The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team is going back to the NCAA Frozen Four.

The eighth-ranked Bulldogs punched their first back-to-back ticket in over a decade Saturday afternoon, knocking off the No. 2 University of Minnesota 2-1 in the Gophers home rink of Ridder Arena. Behind goals from Mannon McMahon and red hot Gabbie Hughes, and because of the stellar goaltending from Emma Soderberg, UMD will continue on its trek towards an NCAA title.

"That was a heck of a hockey game, both sides, clutching and grabbing and scratching for every inch out there" said UMD head coach Maura Crowell, who is now 2-1 in NCAA Regional Final/Quarterfinal games. "The third period was a just duel, I thought our first line was tremendous again, and I love the way we stuck together through the long 6-on-5. I thought the x-factor was Sods (Soderberg), who did a great job and cleared everything away.  I just can't say enough about the effort tonight."

One week to the day of Minnesota knocking out the Bulldogs in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Final Face-Off, there was no trace of that game left in the play of UMD. Even when 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 then equalized at 14:46 of the second period on a blast from Manoon 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 Hughes, undoubtedly the hottest player in college hockey right now and 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.

"Our forecheck was on point all game but especially that shift," said Hughes, who now has four goals in her last two (NCAA postseason) games. " Giggy kept the puck in and I ended up coming down and had an empty spot through the net and ended up putting it away, but it all goes back to our forecheck and sticking to our systems.  I think that is exactly why we got that opportunity and I was able to finish on it."

The game-winner went into the books at 5:24 of the third period, but the Bulldogs still had to close the door on the Gophers desperate offensive attempts.  UMD did just that, and despite Minnesota putting 16 pucks on net in the frame, the Bulldog blueline and Soderberg never flinched, sealing UMD's ninth-ever trip to the NCAA Frozen Four in program history.

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.  The Gophers had 25 saves from Lauren Bench, and outshot UMD 38-27.  Minnesota ends their season with an overall record of 29-9-1.

UMD (26-11-1) will get a second crack at Northeastern University next Friday in the NCAA Frozen Four rematch from one season ago.  The tournament, which will be hosted by Penn State University in University Park, Penn., will get underway Friday at 2:30 p.m. central time.