For a 15th time in University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey program history, the No. 6 Bulldogs will own Western Collegiate Hockey Association postseason first round ice after they clinched at least fourth place with a 8-2 win over Minnesota State University, Mankato Friday afternoon at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, Minn.

 

Led by an impactful power play, Clara Van Wieren's hat trick and five-point day (3g, 2a) and Olivia Wallin's six points (2g, 4a), the Bulldogs scored three goals in the first two periods to bury the Mavericks.

 

"I thought it was definitely like the puck went in for us tonight and Eve did a good job in keeping the pucks out for us, and you know, I thought our power play really did a fantastic job tonight to be able to put us up," said UMD head coach Laura Schuler. "There's things in our game that we still have to be better at because they're they're a really good team, and they're very opportunistic team, and I thought that sometimes we didn't get pucks deep when we needed to get deep and and we have got to continue to make sure we get pucks in behind them to see success."

 

The Bulldogs scored a bevy of goals – four to be exact – in the first period over an 8:16 span of time. It all started with the first of two power goals from Caitlin Kraemer, who redirected a shot from Hanna Baskin from the point at 5:04 for the opening score. Just 2:41 later, Clara Van Wieren made it a 2-0 contest when she backhanded in a loose rebound in the crease.

 

The Mavericks' Claire Vekich scored two minutes later, but Van Wieren struck for her 15th of the season and second of the game on an offload from the top of the left circle at 13:20 to put the Bulldogs up 4-1 after the first frame.

 

MSU scored with an extra skater to open the second period and make it a 4-2 game, but UMD picked right back up where it left off in the first – with another power play goal from Kraemer. The rookie center finished off a brilliant passing sequence from Olivia Wallin and Van Wieren to push the Bulldogs back ahead by three goals at 3:41. Another 1:26 later, Wallin struck for her own goal to push UMD ahead 5-2, and at 12:33, Mary Kate O'Brien got into the scoring column after banking an extended goal line shot off the back of a Maverick skater to take a 6-2 Bulldog lead after less than 40 minutes of play.

 

UMD still had some offense left in the tank late in final frame, and after the Mavericks were called for a game misconduct at 13:35, the Bulldogs struck twice in the final three minutes of their power play. The result was Van Wieren's third goal of the game and fifth point, the second hat trick of the graduate's forward career at the 16:17 mark. Then, 1:42 later, Wallin casually tipped in her second goal of the game and team-high sixth point to close out the scoring at 8-2.

 

Six players had multiple point afternoons, led by Wallin (2g, 4a) and Van Wieren (3g, 2a), as well as Kraemer's three point effort (2g, 1a). Three defensemen added two assists – Nina Jobst-Smith, Hanna Baskin and Tova Henderson. 

 

Eve Gascon picked up win No. 12 of the season with a 23 save contest for UMD, while UMD was golden 4-of-5 on its power play. The Bulldogs outshot the Mavericks 29-25, but MSU cycled through all three of its netminders in the setback, with Hailey Hansen, who played just 13:20 and allowed three goals, took the loss for the now 11-18-2, 5-18-2 Mavericks.

 

UMD (18-11-2, 13-10-2) will attempt the series sweep on Senior Day at AMSOIL tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.

BULLDOG NOTES: UMD's four power plays was the most it has put up in a game since the 2014-15 season when the Bulldogs scored five goals with an extra skater against Minnesota State in Mankato on Jan. 23, 2015 … Olivia Wallin's six-point effort was a UMD career high … she passed her four-point, three goal night against Bemidji State on Nov. 22 … Clara Van Wieren is now the third UMD player to score a hat trick this season … in addition to Van Wieren and Wallin, rookie Caitlin Kraemer recorded her first collegiate hat trick against Vermont on Nov. 30 … Kraemer is on scoring tear over her last three games, with five goals and an assist … the reigning WCHA Rookie of the Week has figured in six of UMD last 16 goals and scored five of them … with an assist Friday, Olivia Mobley is now on a four game scoring spree … the fifth year has registered one goal and three assists over that span … UMD clinched home WCHA ice for a 15th out of a possible 18 times … Since the WCHA went to a quarterfinal game (2005) or series (since 2006), from the 2005-06 season until present, the Bulldogs will now have hosted 15 of a possible 17 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.) .... UMD is currently just three points away from third place in the WCHA.