The No. 6 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team took care of Western Collegiate Hockey Association business Saturday afternoon at AMSOIL Arena, shutting out Bemidji State University 5-0 to earn the league sweep.
The Bulldogs are in the midst of their longest unbeaten streak in six seasons, and have gone 6-0-1 since their 5-4 overtime thriller against No. 1 Ohio State University back on Dec. 9. In all, UMD is now 17-6-1 and 11-6-1 in the WCHA.
UMD's fifth-year players carried the day, with four of them contributing two points – Anneke Linser (2g), Ashton Bell (1g, 1a), Kylie Hanley (2a) and Maggie Flaherty (2a) led the way offensively, while fifth-year graduate student goaltender Emma Soderberg picked up her sixth shutout of the season, stopping all eight shots she faced.
Bell put the Bulldogs on board first at 5:59 of the first period, keeping the puck through the circle before firing from the high slot for her tenth goal of the season. Barely two minutes later, Anneke Linser extended her goal-scoring streak to four games with a one timer from the top of the circle to double UMD's lead at 2-0. Linser struck again at the 16:45 mark for her second goal of the game. The fifth-year senior took a feed from Gabbie Hughes and deked BSU goaltender Abbie Thompson to her left before tucking in behind her right. Linser's goal was her fifth over the last five games, and gave the Bulldogs three goals in hand heading into the first intermission.
"I just give the credit to my linemates, for sure for finding me and just the players on the ice," said a subtle Linser about her current scoring frenzy. "I'm just trying not to think about it and just go out and play my game and have fun. I just don't want to think about it."
UMD struck two more time in the ensuing two periods of play, with graduate student Naomi Rogge's one-timer the second period's lone score. Rogge directed in a wrap-around pass from Danielle Burgen at 17:23 for the 4-0 lead. The game's final goal came on the power play from junior Clara Van Wieren, who sweetly buried a passing sequence that started from the point and ended with a feed from Gabby Krause to Van Wieren in the slot, her eighth tally of the year.
Saturday marked the third-straight series UMD had held its opponent to two or less goals in a series, and Soderberg reaped the benefits of a backline that limited most Beaver shots en route to the 17th shutout of her career. Soderberg, now in a tie with former UMD great Riitta Schaublin for the second most in program history, also now tied for second in the NCAA with six this season. Soderberg's six shutouts is the second time in her career the netminder has turned in that many clean sheets (the other was 2020-21), and she becomes the first player in program history to post six or more shutouts in a single season twice.
UMD outshot BSU 34-8 in the contest, while Thompson had 29 saves for the Beavers, who departed AMSOIL 4-19-0 and 1-17-0 in WCHA play.
The Bulldogs will hit the road next weekend when they travel to St. Thomas University for a Saturday-Sunday series that gets underway Saturday night in Mendota Heights, Minn. at 6:00 p.m.
BULLDOG NOTES: UMD now leads the WCHA in fewest goals allowed per game at just 1.42 goals a game … the Bulldogs have allowed just 34 goals against in 24 games – the fewest in the entire league … Anneke Linser's current scoring streak is now at four games … Linser has compiled five goals and three assists for eight points and a 2.00 ppg average over that span .. with 13 goals, Linser now leads UMD in goals scored … Ashton Bell is now tied for the second most goals by a defenseman in program history with 24 … Bell is tied with Krista McArthur, who had 24 goals over 115 career games … Bell has skated just 78 games as a defenseman so far … Bell is also tied for the sixth most goals scored by a defenseman in a single season … Bell scored 11 goals as a blueliner in the 2019-20 season, the third most in a single season … Emma Soderberg has had five or more shutouts in all three of the seasons she has had the majority of the goaltending responsibilities … the Jarved, Sweden native posted six shutouts in 2020-21 and then five in 2021-22 … with two assists Saturday, Maggie Flaherty has jumped into a tie with Sidney Morin for sixth for the most assists by a defenseman in over a career … Flaherty has also climbed into the top-10 list for defenseman in career scoring after her three point weekend (1g, 2a) … Flaherty has 66 points (15-51=66) in 138 games, good enough for tenth … Gabbie Hughes is now at 199 career … her assist Saturday gave the graduate senior the 121st of her career, giving her sole possession of the No. 4 spot for career helpers … Hughes has 78 goals and 121 assists in 150 skates for the Bulldogs … just six players have ever reached the milestone in program history ... UMD's last unbeaten streak of seven games ran from Oct. 21, 2016 to Nov. 18, 2016 ... UMD posted a record of 5-0-2 over that span.