After facing Ohio State in three-consecutive games out of town dating back to last March's NCAA championship game, the No. 8 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will welcome the top-ranked Buckeyes back to AMSOIL Arena this weekend for a Western Collegiate Hockey Association spar. UMD will host OSU for the first time in a year in its home rink, with both games of the Friday-Saturday series set to get underway at 3:00 p.m. Friday will be UMD's annual Green Bandana game, while Saturday will feature a UMD Stores puck giveaway.

Date:  December 2-3, 2022,  3:00 pm Friday & Saturday

Site: AMSOIL Arena (6,600), Duluth, Minn.

           UMD: 11-5-0 (5-5-0)

           Ohio State: 12-1-2 (12-1-1)

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

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

Radio: KDAL610   TV: Big Ten Network (Friday), My9 (Saturday)

 

POWER UP PLAY: The Bulldogs are one of the NCAA's best teams on the power play, and ranks fourth in the nation in power play percentage at 28.6.

Only one side in the nation has scored more power play goals, however. The Bulldogs rank second in the NCAA with 13 through their first 16 games, and have scored seven power play goals in their last seven games alone.

Ashton Bell and Maggie Flaherty are tied for the third most power play goals in the country with four apiece, which also puts then in second in the WCHA (behind OSU's Sophie Jaques). The are the only duo in the top-3.

BLUEPRINT BLUELINERS: In Ashton Bell and Maggie Flaherty, UMD has its most dominant defensive pair in a decade, and the numbers to back the claim. While the duo is creeping up on the top-10 blueline scorers in program history -- Bell is at 60 points -- one shy of tying the tenth spot, (21g, 39a in 70 games as a defenseman) while Flaherty is at 59 (14g, 45a in 130 games), this season, in just 16 games they are writing their own history. With 14 goals between them and seven apiece, they have already scored the most goals by a pair of defensemen since 2012-13, when future Canadian Olympian Brigette Lacquette (eight goals in 34 games), and blueliner convert Jessica Wong (seven goals in 33 games) combined for 15 tallies -- in more than twice the amount of games played. In fact Wong and Bell are tied for the third most goals in a season by a defenseman with 11 (Wong in 2010-11, Bell in 2019-20), and both Flaherty and Bell right now are just two goals shy of tying the ninth spot -- nine goals in a single season.

The last pair of defenseman to score more than nine goals apiece in a season? Satu Kiipeli and Brittny Ralph, who each put up 10 over the 2000-01 title run.

COUNTDOWN TO 200: Senior graduate center Gabbie Hughes is now just 10 points shy of the 200 career points mark. With 75 goals and 115 assists in 145 games, Hughes is sitting at 190 points -- only seven players in program history have ever reached the 200 point mark, the last, Hailey Irwin in 2011-12.

 

THE SERIES: The Bulldogs are 73-25-9 all-time against the Buckeyes, who have won four straight-games against UMD after a series sweep in Columbus back on Oct. 21-22 -- the longest OSU winning streak against the Bulldogs in program history. Over their last 10 meetings, UMD is 3-6 with one overtime loss, two neutral postseason meetings (an NCAA title tilt last March 20th and an WCHA Final Face-Off semifinal showdown on March 6, 2021) and half of the skates have been decided by one point.

The Buckeyes current win streak has exclusively taken place away from Duluth, however. While UMD is 8-8-2 against OSU on the road over the last 10 road games, its an impressive 13-3-2 against the Buckeyes at AMSOIL since the 2013-14 season.  UMD has averaged 2.92 goals over the past nine seasons against the Buckeyes.

Ironically, UMD and OSU have played three straight games with a 3-2 score dating back to the NCAA title game last March.

In late October, the Bulldogs were swept by then No. 1 OSU in Columbus by two scores of 3-2.  In the first game, it took the final minute of 3-on-3 overtime for the Buckeyes to finally defeat UMD, its first loss of the season.

An even first period spilled into the second, and the Bulldogs carried a penalty kill into the period  that the Buckeyes cashed it in at 1:29 for the night's first lead.  UMD's response came in the form of junior forward Clara Van Wieren, who beat the OSU goaltender five-hole at the 13:55 mark. A little over three minutes later, the Buckeyes reclaimed the advantage on a goal from Jennifer Gardiner, and after a wild second period, UMD left the ice down 2-1.

UMD equalized OSU as its power play expired 7:56 into the third period, an instant classic goal from Maggie Flaherty. The senior defenseman skated into the zone and took a feed from Mannon McMahon at the circle, levered her shot with a knee to the ice and found the top-left netting to pull the game even at 2-2. From there both sides had chances to tuck the game away, but the conclusion couldn't be found in regulation.  OSU finally scored off a breakaway at 4:00.4 of the 3-on-3 overtime – UMD's first setback in extra time on the season in three games. Emma Soderberg had 29 saves for UMD, while OSU outshot the Bulldogs 32-17 in the game.

On Saturday, it was the Bulldogs that struck first.  UMD took the game's first advantage on a goal that came at 7:54 of the first period.  McMahon skated the puck behind the net and beat OSU goaltender Amanda Thiele with a wraparound from the extended goal line for the 1-0 lead. The Buckeyes knotted the game on a goal at 16:17, and both sides were an even 1-1 after the opening 20 minutes.

Gabbie Hughes single-handedly broke that tie with a breakaway goal at the 3:29 mark of the second period.  Hughes hit the open ice of the Buckeye defensive zone and stick-handled Thiele to the ice before tucking the puck in between Thiele's right skate and the post for the 2-1 lead back to the Bulldogs.

That lead held for the remainder of the second period and until midway of the third period before the Buckeyes scored two unanswered goals at 10:47 and 15:03 to take their first, and what would be final, lead of the game at 3-2. OSU turned in shots on goal advantage of 37-25, UMD outshot the Buckeyes in the second period (11-9) and almost half of OSU's shots came in the first period. Soderberg had 34 saves for UMD.

A QUICK LOOK AT THE BUCKEYES: The defending NCAA champions have spent most of the season ranked No. 1, and have suffered just one setback so far (12-1-2). In five games against ranked opponents, this season, the Buckeyes have won just twice -- their series sweep with UMD. OSU is led by super senior defenseman Sophie Jaques, who has compiled 23 points on 13 goals and 10 assists in 15 games. Jennifer Gardiner is right behind Jaques with 20 points (6g, 14a) over those same 15 skates. Amanda Thiele continues to man the pipes for the Buckeyes, and is 8-1-1-2 with a GAA of 2.08 and a saves percentage of .886.

LAST TIME OUT: UMD's last action was Nov. 18-19, a home series sweep of Harvard by scores of 4-0 and 9-0.

In the Friday night game, Anneke Linser scored UMD's first and last goal, and Katie Davis and Clara Van Wieren notched the other two in the third period to defeat the Crimson 4-0. Ashton Bell added an assist on Linser's late game goal to pick up her 100th career point, becoming just the third defenseman to reach the mark.  Emma Soderberg got her fourth shutout of the season, making 14 saves for the Bulldogs.

Game two, the Bulldogs started off and never cooled off, with two goals from Maggie Flaherty, including a power play goal at 2:48 and 13:40 of the first period. From there, UMD scored three goals in the second period and four in third to blowout Harvard 9-0. Gabbie Hughes led all scorers with a four points (1g, 3a), three from Linser (1g, 2a) and two goals from Flaherty, in addition to eight players posting multiple points. Two players scored their first-ever career goals --  freshman Danielle Burgen and sophomore Mary Kate O'Brien.

Hailey MacLeod made her second career start in net, and earned her first-ever shutout while dishing out her first career assist, a program first for a goaltender making a starting debut at home. MacLeod had 15 saves in the skate.

NOTES FROM THE HARVARD SERIES:  Head coach Maura Crowell is now 8-1 against Harvard, while the UMD program is 17-5-1 all-time. UMD is 8-0 since its last loss against the Crimson way back on Nov. 27, 2015.

--UMD has given up just one goal in its last four games, and has played two consecutive games without a giving up a goal for the first time since last Oct. 23-24, 2021 when the Bulldogs blanked St. Thomas by scores of 3-0 and 7-0 without allowing a single goal.

--14 players registered a point in UMD's 9-0 route on Nov. 19, a feat that had not been reached since Jan. 23, 2015 in a 12-0 win over Minnesota St.

--UMD has now posted six shutouts as a team so far this season -- four by Emma Soderberg, one by Hailey MacLeod and one combined effort between the two. With 15 career shutouts, Soderberg now trails UMD and fellow Swedish great Kim Martin by one. Martin ranks third all-time at UMD with 16 career shutouts.

--Anneke Linser had two multiple point games in the series – with two goals Friday night, she had another goal Saturday with two assists for three goals and two assists on the weekend.

--In the five games Gabbie Hughes has played against Harvard in less than a year, Hughes has compiled eight goals and seven assists for 15 points.

BELL RINGS IN 100: Ashton Bell became just the third defenseman ever to reach 100 points and the 24th player to get the mark on Nov. 18 against Harvard with a late game assist. Bell reached the mark six days after teammate Naomi Rogge hit it, and 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.

THE POWERED PLAY CAREER 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 141 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.

MAKING A CAREER OF IT: Gabbie Hughes not only moved into a tie for ninth in all-time goals with Laura Fridfinnson with 75 two weeks ago, she also tied Maria Rooth for fifth all-time in assists with 113.

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.

The Lino Lakes, Minn. ranks second among all current NCAA players with 190 career points, third in points per game (1.34 ppg), third in assists (115), third in game-winning goals (17), fourth in assists per game (0.81), and sixth in goals (75). 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 seventh best saves percentage and tops in the WCHA at .930, while also ranked third in shutouts. Soderberg also owns the WCHA's current most career wins and fifth in the NCAA with 42.

EXPERIENCED APPLICANTS ONLY: The Bulldogs have a experienced ladden group of players, eight of whom have skated in 100 or more games and five that have played 140 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 3739:17.