Spurred on by four goals from graduate senior Mannon McMahon, the University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team opened up 2023-24 in a big way Friday night at AMSOIL Arena with a 6-0 triumph over Long Island University.
In a win that doubled as Bulldog head coach Maura Crowell 250th career win and her 154th at the helm of UMD, the home team had four players notch points. Besides McMahon's four tallies, graduate senior Reece Hunt had two assists in her Bulldog debut.
It took just 91 seconds for senior forward Olivia Wallin to record her first goal as a Bulldog, a drive through the circle and then the slot before a backhand around Shark goaltender Tindra Holm for the early 1-0 lead. UMD made it 2-0 with the first of McMahon's four goals, a power play tally that originated from a Clara Van Wieren shot from the point that McMahon shoved in from the step.
McMahon struck again at 8:45 of the second period, the recipient of a cross ice pass from Gabby Krause that McMahon walked into the LIU's zone and pulled out Holm with her own backhand to make it a 3-0 UMD advantage. Less than three minutes later, senior defenseman Nina Jobst-Smith got in on the scoring, and popped in a power play goal outside the crease at the 11:11 mark. McMahon then netted her first collegiate hat trick after following in a Hunt effort for a shorthanded tally at 13:40.
The lone goal of the third period again came from McMahon, who tracked down a puck on the boards and drove across the net and around Holm for her fourth of the night at 2:51 to stretch UMD lead to 6-0.
Between the pipes, rookie goaltender Ève Gascon's UMD opening act was a shutout, complete with 12 saves. In all, UMD outshot LIU 52-12 – the most shots put up by a Bulldog squad since they put up 50 on March 18, 2021 in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinal game double overtime 2-1 win against Northeastern. The Bulldogs were also a perfect 2-of-2 on the power play, and not only held the Sharks scoreless in three attempts, but added a shorthanded goal.
The Bulldogs will return to AMSOIL Saturday afternoon to host LIU in game two of the series. The puck is scheduled to drop at 3:00 p.m.
BULLDOG NOTES: Mannon McMahon is the first player to score four goals in a game for UMD since Pernilla Winberg recorded four against St. Cloud State on Feb. 19, 2011 … ironically, the last player to score a Bulldog hat trick was Ashton Bell – against LIU – on Sept. 25, 2022.