offsides on the play stood, and UMD was stripped of its extra skater goal, handing Wisconsin the wild win in the process.

Soderberg had 22 saves for the Bulldogs.  UMD was 2-of-4 on its power play, while Wisconsin, outshot 38-26 in the skate, went 1-of-1.  .

WISCONSIN SERIES NOTES: The Bulldogs are now 34-59-15 against the Badgers in 106 all-time meetings. UMD and Wisconsin split for a second consecutive series.

-- UMD's loss Saturday was the first time this season the Bulldogs have outshot an opponent and lost (38-26).  It also marked the most goals allowed in a single game by UMD this season.

-- Eight different players logged a point for UMD, including four players that recorded a point in each game on the weekend … Gabbie Hughes (1g,1a), Nina Jobst-Smith (1g,1a), Clara Van Wieren (2a) and Naomi Rogge (2a) all had two points against the Badgers.

--Three blueliners scored in the series, including two Saturday. Hanna Baskin's first career goal was bookended by Ashton Bell's 36th career tally (and 17th has a defenseman), while Jobst-Smith scored Friday. In fact, three of UMD's five goals in the series came from defensemen.

--Emma Soderberg picked up her 40th career win Friday, becoming the eighth Bulldog goaltender ever to reach the mark.

--Jobst-Smith now has two career goals with the Bulldogs -- both overtime game-winners. Jobst-Smith's first career goal beat Bemidji State 3:23 into overtime back on Jan. 23, 2021, a 1-0 win for UMD.

--UMD is now 3-1 in overtime this season, and 2-1 in WCHA extra time games.

EXPERIENCED APPLICANTS ONLY: The Bulldogs have a experienced ladden group of players, eight of whom have skated in 100 or more games and seven that have played 120 or more.  Even more impressive, UMD boasts 18 players who have played in an NCAA Championship game and 12 that have skated in back-to-back NCAA Frozen Fours.

In that vein, UMD graduate senior goaltender Emma Soderberg, has now played the sixth-most minutes between the pipes in Bulldog history at 3587:38.

THE POWERED PLAY OF ASHTON BELL: No player in a decade has scored more goals on the power play for UMD than Ashton Bell, who has already rung up four so far this season.

The senior blueliner has 20 over her 135 games career so far -- the most by a Bulldog players since Haley Irwin finished her 134 game career with 20 in 2012. The last UMD player to notch more than 20 power plays in a career? Laura Fridfinnson, who posted 22 over 151 games from 2007-11. 

POINT TAKEN: Gabbie Hughes, who currently leads the Bulldogs with 14 points (3g, 11a), has also recorded points in nine of her first 10 games. Hughes is in midst of a four- game scoring streak currently, where the graduate senior center has two goals and three assists for five points in four games.

Nina Jobst-Smith has tallied a point in her last three games, raising her game against ranked opponents -- the junior defenseman has a goal and three assists for four points in those last three outings.

MIND YOUR MANNON: The speedy forward is coming off the best offensive season of her career after scoring four goals and 15 assists for 19 points last year in 40 games.

In just 10 outings, the senior has already registered half of her career-high from her junior campaign (eight points), and her three goals is just one shy of the career-mark she set last season of four.

WCHA BULLDOG BITS: After the Badgers, the Bulldogs own the lowest goals allowed per game average in the league at 1.50 ... UMD also owns the WCHA's second most dangerous power play at 23.5 (8-of-34) ... Minnesota is averaging more than a penalty more a game than the Bulldogs ... Ashton Bell ranks second in the WCHA with four power play goals ... Bell also is tied for third with two game-winning goals ... Gabbie Hughes is the eighth leading scorer in the leage with 14 points and a 1.40 points per game average.

WATCH PARTY: Super senior Naomi Rogge has 98 career points (52g, 46a) over 139 games, just four shy of the UMD 100-point club.

Ashton Bell is right behind Rogge on the career climb.  The converted defenseman has 96 career points (37g, 59a) and 42 of them have come from the blueline over 63 games.

Maggie Flaherty sits in the 10th spot with 45 assists by defensemen in a career.

Gabbie Hughes, already the seventh-highest point getter in UMD history (74-108=182), will look to climb in career goals, where she sits in the 10th slot with 74. The Lino Lakes, Minn. native is sixth all-time for assists.

OFFENSIVE DEFENSEMAN:  10 of the Bulldogs 29 goals have come from defenseman, whose jump into the play has lifted UMD's offense.

MAKING A CAREER OF IT: UMD senior center Gabbie Hughes currently ranks in the top-five among all active NCAA players over a career for points, points per game, goals, assists, assists per game and game-winning goals.

Hughes ranks second among all current NCAA players with 182 career points, third in points per game (1.33 ppg), third in assists (108), third in game-winning goals (17), fourth in assists per game (0.79), and fifth in goals (74). Among all WCHA players, Hughes ranks first in points, first in points per game and game-winning goals, second in assists and assists per game and third in goals.

Hughes isn't the only current Bulldog on the career NCAA charts. Ashton Bell ranks fourth overall and second in the WCHA with 20 power play goals, while senior goaltender Emma Soderberg owns the fifthth best saves percentage and tops in the WCHA at .932, while also ranked fourth in shutouts (and second in the WCHA). Soderberg also owns the WCHA's current most career wins and fifth in the NCAA with 40.