The No. 7/8 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team scored early and often Saturday to secure a 6-0 series sweep over Bemidji State University at the Sanford Center in Bemidji, Minn.

While the win bolsters the Bulldogs record to 6-2 overall and 4-2 in Western Collegiate Hockey Association action, it also gives UMD its 400th program win in league play. The Bulldogs program becomes just the third WCHA member to reach 400 wins and does so the third-fastest in league history.

"Road sweeps, just like last weekend, it's really hard to do in this league," said UMD head coach Maura Crowell. "We saw a very motivated Bemidji team throughout the weekend, especially last night, and the way we overcame that and found a way to win was huge for our locker room. And then today, just opening it up and playing with more confidence right from the drop of the puck was great today."

The Bulldogs offense unloaded late in the opening frame, ignited by a power play chance that ended in Clara Van Wieren's first goal of the day. A patient Nina Jobst-Smith found Van Wieren in the slot at 15:14, and UMD took its first and what would be the final lead of the game. Just over a minute later, senior forward Olivia Wallin picked up her own rebound, skated it around the net and banked it off a BSU skater to push the Bulldogs up 2-0, and two and a half minutes later, UMD took a 3-0 lead on a goal from graduate forward Mannon McMahon. McMahon took a pass from Gabby Krause to finish off the break for her fifth goal of the season.
 

McMahon ?? Van Wieren, 5-0 Dogs! pic.twitter.com/l2mWkZTp8P

— UMD Women's Hockey (@UMDWHockey) October 28, 2023

The Bulldogs began to double that lead in the second period when junior Jenna Lawry scored her second goal of the season at 7:21, a wrist shot from the top of the slot that beat Beaver goaltender Abbie Thompson. Van Wieren followed 3:30 later with her second goal of the day and third of the series, a give-and-go symphony between the senior forward and McMahon that started just inside the red line to extend the Bulldog advantage to 5-0.

Danielle Brunette rounded out UMD's scoring at the 12:02 mark of the second frame, finishing off a feed from Payton Holloway for the Bulldogs sixth goal of the game. Brunette's first goal of the season and her career also earned first career points to two Bulldog newcomers – forwards Holloway and Grace Sadura – who each had an assist on the score.
 

And Brunette makes it a 6-0 lead for UMD!! pic.twitter.com/F17o04nn3m

— UMD Women's Hockey (@UMDWHockey) October 28, 2023

In all, 13 UMD players recorded a point, with McMahon pacing all scorers with three points (1g, 2a), and Van Wieren adding two behind two goals for a total of three in the series.

In net, freshman goaltender Ève Gascon picked up her second shutout in five games started so far this season behind 21 saves for the Bulldogs, who outshot BSU 36-21 in the skate. Two goaltenders were between the pipes for the Beavers – Thompson had 16 saves and six goals against in 32:02 of duty, while Eva Filippova had 14 stops for BSU, who fell to 0-9-1, and 0-6-0 in WCHA play.

UMD -- currently on a four-game winning streak -- will return to AMSOIL Arena next weekend for a Friday-Saturday WCHA series with the University of St. Thomas that gets underway Friday night at 6:00 p.m.