Gabbie Hughes didn't need two assists Friday night to secure her place in University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team folklore, but the graduate student did it anyway.
With two historic assists from Hughes and two goals from Anneke Linser, the No. 6 Bulldogs shutout St. Thomas University 3-0 at the St. Thomas Ice Arena to move to 18-6-1 and 12-6-1 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
UMD's WCHA-best defense did its part, holding the Tommies to just 12 shots despite five UST power plays, and have now allowed just one goal in their last four skates (with three of the four shutouts). But for one night, UMD's often understated defense took a backseat to one of college hockey's most offensive players, and Hughes delivered the 200th and 201st points of her career to secure an already very solid legacy.
"It's an absolute honor to join those Bulldogs or even anyone in the NCAA that has reached that point, to be along with some of those names, absolute legends for women's hockey, just to be up in that category is unbelievable," said Hughes after her historic night. "There is no other feeling than just saying, I'm honored, and it's unbelievable to see where I've been from freshman year to now fifth year."
The lone goal of the first 40 minutes was the one for the Bulldog history annuals, and it came midway through the first period. Hughes tracked down a puck wrapped along the boards behind the net, and the center redirected it between her legs to Anneke Linser, who scooped and skated around UST goaltender Saskia Maurer for the 1-0 lead at 10:24. Linser's tally landed her high school linemate from Centennial HIgh School into the UMD record books, and it gave Hughes 122 career assists to go with her 200th career point.
The Bulldogs doubled that lead early in the third period on a power play goal from Naomi Rogge at the 1:50 mark. Rogge tracked down a rebound from a Hughes wrist shot and fired it past Maurer from the low slot for her fifth goal of the season.
UMD pushed the game out of reach for the Tommies late in the final frame, with Linser finishing off a cross-ice pass for her second goal of the night and seventh in her last five games at 18:29. Linser has back-to-back games with two goals for the Bulldogs, who are now unbeaten in their last eight games with a record of 7-0-1 over that span.
Graduate student goaltender Emma Soderberg recorded her second-straight shutout, and earned her 18th career shutout behind 12 UST stops. Soderberg is now just two career shutouts from tying the program career record, and after recording her seventh clean sheet of the season Friday night, the Jarved, Sweden native also has tied Riitta Schaublin for the second most shutouts in a single season. As a team, UMD outshot the Tommies 30-12, while goaltender Maurer had 27 saves for UST, which fell to 7-17-1 overall and 2-16-1 in WCHA play.
The Bulldogs will wrap up their regular season against the Tommies Sunday with a 2:00 p.m. puck drop at St. Thomas Ice Arena.
BULLDOG NOTES: Gabbie Hughes becomes the seventh member of UMD's 200 point club, and the first since Haley Irwin reached the mark on Feb. 18, 2012 … Hughes is now just three points away from joining UMD great Erika Holst in the sixth-spot in career points, and five points away from Irwin, who resides fifth all-time with 206 … just 23 players, now including Hughes, have hit 200 points in the WCHA's 23-year history … Anneke Linser has now scored seven goals over her last five games, and 10 points total over that span for a 2.00 ppg average … Linser has been a big part of UMD's eight-game unbeaten streak, scoring goals in six of those eight games and logging points in seven of the eight … Emma Soderberg picked up her 18th career shutout Friday night to take over sole possession of the second-spot all-time … Soderberg is stalking Kayla Black, who had 20 shutouts over her career to set a UMD record … Sodberg has also now posted seven shutouts this season – the third most ever in a single season in program history and just three away from the single season record, also held by Black … as a team, UMD now has nine shutouts – just three shy of the team single-season record of 12 set over the 2010-11 season.
