The No. 7 University of Minnesota Duluth took care of business Friday afternoon with its second-highest goal output of the season to defeat St. Thomas University 8-1 in Western Collegiate Hockey Association action at AMSOIL Arena.

 

The Bulldogs were dominant from start to finish, with four players that recorded two or more points, including Ashton Bell, who led all players with four (2g, 2a) and Gabbie Hughes, who added a goal to two assists. 

 

Graduate senior Naomi Rogge, who led UMD in points against the Tommies last season, picked up right where she left off 4:35 into the first period to put the Bulldogs up early. Taylor Anderson made it a 2-0 lead at 10:10, and Mannon McMahon strung it out to three goals at 18:06 to round out the opening frame.

 

Bell, who had the second assist on McMahon's goal, scored one of her own at 4:24 of the second period to run the Bulldogs goal total to 4-0. UMD's longest scoring drought of the game followed Bell's goal, and was broken at 17:05 for a 5-0 lead by Anneke Linser and her eighth goal of the season. Bell followed Linser again 1:45 later to make it a 6-0 game heading into the second intermission.

 

Junior Katie Davis buried a back post goal at the 6:55 mark of the third, and Gabbie Hughes struck from the doorstep on the power play at 14:33 for her third point of the 8-0 game.  The Tommies finally broke through at 15:05 of the third quarter, but the win for goaltender Emma Soderberg was more than secure, the 44th of her career. Soderberg is now in a tie with Patricia Sautter-Elsmore (44-5-4) for the sixth most wins in program history with a record of 44-22-0.

"No matter who the opponent is, we want to play our way and our hockey, and I think that was our focus tonight, just playing our game and pushing the intensity," said Bell after her four point game, her second of the season.  "We know, we can use our speed to our advantage against St. Thomas, so just continuing to do that. We knew we would have the puck probably more so on our stick in the offensive zone, so just executing the plays that we've been working on was a focus of ours tonight."

The Bulldogs blistered UST with 56 shots on goal to the Tommies' 14. Soderberg had 13 saves while UST's Alexa Dobchuk had 36, and Maggie Malecha had 12 in the relief to start the third period. UMD was 1-of-5 on the power play while holding the Tommies scoreless in five attempts. With the setback, UST falls to 3-14-0 overall and 0-13-0 in WCHA play.


UMD (13-6-0, 7-6-0) will host St. Thomas Saturday afternoon in its final game of the 2022 calendar year.  The 3:00 p.m. will be the Bulldogs second-annual Sophie's Squad Hockey Hits Back game for mental health awareness. For more information on Sophies Squad, or to read about how Hughes helped start the organization, click here.

 

BULLDOG NOTES:  With four points Friday, Ashton Bell has now lept into sole possession as the 10th all-time scoring blueliner with 64 points (23 goals, 41 assists) … Bell is just one point shy from overtaking the ninth spot, currently held by Satur Kiipeli with 65 points … with two goals, Bell also moved one goal away from tying the second all-time defenseman goals mark of 24, currently owned by Krista McArthur … With nine goals so far this season, Bell has now tied the ninth most goals scored by a defenseman in a single-season … she joins Brittny Ralph (1999-00) and Jamie Rasmussen (2008-09) … Gabbie Hughes now has 193 points (76g, 117a), and is now just three helpers from tying the fourth spot for all-time assists set by Hanne Sikio with 120 … it was the eighth multiple game of the season for Hughes … Besides Bell and Hughes, Anneke Linser picked up two points on a goal and an assist, and freshman defenseman Tova Henderson dished out two brilliant helpers for two assists, a collegiate career-best in points for the rookie.