Suffering its first setback to the University of St. Thomas in program history, the No. 4 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team fell 4-3 in overtime at St. Thomas Ice Arena in Mendota Heights, Minn.

The Bulldogs pummelled the Tommies 43-23 on net, but it was UST that found the back of it in the hugely important Western Collegiate Hockey Association series that saw UMD swept for the fourth time this year.

Like Thursday night, UST struck in the first period to take the game's first lead early – just 4:31 in action. The Tommies extended that lead on their power play 7:10 into the second frame to move ahead of the Bulldogs 2-0. 

But UMD responded with three unanswered goals over four minutes, a string that began at 12:09 on Mary Kate O'Brien's slice through the slot and puck off the post. 1:51 later, Clara Van Wieren scored the 50th goal of her Bulldog career, ripping a shot past Dani Strom on a 2-on-1 with Danielle Burgen to draw even at 2-2.

 

Burgen scored a goal of her own – on the power play – 2:36 after Van Wieren's tally to give UMD its first lead of the day. The junior forward backhanded a puck that Jenna Lawry had popped off a UST defenseman and through to Burgen on the top of the crease for her fifth goal of the season, and more importantly, 3-2 UMD advantage to round out the first 40 minutes.

But UST again tied the game at 8:30 of the third period, and after a winner couldn't be declared in regulation, the game went to overtime. The then Tommies netted the game-winner 3:05 into overtime to sweep the Bulldogs for the first time in program history.

Eve Gascon had 19 saves for UMD, while UST goaltender Dani Strom made 40. The Bulldogs went 1-of-4 on the power play, while the Tommies, who improve to (7-17-2, 4-15-1), went 1-of-3.

The schedule gets no easier for UMD (15-9-2, 10-8-2), who returns to AMSOIL Arena next weekend to host the No. 1 University of Wisconsin. The Friday-Saturday series gets underway at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.

BULLDOG NOTES: Clara Van Wieren became the 16th UMD player who has spent their entire career with the Bulldogs to score her 50th career goal Friday … she joins Olivia Wallin and Olivia Mobley, who both surpassed the mark earlier this season … the three players become the first trio of 50 career goal scorers on a UMD side since the 2021- 22 season … in 2021-22, Gabbie Hughes had 71 career goals at that point of her career, Anna Klein had 60, and Eliza- beth Giguere had whopping 121 (22 of which came that season) … two players had multiple points Friday … Mary Kate O'Brien and Danielle Burgen each had a goal and an assist in the skate … UMD, who suffered its first loss to a non-ranked team this season,  was swept by a non-ranked team for the first time since Oct. 18-19, 2019, by Bemidji State University in Bemidji, Minn. … UMD is now 0-1-1 in overtime games this season … the Bulldogs are now 13-2-1 all-time against the Tommies.