UMD Women Split

George Bailey – NSO

One day after the Bulldogs knocked off the No. 1 University of Wisconsin 4-1, the Badgers returned the favor.

Wisconsin lived up to its top-billing Saturday afternoon at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, Minn., returning the 4-1 score to the No. 3 Bulldogs and snapping UMD’s seven-game unbeaten streak in the process.  The loss was the first the Bulldogs have suffered in over a month and the first to a ranked squad in six contests.  Overall, UMD — which has played 10 of its 14 games so far against top-10 opponents —  is 4-3-3 versus the nation’s 10 best teams.

Unlike Friday night, it was the Bulldogs that outshot UW in the first period, but it was that Badgers netted the game’s opening goal.  Jenny Ryan walked in on UMD goaltender Maddie Rooney from the right circle untouched at 9:56 of the first period, but UMD answered with an exclamation point in the form of blueliner Sidney Morin‘s third goal of the season.  Morin slammed the puck past UW’s Nicole Cece on the doorstep off a cross-crease pass from Ashleigh Brykaliuk.  Morin’s power play score brought the Bulldogs even at 13:38 and rewarded a UMD squad that outshot UW 12-6 in the first stanza.

Wisconsin channeled some of its early Friday night play in the second period, outshooting the Bulldogs a blistering 20-2.  The Badgers went ahead at the 6:10 mark on a goal by Annie Pankowski, and despite each team taking a turn off the post, UW’s 2-1 lead held after 40 minutes of play.

The third period and Pankowski simply proved to be too much for the Bulldogs.  Pankowski scored two unanswered goals just over two minutes apart — including a shorthanded tally that came at 7:46 — to put Wisconsin up 4-1.  The Badgers outshot UMD 21-6 in the final period and 47-20 over the course of the game.

Rooney again made some big saves for the Bulldogs between the pipes, turning in 43 stops Saturday.  Combined with her 45 from Friday night, Rooney made a whopping 88 saves against the Badgers in the series.  Nicole Cece had 19 saves for Wisconsin (12-1-1, 10-1-1), and both teams posted a power play goal in the skate.  UMD had two power play goals in the series.

“Moving forward, I think we know that the target is on our back too, going against Harvard, St. Cloud and Mankato the rest of the semester,” said UMD head coach Maura Crowell.  “They are going to be trying to take down whatever ranked team we are at that point. We just have to be sure we are ready for an ECAC team, which is a little different than a WCHA team.”

The Bulldogs, who are now 8-3-3 overall and 7-3-2-1 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association will step out of league play next weekend when they play Harvard in Cambridge, Mass. on Friday and Saturday.  Friday’s game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET, while Saturday is set for 3:30 p.m. ET

picoftheday