It's been just two weeks since the No. 7 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team hosted No. 12 St. Cloud State University at AMSOIL Arena, but the Bulldogs will do it again this weekend when they take on the Huskies in the First Round of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association postseason. It will mark the third time the two programs have clashed in the opening round of the league playoffs -- UMD is 4-1 in those previous five skates.

Date: February 25-26, 2023,  3:00 p.m. Friday, 5:00 p.m. Saturday,  3:00 p.m. Sunday if necessary 

Site:  AMSOIL Arena (6,726) Duluth, Minn.

          UMD: 23-8-3 (17-8-3 - WCHA Finish, Fourth)
          BSU: 5-26-1  (2-24-0 - WCHA Finish, Fifth)

Video: https://www.bigtenplus.com

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

UMD IN THE WCHA POSTSEASON: 

UMD is 45-25 in all WCHA postseason games and a dominant 32-10 in WCHA quarterfinal skates.

WCHA Quarterfinal games -- 32-10

WCHA Semifinal games -- 8-10

WCHA Third Place games -- 2-0

WCHA Championship games -- 5-3

In all, UMD owns five WCHA playoff crowns (2010, 2008, 2003, 2001, 2000).

Since the WCHA went to a quarterfinal game (2005) or series (since 2006), UMD has advanced 15-out-of-17 times.  From the 2005-06 season until present, the Bulldogs have hosted 14 of a possible 16 first round playoff series.  (The 2005 quarterfinal game was held in Minneapolis, Minn., a neutral site, and there was no WCHA first round playoffs held during the COVID season of 2020-21.)

THE BULLDOG -- HUSKIES PLAYOFF HISTORY:  UMD and St. Cloud have met twice in the first round of the WCHA playoffs, and most recently on Feb. 23-24, 2017 at AMSOIL Arena, Bulldog sweep by scores of 5-0 and 6-2.  All-time, UMD is 5-1 in the WCHA playoffs against SCSU, having also played the Huskies on March 8, 2008 at the DECC in a WCHA Final Face-Off semifinal 9-0 blowout. 

In their last first round playoff series that took place the season before Ashton Bell and Naomi Rogge arrived on campus, the then second-ranked Bulldogs earned their ninth and final series sweep of the season after defeating St. Cloud State 5-0 and 6-2 last Thursday and Friday in the quarterfinals of the WCHA playoffs.

Thursday, Lara Stalder (2g, 1a) and Ashleigh Brykaliuk (3a) led UMD with three points, while Demi Crossman had two goals for the Bulldogs.  In all, six players had two or more points for UMD, with a total of eight players inking the scoresheet.  Goaltender Maddie Rooney made 21 saves to pick up her sixth shutout of the season and the eighth of her career.  

After the Bulldogs were outshot in the first period Friday, UMD shelled the Huskies 21-3, resulting in three goals and a 4-1 advantage after 40 minutes.  Stalder again led the way with three points (1g, 2a), while three other players registered two points -- Katerina Mrázová (1g, 1a), Ashleigh Brykaliuk (1g, 1a), and Catherine Daoust (2a), and 13 players notched a point in the win

UMD-ST. CLOUD STATE POSTSEASON HIGHLIGHT: The two sides have met just once in the second round of the WCHA postseason, a semifinal match-up that came on March 8, 2008 at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center  held WCHA Tournament. The Bulldogs routed the Huskies in what still stands as the most goals scored by a UMD squad in all postseason action 9-0. The Bulldogs had nine players post two or more points and five post three. Haley Irwin (2g, 1a) and Elin Holmov (2g) each had two tallies for UMD, while goaltender Kim Martin and Johanna Ellison combined for teams 10th shutout of the season. (The Bulldogs would go on to add an 11th shutout in the NCAA title game against Wisconsin two weeks later.)

A BULLDOG AND HUSKIES SERIES BREAKDOWN: The Bulldogs are unbeaten in their last 16 games with SCSU and 10-0-2 against the Huskies in their last 12 skates. UMD finished up the regular season 3-0-1-1 against the Huskies.

UMD outscored SCSU 10-2 in four games this season, but outshot the Huskies 126-69. The Bulldogs posted a 3-of-12 power play success over SCSU in the regular season while holding them scoreless in seven attempts.

Defenseman Maggie Flaherty led all UMD players with four points against the Huskies, which included two goals and two assists. Three players posted three points -- Ashton Bell (2g, 1a), Gabbie Hughes (1g, 2a) and Clara Van Wieren (1g, 2a).

In their last head-to-head series two weeks ago (Feb. 10-11), in game one, UMD outshot the Huskies 44-21, but had to settle for a 1-1 tie after 65 minutes of action. Gabbie Hughes scored UMD's lone goal, a power play tally at 16:26 of the second period to push the Bulldogs into a 1-0 lead, but the Huskies broke through themselves late in the third period to tie the game at 16:48.

After the game went into the book officially as a tie, Flaherty scored in the WCHA shootout and Emma Soderberg blanked all three shooters she faced for the extra league point.

Saturday afternoon, game two, UMD took the lead at 15:52 of the second frame and never relquinshed it. Bell scored the 21st power play goal of her career on a secondary assist from Hughes, her 207th career point for a 1-0 lead. Then, late in the third period, Taylor Anderson ice the game with an empty-net goal on a pass from Bell at 17:54 for the 2-0 final.

Soderberg earned her then ninth shutout of the season on 15 saves on 15 shots. 

A QUICK LOOK AT THE HUSKIES: SCSU set a new program record for conference points earned in a season (36) in addition to matching their single-season record for wins (18) this past year, and finished fifth in the WCHA - their best regular-season finish since earning the same spot in 2015-16. The Huskies are led by Jenniina Nylund, who has 14 goals and 14 assists to lead the Huskies in points with 28, and have four players who have notched 20 or more points this season. Jojo Chobak and Sanni Ahola have split time in goal all season -- Chobak is 9-6-1-5 with a 2.46 GAA, while Ahola is 9-10-0-1 with a GAA of 2.47.

LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs put the wraps on the regular season last weekend with a series sweep against Bemidji State University in Bemidji, Minn. by scores of 6-0 and 5-1. 

Naomi Rogge had the lone first period goal Friday afternoon before UMD's offense scored five unanswered goals in the second period, including three power play goals in less than five minutes to run out the frame.Rogge (1g, 2a) and Gabbie Hughes (3a) led all scorers with three points on, while sophomore Mary Kate O'Brien had two goals. Three other players notched two points -- Ashton Bell (1g, 1a), Maggie Flaherty (2a) and Mannon McMahon (2a). Emma Soderberg earned the 21st shutout of her career and 10th of the season with 12 saves.

On Saturday, UMD found itself trailing quickly in the opening period -- 37 seconds in to be exact. But the Bulldogs got a first period goal from McMahon to tie it before again blowing up the scoreboard in the second period with two goals from Taylor Anderson that bookended a goal by Hughes. Freshman defenseman Tova Henderson added the first goal of her collegiate career at 16:48 of the third, and the Bulldogs defeated the Beavers 5-1 behind five unanswered goals.

NOTES FROM THE BEMIDJI STATE SERIES: UMD moved to 88-22-4 all-time against the Beavers after sweeping them in all four games this season. After posting a 4-0 record against BSU, UMD has beaten the Beavers in its last nine head-to-head contests. The Bulldogs outscored the Beavers 24-2 overall while having outshot them 134-56. Of any team UMD has played in its program history, the Bulldogs have the most wins (88) against the Beavers.

--The series sweep was the ninth by the Bulldogs this season, who currently are unbeaten in their last with a record of 4-0-1.

NO GOAL GALS: The Bulldogs rank first in the NCAA with 12 shutouts, tying a program record set over the 2010-11 and sit third in the nation with a 1.36 goals against average (both double as the best in the WCHA). That goals against average, if it stands at the end of the season, would be the lowest in program history, topping the 1.48 mark set in 2007-08, which is also the 18th lowest GAA in league history. UMD's current mark of 1.36 would  check in as the 15th lowest in the WCHA's tenure.

SODERBERG GLOVES SHUTOUT RECORD: Part of UMD's shutdown defense has been because of its newly crowned career shutout record holder, graduate senior Emma Soderberg. Soderberg posted her 21st career shutout last Friday against Bemidji State, and has turned in 10 so far this season, which doubles as a tie with Kayla Black (2014-15) as the most in a single season in program history.

HUGHES HUNTING MORE HISTORY: Gabbie Hughes, who has put up the most career points by a Bulldog since Hanne Sikio recorded 220 between 1999-2003, ranks fifth place on the all-time scoring chart with 213 career points in 160 games, and  owns the third most career assists in program history with 133, sitting  just five helpers from the No. 2 spot held by Caroline Ouellette. With 45 points so far this season, Hughes, who had 59 a year ago, is looking to become the first Bulldog player to turn in back-to-back 50 point seasons since Ouellette did it in 2004-05 (80 points and 2003-04 (76 points). Currently, Hughes is the first player since Ashleigh Brykaliuk posted back-to-back 45 points-plus seasons in 2015-16 (47 points) and 2016-17 (45 points).

CROWELL HITS 150 WINS AT UMD: Head coach Maura Crowell pocketed her 150 win at UMD last Saturday against Bemidj State, just the eighth WCHA coach in the league to reach the mark.

RINGING THAT SCORING BELL: Fifth-year and Olympic gold medalist Ashton Bell is chasing a number of defenseman scoring marks, including the most goals in a career. Bell currently sits second all-time at UMD with 26 goals in 88 games from the blueline, trailing all-time UMD scoring defenseman (and fellow forward to defense convert) Jessica Wong, who recorded 29 goals in 83 games from the backline. With 12 goals so far this season, Bell has a career-high and the third most in a single season.

SPECIAL TEAM SPECIALISTS: UMD currently ranks third in the NCAA and third in the WCHA with a powe play percentage of 34.8. The Bulldogs also rank first in the WCHA and ninth in the nation in penalty kill percentage, which sits at 88.2.

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 six this season -- the sixth most in the NCAA.

The senior blueliner has 22 over her 159 games career so far -- the most by a Bulldog player since Laura Fridfinnson posted 22 over 151 games from 2007-11. The last player to score more than 22 power play goals in a career? Noemie Marin and Jessica Koizumi, who posted 28 (Koizumi) and Marin (35) between 2003-2007. In fact, while Marin holds the UMD career power play record, including Bell, just nine players in program history have recorded 22 or more power plays over their careers -- Marin, Hanne Sikio (32), Emmanuelle Blais (30), Koizumi, Jenny Potter (27), Erika Holst (25), Caroline Ouellette (25), and Fridfinnson and Bell (22).

GAMES GALORE - ROGGE NEARS RECORD: Just one season after fifth-year senior Anna Klein shattered UMD's all-time games played record, current graduate senior Naomi Rogge is about to rewrite it again. Rogge is currently sitting at 163 games entering the weekend -- just two shy of tying Klein and three away from resetting it at 166.

A plethora of other Bulldogs have now ascended on to the top-10 list for all-time games played in program history. While Rogge has played in the second most games in program history, Gabbie Hughes and Anneke Linser are tied for the third most games ever played (160), while Ashton Bell is at 159 in fifth (Bell also now has the second most consecutive games played in program history, behind Klein's 166). Taylor Anderson, with 156 games, is seventh all-time in games played, while Kylie Hanley sits in 9th with 153, and Maggie Flaherty is in 11th with 148.

In all, UMD has nine players that have played over 124 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.

RANK AND FILE: While the Bulldogs are now ranked seventh in both national polls and the PairWise, a number of players own top-10 spots nationally.

Emma Soderberg owns the NCAA's most shutouts at 10, as well as the fourth-lowest GAA (1.41) Soderberg sits at the top of the WCHA in saves percentage (.935), GAA and shutouts.

Gabbie Hughes assists per game average of 1.03 ranks third in the NCAA in first in the WCHA, while she ranks ninth in the NCAA and third in the league with 405 face-off wins.  

Anneke Linser has the seventh most game-winning goals in the NCAA and second most in the WCHA with five, Ashton Bell ranks fourth in the WCHA and sixth in the NCAA with six power play tallies.

As a team, UMD ranks first in the nation in shutouts (12), and third in power play percentage (26.5), scoring defense (1.38), teams goals against (1.361), and fifth in power play goals (26).

CAREER SEASONS ALL AROUND: 10 players are in the midst of career-offensive outputs, including four fifth-year players, including forward Taylor Anderson (12-10=22), defenseman Ashton Bell (12-21=33), forward Anneke Linser (17g, 13a=30), who also leads the Bulldogs in goals, defenseman Maggie Flaherty (8-16=24) and goaltender Emma Soderberg (wins 18, GAA, 1.42, saves percentage, .935, shutouts 10). Senior forward Mannon MacMahon (11-18=29), and junior blueliner Nina Jobst-Smith (4-20=24) are blown through their old marks, while junior forward Katie Davis (4-2=6,) sophomore forward Gabbie  Krause (7-6=13), defenseman Hanna Baskin (1-9=10), and sophomore forward Mary Kate O'Brien (3-2=5) have all made big offensive contributions this season.

MAKING A CAREER OF IT: Gabbie Hughes ranks in the top-five among all active NCAA players in points at third  (213), fourth in points per game (and first in the WCHA 1.33), third in assists (132) sixth in assists per game (0.83), and fifth in game-winning goals (17).  

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 and Flaherty both rank in the top-10 for UMD defenseman over a career, with Flaherty at eighth with 75 points (15g, 60a) and Bell fourth with 79 points (26g, 53a) as a blueliner. 

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

WINNING WAYS: With 23 wins, the Bulldogs have tied their third-most wins of the Maura Crowell era and second-straight 20-plus win season. (UMD posted 27 last season and 25 in 2016-17.)

UMD's 20th win is the 17th time in program history a Bulldog squad has pocketed 20 or more triumphs.

ALL THE (EXTRA) TIME: The Bulldogs five overtime wins has put them in a tie for the second most in a single season in NCAA history. UMD has 10 overtime games -- one short of the program record of 11 set in 2019-20.