The No. 4/5 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team, led by double goal scorers Anneke Linser and Mannon McMahon, skated away from No. 11 Penn State University Friday afternoon 4-0 at Appleton Arena in Canton, N.Y. The Bulldogs, who passed their first nationally ranked showdown with a shutout, end their four-game New York road stretch with a four-game winning streak intact -- their longest winning streak to start to a season since the 2007-08 season.

"I think this was the best game of the four," said head coach Maura Crowell after the contest.  "We continue to get better figuring out what our lines are going to look like this year and I really liked how we played today. Sometimes it takes a little bit of time and putting that puzzle together is fun and hard, but I thought we got it going again tonight. Any four of the lines coming off the bench was doing their job and capable of playing, so that was great."

After UMD outshot PSU 10-4 in the opening frame, the Bulldogs power play finally broke through at 8:03 of the second period.  Mannon McMahon cleaned up a rebound from a Gabbie Hughes shot on the doorstep for her first goal of the season, and UMD held that 1-0 advantage into the second intermission.
 

Linser doubled that lead, finishing off a pass from Naomi Rogge to make it 2-0 just 5:03 into the third, and then the senior forward struck again 2:52 later to stretch the Bulldogs damage to 3-0.  McMahon tacked on another tally late in the third, tucking home a pass from Clara Van Wieren in the low slot at 14:56.  Linser and McMahon both finished the night with two goals -- and McMahon is now just one of two Bulldog players who has notched at least a point in each of UMD's first four games.
 

Not to be out done by the Bulldog offense, Emma Soderberg stopped all 24 shots she faced for her first shutout of the season (and UMD's second team shutout) and the 12th clean sheet of her career.  The Bulldogs outshot the Nittany Lions 34-23 in the game, and was 1-of-6 on the power play while holding PSU scoreless in three attempts.  Josie Bothun had 30 saves for Penn State, who falls to 1-2-0 on the season.

UMD will make its 2022-23 debut at AMSOIL Arena next Friday night when the Bulldogs jump back into Western Collegiate Hockey Association action against Minnesota State University, Mankato.  The Friday-Saturday series will get underway at 6:00 p.m. Friday night before concluding with a 3:00 p.m. game start Saturday.

BULLDOG NOTES:  Gabbie Hughes and Mannon McMahon have now scored in all four of UMD's games so far this season ... Hughes has one goal and six assists for seven points, while McMahon has two goals and three assists for five points ... sophomore Jenna Lawry had a career-high two points (two assists in the outing) ... Hughes, along with Ashton Bell, lead the Bulldogs with seven points ... with 12 career shutouts, Emma Soderberg takes over sole possession of the No. 5 spot ... Soderberg also has moved into the seventh spot for all-time minutes player by a goaltender with 3, 223:56, as well as the sixth spot for career saves with 1337 ... UMD's 4-0 start to the season is the most wins a Bulldog squad has had since the 2007-08 season ... UMD was unbeaten (3-0-1) through its first four games to start the season in 2016-17 ... as a program, the Bulldogs are now 3-1 all-time against PSU and 13-3-1 against CHA opponents.