The No. 6 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will bring its five-game unbeaten streak to AMSOIL Arena this weekend when it hosts Bemidji State University in the two sides first head-to-head action of the season. The Friday-Saturday series will get underway Friday night at 6:00 p.m., before wrapping up Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m.

Date:  January 13-14, 2023,  6:00 p.m. Friday, 3:00 p.m. Saturday

Site:   Arena (6,600), Duluth, Minn.

           UMD: 15-6-1 (9-6-1)
           Bemidji State: 4-17-1 (1-15-0)

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

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

THE SERIES: All-time, UMD is one-sided 84-22-4 against Bemidji State, who the Bulldogs will face for the first time this season this weekend. UMD went 4-0 against BSU last season, outscoring the Beavers 24-3 in those skates.

The Bulldogs will carry a five-game winning streak against BSU into the weekend that began back on Jan. 23, 2021. Since then, UMD has piled on 25 goals while allowing just three to the Beavers.

UMD and BSU last met on Jan. 14-15, 2022, at AMSOIL,a sweep for Bulldogs of 8-2 and 3-0.

In the first game, UMD used a four-goal second period to blow open what was until then 0-0 game. Naomi Rogge had two goals in the frame, while Anna Klein, and Katie Davis each added one.  The Bulldogs would score another four goals in the third period, with Klein and Davis each recording their seconds of the game and Elizabeth Giguere and Anneke Linser each adding another goal. In all,  six players posted two or more points, including three with three – Giguere (1g, 2a), Rogge (2g, 1a) and Klein (2g, 1a.  Emma Soderberg posted 18 saves in the win.

In game two, while hosting their first-ever Sophie's Squad game, the Bulldogs blanked the Beavers 3-0 behind three assists from Gabbie Hughes and a goal and assist from Klein.  Rogge got the scoring off late in the second period, and Klein added a power play goal with just over three minutes remaining regulation to keep the BSU at bay.  Soderberg was again stellar in the net, turning all away 28 saves she faced for her fourth shutout of the season.

UMD-BSU HISTORIC HIGHLIGHT:

On Feb. 29, 2020, BSU etched out a 2-1 win over the No. 9 UMD at AMSOIL Arena in the second game of the WCHA First Round in the second-longest game in NCAA history, as well as the longest WCHA game ever.  The contest, which began at 4:07 p.m. and lasted until 8:57 p.m. was in its entirety four hours and 50 minutes long (4:50) with an on ice time of 128:43 minutes. The game blew past UMD's previous length record of 4:24 (119:26 minutes) set back on March 21, 2010 in the NCAA title game. UMD went on to defeat the Beavers the following day, March 1, 2020, 4-1 to advance to the WCHA's Final Face-Off.

A QUICK LOOK AT THE BEAVERS: The Beavers currently rank at the bottom of the WCHA in goals per game (1.27), goals allowed per game (4.45), shots on goal (20.8) penalty kill (80.6) and second to last on power play (9.6).

Adriana Van De Leest leads BSU with seven points on seven assists while goaltender Hannah Hogenson has started 20 of 22 games with a 3.99 goals a game average. BSU is winless in its last four games.

LAST TIME OUT: UMD upended Wisconsin last weekend in Madison, Wisc. with a series sweep by scores of 3-1 and 1-0.

The Bulldogs fell behind Saturday at 8:42 of the first period, in what would be the only goal the Badgers would score for the rest of the series. UMD answered with a goal from Anneke Linser at 2:59 of the second period, and took a 2-1 lead on a backhand from Katie Davis. Gabbie Hughes iced game one for the Bulldogs with a goal at 18:35 of the third period. UW outshot UMD 45-31, but the Bulldogs got 44 saves from goaltender Emma Soderberg.

In game two Sunday, Linser scored the game's only goal at 7:47 of the third period, and Soderberg and the defense did the rest.  Soderberg stopped all 28 shots she faced, and UMD kept the Badgers scoreless in three power play attempts (and a total of five on the weekend).

NOTES FROM THE WISCONSIN SERIES: 

UMD is now 36-59-15 against the Badgers, and will end the regular season with three wins (3-1) against UW for the first time since the 2007-08 season

--It's the first-ever series sweep for the Bulldog program at La Bahn Arena in Madison, Wisc. The sweep – just the sixth-ever by UMD against Wisconsin and fourth-ever in Madison (Nov. 30-Dec.1, 2007, Nov. 2-3, 2001 and Oct. 8-9, 1999). The Bulldogs were 0-15-2 at La Bahn Arena entering last season, but since the 2021-22 season, UMD has flipped their luck at La Bahn, going 3-1 in its last four games there.

--After allowing a goal at 8:42 of the first period to the Badgers Saturday, the Bulldogs ran off 111:18 minute of scoreless hockey against the NCAA hightest-scoring squad.

--Anneke Linser led all scorers on the weekend with three points on three points (2g, 1a). The fifth-year senior has scored three goals and added three assists for six points over her last five games.

--With an assist Sunday, Gabbie Hughes inched closer to the 200 career mark, and now sits at 195 (77g, 118a) career points …

--Naomi Rogge played in her 151st game Sunday, making her just the fourth-ever Bulldog to have played in 150 or more games. Rogge is tied with Laura Fridfinnson with 151 games for the fourth most career games played.

JOBST-SMITH, SODERBERG LOCK DOWN WCHA PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS:

After offensively crippling the NCAA's highest scoring team, Emma Soderberg was named the WCHA's Goaltender of the Week, while Nina Jobst-Smith earned the WCHA's Defender of the Week for their efforts towards a Bulldog series sweep of then the No. 2 Wisconsin over the weekend by scores of 3-1 and 1-0.

Soderberg -- who earns her third weekly honor of the season -- was outstanding for the Bulldogs, backstopping UMD to a series sweep despite facing a league-most 73 shots and making a WCHA-best 72 saves in 119:54 of action. The Jarved, Sweden product allowed just one goal Saturday and posted a shutout against the nation's top scoring team, her fifth clean sheet of the season. With 44 saves Saturday, Soderberg fell just two stops short of tying her career best, and it was the fifth time Soderberg has posted 40 or more saves in a game over her career.

Jobst-Smith led a defensive core that held the nation's highest scoring team to a single goal over the weekend, all while leading the WCHA in blocked shots with six -- a three blocks a game average. Jobst-Smith had a primary assist on the game-sealing goal in Saturday's 3-1 win, and helped keep Wisconsin 0-of-5 on its power play in the series sweep. Jobst-Smith already has a career-best 14 points on three goals and 11 assists. After UMD allowed a goal at 8:42 of the first period to the Badgers Saturday, Jobst-Smith, Soderberg and the rest of the Bulldogs defensive core ran off 111:18 minute of scoreless hockey through the end of Sunday's skate. This marks the second time this season Jobst-Smith has earned the league's award for top defender.

 

RANK IT UP: UMD jumped two spots in Monday's USCHO.com poll, the teams biggest jump in two months and highest ranking since the end of October.

STONEWALL SODERBERG: Emma Soderberg's added more to her legacy last weekend, logging her fifth shutout of the season (which also puts her tie for fourth in the NCAA this year) to tie her for the fifth-most in a season by a UMD goaltender (Soderberg also had five shutouts in a season in 2021-22, and had six in 2020-21 - for the record, no goaltender in program history has had two, six shutout seasons.) The graduate student also logged her 16th career shutout, tying her for the third-most in Bulldog history with fellow Sweden Olympian and UMD All-American Kim Martin. With her 46th career win Sunday, Soderberg has now taken over sole possession of the sixth spot all-time for UMD netminders.

COUNTDOWN TO 200: Senior graduate center Gabbie Hughes is now just seven points shy of the 200 career points mark. With 77 goals and 118 assists in 148 games, Hughes is sitting at 195 points -- only six players in program history have ever reached the 200 point mark, the last, Hailey Irwin in 2011-12. In all, eight players before Hughes have played at UMD with 200 or more points -- just last season, Hughes was on a line with Elizabeth Giguere, who ranks as the third-highest scoring player in NCAA history, who left the Bulldog program with 294 points (121g, 172a).

Hughes march towards 200 -- a milestone among milestones for the often-awarded center -- she is also stalking a WCHA list that only includes 22 players before her to have recorded 200 points. With 118 career assists, Hughes already ranks 20th in the WCHA for all-time assists, just two helpers away from the 17th spot -- also held by former Bulldog great Hanne Sikio (120).

Hughes is also now six assists shy of cracking into the NCAA's career top-25 assist record book, a list that begins at 124 career assists. Three other Bulldogs are in that heralded club -- Jenny Potter (148), Caroline Ouellette (137) and Haley Irwin (127).

 

GAMES GALORE: A plethora of Bulldogs have now ascended on to the top-10 list for all-time games played in program history. Naomi Rogge played in her 151st game Sunday, making her just the fourth-ever Bulldog to have played in 150 or more games. Rogge is tied with Laura Fridfinnson with 151 games for the fourth most career games played. Gabbie Hughes and Anneke Linser are now in a three-way tie with Kacy Ambroz for the sixth most games ever played (148), while Ashton Bell is at 147 in 10th (Bell also now has the second most consecutive games played in program history). Taylor Anderson is sitting just outside the top-10 with 146 career games.

For more than a decade, a trio of former Bulldog players who all graduated in the same year (and played all four seasons together), were together in the top-10 for career games played -- Jamie Rasmussen (157), Sarah Murray (153) and Emmanuelle Blias (145) from 2006-2010.

In all, UMD has nine players that have played over 116 or more career games. 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.

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.

Bell stormed into the top-10 list of all-time scoring defenseman in December, and now sits ninth all-time with 66 points (23g, 43a) in just 76 games from the blueline. Bell already ranks third among defensemen in goals scored with 23, and right now has the ninth most in a single-season with nine. (Bell already has the third most goals by a defenseman in a single season -- 11 -- compiled over the 2019-20 season.)

Flaherty has 63 career points (14g, 49a) over 136, good enough for the 11th most points by a defenseman in program history.  With 49 career assists, Flaherty is in a tie a tie for the seventh most at UMD.

With 16 goals between them, they have already scored the most goals by a pair of defensemen in a season since Krista McArthur scored 15, and both Larissa Luther and Navada Russell netted five apiece. Pick either bluliner to pair with McArhtur, and the last time a defensive duo scored 16 or more points was the 2002-03 season at 20.

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 147 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 ranks ninth in all-time goals with 77 , she also ranks fifth all-time in assists with 118.

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 third among all current NCAA players with 195 career points, third in points per game (1.32 ppg), third in assists (118), fifth in game-winning goals (17), fifth in assists per game (0.80), and seventh in goals (77). Among all WCHA players, Hughes ranks second in points (three point from a tie from first), first in points per game and game-winning goals, and second in assists.

HONOR THY DEFENSE: Emma Soderberg and Nina Jobst-Smith earned weekly awards this week and Ashton Bell picked up her second WCHA Defender of the Month award last week -- the fourth total monthly award won by a UMD player in just four months, and all won by Bell (2) or a goaltender (2). Of the 10 WCHA Player of the Week awards earned by the Bulldogs, six times they have gone to defenseman and three times to a goaltender.

ALL THE ALL-AMERICANS: For the first time in program history, the Bulldogs are returning three All-Americans to their roster.  An impressive feat, especially considering UMD has had a total of 26 All-Americans -- including 15 First Team selections.

Those returners are 2021-22 CCM/AHCA First Team All-American Gabbie Hughes, 2020-21 CCM/AHCA Second Team All-American, as well as a USCHO First Team All-American (and Olympic gold medalist) Ashton Bell and (olympian) Emma Soderberg, who was both a USCHO Second Team All-American and a 2020-21 CCM/AHCA Women's University Division Ice Hockey All-American.

2022-23 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:

12/15-19/22 - Ashton Bell joined former Bulldog All-Americans Elizabeth Giguère and Jocelyne Larocque in the December rivalry series for Canada, who faced the U.S. and former UMD goaltender and goaltender coach Maddie Rooney.  Former Bulldog great and All-American and four-time Olympic gold medalist Caroline Ouellette was also an assistant coach for Team Canada.

12/10/22 vs UST -- UMD's Hockey Hits Back double-header with Sophie's Squad -- the organization that Gabbie Hughes helped create, earns more than $9,000 in one day.

11/10/22 vs Harvard -- Gabbie Hughes scores career goal No. 75, tying her for the ninth most in UMD history.

11/18/22 vs Harvard -- Ashton Bell becomes just the third defenseman and 24th overall player in program history to record 100 career points on a late in game assist.

The trio of Bell, Rogge and Hughes is the first 100 point members to skate together in a season since Jessica Wong (also a forward to defense convert), Pernilla Winberg and Katie Wilson did it in 2012-13 – a decade ago.

11/12/22 at SCSU -- Naomi Rogge scores a goal to become the 23rd member of the 100 career point club.

9/24/22 -- Ashton Bell makes her triumphant return from the Canadian Olympic Team to the Bulldogs. The fifth-year senior became the first UMD player since Maddie Rooney did it with the U.S. in 2018 to win a gold medal and resume college eligibilty.

Bell is joined Rooney, Hailey Irwin (Canada, 2010), Caroline Ouellette (Canada, 2002) and Jenny Potter (U.S., 1998) as the fifth UMD player to win gold and either return to a college roster (Bell, Rooney, Irwin) or take the medal into a college career (Ouellette, Potter).