The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will host St. Cloud State University this weekend at AMSOIL Arena to round out the 2021-22 regular season. The Bulldogs and Huskies, who were fit to be tied 1-1 on Tuesday in St. Cloud, Minn., will go head-to-head Friday and Saturday at 3:01 p.m. Saturday, in its annual tradition, UMD will honor its senior class immediately following the game.
BULLDOG QUICK HITS
BELL IS GOLDEN: Senior defenseman Ashton Bell and former Bulldog All-American defenseman Jocelyne Larocque helped Canada hold on to a 3-2 win over the U.S. Thursday in the Olympic final. It's Bell's first-ever Olympic gold medal, and Larocque's second goal medal (she also won one with Canada in 2014 and earned a silver in 2018).
Senior goaltender Emma Soderberg will be available for the Bulldogs this weekend after manning the pipes for Sweden. Soderberg finished her first Olympic games as a breakout star for Sweden. The Jarved, Sweden native had an Olympic-high 167 total saves and a .912 saves percentage. Soderberg helped Sweden rally from two early losses to two-straight wins which clinched a quarterfinal berth for the Swedes.
GOALS GALORE: UMD currently has 110 goals through 30 games -- UMD has not scored 110 goals or more in an entire season since the 2016-17 (note the 20-21 season was only 19 games). The Bulldogs have only scored 110 or more goals three times since in a decade (UMD recorded 121 in 2011-12).
KLEIN EYES ALL-TIME GAMES PLAYED RECORD: Senior winger Anna Klein is just two games away (155) from tying the all-time games played record at UMD. Currently held by former Bulldog defenseman Jaime Rasmussen (2006-10), if Klein skates in both games against SCSU this weekend, she will be tied for first with 157 games played.
THE GREAT GIGUERE -- Élizabeth Giguère is currently first among all active players in the NCAA for career assists (162) and second in points (279). Giguère also ranks second in points per game (1.68), second in assists per game (0.98), second in goals (117) and first in game-winning goals (25).
THE SERIES: UMD is 74-14-8 all-time against the Huskies and remains unbeaten in its last 10 games against SCSU (8-0-2).
The two sides last met on Tuesday earlier in the week, a 1-1 overtime tie officially and eventual shootout loss for the Bulldogs.
LAST TIME OUT: The low-scoring, low shooting affair saw both teams register a goal 49 seconds apart in the second period. UMD struck first on Anneke Linser's third goal in three games at 8:49 of the frame. Linser buried a rebound that came off Anna Klein's rip from the low circle for her sixth goal of the season. Naomi Rogge had the secondary assist, feeding Klein in the circle, which extended the senior center's own current scoring streak to six points in three games (2g, 4a).
The Bulldogs outshot St. Cloud 31-21 in the skate and held the Huskies scoreless in two power play attempts, including one at 16:03 of the third period. UMD – which wasn't awarded a power play on the afternoon – had 20 stops from sophomore goaltender Jojo Chobak. Emma Polusny had 30 for SCSU, who took the extra WCHA point by winning the shootout.
NOTES FROM THE ST. CLOUD GAME: UMD is now 2-1-1 in overtime games this year, and has been in just one shootout. Tuesday was the Bulldogs first tie of the season.
--UMD was 17-2 when scoring a goal first prior to Tuesday's tie -- the Bulldogs are now 17-2-1 when they strike first.
--When outshooting its opponent, UMD is now 16-2-1 on the year.
ROGGE ON A ROLL, LINSER LIGHTING THE LAMP: Senior center Naomi Rogge's current scoring streak is now at six points in three games (2g, 4a). Rogge, along with senior winger Anneke Linser, have put up points in their last three games. Linser has scored goals in UMD's last three outings.
THAT WINNING FEELING: With 20 wins, the Bulldogs have tied their second-most wins of the Maura Crowell era. Crowell ran up 25 wins in 2016-17.
In the past decade (since 2011-12, UMD has only two other times reached the 20 win mark -- in 2016-17 (25), 2011-12 (21).
UMD's 20th win is the 16th time in program history a Bulldog squad has pocketed that many triumphs.
POWERED PLAY: The Bulldogs rank fourth in the NCAA with a 26.3 conversion rate on 20-of-76 attempts.
CAREER YEARS: Multiple Bulldog players are in the midst of career offensive season.
Naomi Rogge surpassed her rookie season previous high of 24 points (16g, 8a) in 35 games in 2017-18, and now already had 26 points (13g, 13a) in just 30 outings.
Anna Klein blew past her previous high set her junior season (13g-14=27), and now has 41 points on 17 goals and 24 assists in 30 games.
Other skaters who have already reached career season-best offensive outputs include Mannon McMahon (3-14=17) in 30 games, former high five points (2g, 3a) in 36 games and Clara Van Wieren who has more than doubled her freshman total of 11 points (7g, 4a in 17 games) and now has 25 points (8g, 17a) over 30 skates.
Senior Gabbie Hughes is just two points shy of her massive 51 point campaign from her sophomore season (20g, 31a in 35 games), and has already dished out a career-best 33 helpers to go with 16 goals this season.
COMING UP HUGHES: Gabbie Hughes currently has a 1.63 ppg game clip,the fourth-highest in the NCAA. Hughes also ranks second in the nation with 33 assists and a 1.10 assists per game.
One catergory that may get overlooked is that Hughes, a center, ranks fifth in the NCAA for face-off wins among 247 players ranked -- including second in the WCHA. Hughes has 397 wins from the dot
Equally as impressive is Hughes assault on the career record books at UMD. The assistant senior captain now has 158 career points (65g, 93a) in just 117 games, and is now in ninth all-time for points and career assissts.
Hughes is one helper away from Lara Stalder, who is currently in eighth place with 94 assists over her All-American career at UMD. Hughes was the seventh-fastest player in program history to score 150 points.
BELL IS GOLDEN: UMD senior defenseman Ashton Bell is an Olympic gold medalist.
Bell and former Bulldog All-American defenseman Jocelyne Larocque helped Canada hold on to a 3-2 win over the United States Thursday at the Wukesong Sports Centre in the final women's hockey game of the 2022 Winter Olympics. It's Bell's first-ever Olympic gold medal, and Larocque's second goal medal (she also won one with Canada in 2014 and earned a silver in 2018). Former UMD goaltender Maddie Rooney did not play Thursday, but also earned her second Olympic medal , a silver to add to the gold she won in 2018.
Canada scored twice in the opening period, with goals scored at 7:50 and 15:02. Canada then took a 3-0 lead at 9:08 of the second period, but the U.S. scored a shorthanded tally late in the second frame to cut its deficit to 3-1. The U.S. pushed in the third period, outshooting Canada 16-4 and finally scored with 13 seconds remaining in the third period to draw within a single goal. Canada, in no short work to its defensive core, held on for its fifth-ever gold medal.
Bell and Larocque each were +1 in the contest, with Larocque skating for 22:25 minutes of on ice time -- just shy of the second most of any Canadian skater.
Bell joins a long list of current Bulldog players who have earned Olympic medals, and becomes the second current player in as many Olympic games to strike gold with college eligibility remaining. Rooney, with the U.S., was the last Bulldog to win a medal (gold) and return to school in 2018, Previously, Lara Stalder took home a bronze with the Swiss as a freshman at UMD in 2014, and in 2010, a handful of then rostered Bulldogs earned medals – Haley Irwin with Canada (gold), and Saara Tuominen and Mariia Posa with Finland (bronze).
Larocque becomes just the third player in UMD program history to win two or more Olympic gold medals. Caroline Ouellette (Canada, 2014, 2010, 2006, 2002) and Haley Irwin (2014, 2010) are the two other Bulldog members of the most golden of clubs. Bell becomes the seventh-ever current or former Bulldog to strike gold -- she joins Larcoque, Ouellette, Irwin, Rooney, Sidney Morin (U.S. 2018), and Jenny Potter (U.S. 1998).
In all, 18 different current or former Bulldog players have won medals for their respective Olympic teams at least once, and nine have won two or more medals. In fact, Larocque joins another exclusive club that has won three or medals -- only Ouellette (four golds) and Potter (one gold, three silver have won more Olympic medals than Larocque.
Bell -- a 2021 All-American -- will return for her fifth-year at UMD next fall ahead of the 2022-23 collegiate season.
