In a game that was as even as a top-10 showdown can be, the No. 4 University of Minnesota snuck by the No. 8 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team 3-1 at AMSOIL Arena in front of 1,287 fans.

Despite outshooting the Gophers 33-32 in the game, the Bulldogs were forced to play catch up in a skate they dictated for a vast majority of the time.

"I thought we played really well, I thought our third was a lot like our first period, and we got back to simple plays," said UMD head coach Maura Crowell. "Baskin's goal was everything we needed, good work, grinding down low, low to high, good shot, and we're back in it, and that's where that's where the game should have stayed for longer. That's what we need to learn is, you know, once you get into a game when you're in a top-10, top-5 matchup, whatever it is, it's going to get hard, and how do we then go ahead and get the next one."

The Bulldogs pushed the tempo early and often in the first period, shelling Minnesota with 14 shots on goal while holding it to just four shot attempts. But the aggressive UMD forecheck didn't convert to points on the board, and after 20 minutes of play, it was still 0-0.

A UMD penalty early in the second put the Gophers power play on the man advantage, and Abbey Murphy gave Minnesota a 1-0 lead at the 3:13 mark. That score would hold until the Bulldogs finally broke through at 9:13 of the third period. Sophomore forward Danielle Burgen found junior blueliner Hanna Baskin on the left point, and Baskin made the best of a Grace Sadura screen of Minnesota goaltender Skylar Vetter for the 1-1 equalizer. Just 1:45 later, however, the Gophers retook the lead, and despite again outshooting Minnesota 13-10 in the third fream, the Gophers added an empty-net goal with 15.5 left in the game.

Freshman netminder Ève Gascon had 29 saves for the Bulldogs, while Vetter made 32 for the Gophers. UMD outshot Minnesota in the first period and third period and overall in the game – the first game this season the Bulldogs have outshot an opponent and lost.

The Bulldogs (8-3-0, 6-3-0) and Gophers (8-2-0, 6-2-0) will hit the ice for game two tomorrow at AMSOIL The puck is scheduled to drop at 3:00 p.m.