The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will continue its longest home stand so far of the season this weekend when it welcomes Bemidji State University to AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, Minn. for a Western Collegiate Hockey Association series. The Friday-Saturday series gets underway Friday afternoon at 3:00 p.m., followed by game two Saturday, which is scheduled to drop the puck at 1:00 p.m.
TOSS 'EM: UMD will host its annual Teddy Bear Toss game on Saturday at AMSOIL. Fans will be able to throw a stuffed animal of any shape and size out on the ice after the first intermission. All toys will be collected on ice and brough to the Salvation Army for distribution throughout the community.
STAYING PUT: The Bulldogs will play their second-straight home series for the first time this season when they host the Beavers at AMSOIL.
UMD has played half the games at home (four) that it has on the road (eight) to this point so far in the season.
CHASING THE CENTURY MARK: Both graduate forwards Clara Van Wieren and Oliva Wallin are chasing the 100 career point plateau. Wallin, who skated for three seasons with Penn State, is sitting at 96 career points currently (46g, 50a in 133 games), while Van Wieren is also at 96 (43, 53a in 147 games).
The pair are chasing Olivia Mobley, who currently has 118 career points (47g, 71a in 144 games).
UMD's last trio of 100 career point players? Ashton Bell, Naomi Rogge and Gabbie Hughes in 2022-23. The season before that (2021-22), Hughes joined Elizabeth Giguere and Anna Klein, another trio of Bulldogs in the club.. In all, UMD has had three or more players on a team with 100 or more points nine times prior to start of this season.
UMD has had 25 players wear the sweater that have had 100 or more points over their career, including 24 that reached that mark or more only in a Bulldog sweater.
ONES TO WATCH: UMD has a few other players currently stalking the record books or ready to imprint in them.
Clara Van Wieren and Nina Jobst-Smith have long already made their mark, having now skate in the fourth most consecutive games in program history (147). The iron duo are also now just six games away from the 10th spot for games played all-time -- 153 -- currently owned by their former teammate Maggie Flaherty and Sarah Murray.
Jobst-Smith, who has 42 career assists as a defenseman, is now just six shy of entering UMD's career list for helpers by a blueliner.
Eve Gascon is also inching closer to a top-10 list -- the sophomore goaltender needs a single win to enter into a tie for the top-10 career wins among Bulldog goaltenders, and two triumphs to take sole possession of ninth place. Two former netminders each have 16 career wins in a tie for ninth -- Amanda Tapp and Gascon's former teammate, Hailey MacLeod.
THE SERIES: UMD has a 13-game winning streak against the Beavers that dates back to Jan. 23, 2021, which includes eight shutouts, entering the weekend. All-time, the Bulldog program is an impressive 92-22-1against BSU.
In fact, UMD's fifth-year seniors have lost just once against BSU in 14 career meetings all-time -- on Jan. 22, 2021 (1-0 loss in Bemidji). The next day they started the now 13-game winning streak.
The Bulldogs outscored BSU 17-1 for the highest goal differential against any team all last season, and UMD is 19-7-1 at home over the past decade. Over that same decade, the Bulldogs are averaging 3.00 a game against BSU and have outscored them 152-78.
In four games last season, the Beavers scored just one goal, and in fact have scored just three in their last eight games. The Bulldogs also put up five or more goals in eight of the 13 consecutive wins against BSU.
Notably, this weekend returns former assistant coach Emma Sobieck to AMSOIL Arena. The Beavers assistant spent last season as an assistant coach at UMD.
UMD's top returning scorers against BSU --
Clara Van Wieren GP=14 G=6 A=9 P=15
Nina Jobst-Smith GP=14 G=2 A=8 P=10
Hanna Baskin GP=11 G=1 A=6 P=7
Jenna Lawry GP=11 G=2 A=4 P=6
Mary Kate O'Brien GP=10 G=2 A=3 P=5
Last 10 vs Bemidji State 10-0-0
Jan. 13, 2024 7-0 Win Home
Jan. 12, 2024 2-0 Win Home
Oct. 29, 2023 6-0 Win Away
Oct. 28, 2023 2-1 Win Away
Feb. 18, 2023 5-1 Win Away
Feb.17, 2023 6-0 Win Away
Jan. 14, 2023 5-0 Win Home
Jan. 13, 2023 8-1 Win Home
Jan. 15, 2022 3-0 Win Home
Jan. 14, 2022 8-2 Win Home
Last season, he Bulldogs swept Bemidji State in their first action at AMSOIL of 2024 by scores of 2-0 and 7-0.
Freshman Grace Sadura scored late in the first period and Hanna Baskin netted the empty netter late in the third to secure UMD's 2-0 win over the Beavers Friday night. The shutout was the third of the season for sophomore goaltender Hailey MacLeod, who made 21 saves.
On Saturday, Reece Hunt scored a natural hat trick, with two goals in the first and one in the second period that helped lead the Bulldogs to an offensive explosion over the Beavers in the 7-0 games. Rookie netminder Ève Gascon made 18 saves.
LAST TIME OUT: The No. 3 University of Minnesota swept the Bulldogs at home last weekend by scores for 4-1 and 3-2.
In game one, The Gophers defeated the Bulldogs 4-1 after scoring a empty net goal with five seconds left in the final frame and holding off a late and consistent push from the feisty UMD.
Eve Gascon was indeed impressive and impressive early, and turned away 21 shots in the opening period alone. The Gophers took the game's first lead off a power play goal by Sydney Morrow at the 16:18 mark, but the Bulldogs responded just 1:25 later.
Hanna Baskin walked into the top of the slot and ripped it past Gopher netminder Hannah Clark to pull UMD even at 17:43.
That score would hold until midway through the second period when Abbey Murphy struck to put Minnesota back on top 2-1. The Gophers extended that lead at 18:42 on a shorthanded tally from Ella Huber – a deficit the Bulldogs would never recover from.
Gascon tied her UMD career save mark with 48 stops against 52 Minnesota shots (one was an empty net goal), The Gophers (9-3-1, 5-3-1) had 27 saves from Hannah Clark, who faced 28 shots.
Saturday, despite a late, hard charging effort, the Gophers were able to hold off the Bulldogs 3-2. UMD opened the scoring on the first career goal of Kamdyn Davis just 3:54 into the first period, a blast from the left circle to make it a 1-0 game. But the Gophers responded at 8:27 and then again on the power play at 18:37 to take over a 2-1 lead.
After a scoreless second period which included nine minutes on the penalty kill for the Bulldogs, Minnesota struck for their third goal at 11:41 of the third. The Bulldogs pulled within a single goal, however, on a power play goal from Nina Jobst-Smith with just 3:21 left in regulation.
UMD threw all the offensive pressure they could in the final minutes of the period, and outshot the Gophers 18-12 in the frame. But the Bulldogs couldn't crack Minnesota goaltender Hannah Clark for a third time.
Gascon had 35 saves for UMD for a total of 83 on the weekend, while UMD was 1-of-3 on its power play, while the Gophers went 1-of-4 on 9:06 with an extra skater and outshot the Bulldogs overall 38-33.
NOTES ON THE MINNESOTA SERIES: UMD is now 32-74-11 all-time against the Gophers and just 3-16-3 at AMSOIL over that span.
UMD has been outscored 36-17 since knocking out the Gophers from the NCAA Regional Final on March 12, 2022 in Ridder Arena.
--Eve Gascon tallied 48 saves in the Bulldogs loss to Minnesota last Friday ... the 48 saves marked the second most by any WCHA goaltender this season. It tied Gascon for her collegiate career high, set just last season against Wisconsin on Dec. 2, 2023.
--Clara Van Wieren's assist last Friday night now gives her a team-high nine points against the Gophers over her career (1g, 8a).
