But what concerns Crowell is what she saw Friday at Ridder in the 5-0 loss to the No. 4 Golden Gophers. It was “a bad game for us, flat out,” she said, and a Friday the team can’t have going forward with the postseason looming a month from now.
“We have three series left, then the playoff series and then beyond that it’s one game matchups. You have to be able to win that one game,” Crowell said. “It’s a good lesson to have learned because the Final Faceoff is down at Ridder, so the more comfortable we can get with success down there and figuring things out, the better off we’ll be down the stretch.”
The ninth-ranked Bulldogs are back home this week to face another top-five team in fifth-ranked Ohio State at 3:07 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Amsoil Arena. Like the Gophers, the Buckeyes are a likely postseason opponent for the Bulldogs come March. Third-place OSU currently sits seven points ahead of fourth-place UMD in the WCHA standings.
UMD enters this weekend’s series with the Buckeyes with a 4-6-3 record in the opening games of a series or tournament this weekend, but a 9-3-1 record on the second night — all but the 2020 Minnesota Cup at Amsoil Arena were Friday-Saturday affairs.
So it’s not a cliche this week when the Bulldogs say they are focused on Friday and Friday only at the moment. A strong start to the weekend will be a big point of emphasis as UMD closes the regular season against the Buckeyes, at Minnesota State-Mankato and at home against No. 1 Wisconsin.
“Friday games are really important,” Crowell said. “Setting the tone early and keeping it going. It can’t just be, ‘Hey, 20 minutes, first period, we’re back at home.’ We've got to be able to put the pedal to the metal and continue that on, view it like six periods.”
UMD last met the Buckeyes back in November in Columbus, losing 3-1 on Friday via an empty net goal, giving up 41 shots on goal. The next day, UMD lost in a shootout after a 1-1 overtime tie where shots were 31-31.
The Buckeyes’ top line of junior forwards Emma Maltais (17 goals-29 assists—46 points), Liz Schepers (18-15—33) and Tatum Skaggs (8-23—31) lead the way offensively with 43 combined goals and a combined 110 points, but Crowell warns the Buckeyes are a much deeper team. OSU is getting the secondary scoring it once lacked and the defensemen are underrated as well, Crowell said.
Sophomore forward Gabbie Hughes, who leads the Bulldogs in scoring with 14 goals and 23 assists, said the Bulldogs have also shown greater depth in the second half, especially on the scoresheet. UMD’s 19 goals in their eight games since Jan. 1 have come from nine different players.
“We showed it the last couple series, we’ve had everyone scoring and everyone contributing,” Hughes said. “At the beginning of the season, we might not have had that. It’s super good to be able to depend on the fourth line or third line or second line, and every D-pair rolling. And Maddie is playing unbelievable. She did all weekend against the Gophers. It’s good to have that depth the other teams have.”
Rooney finished with 80 saves on 85 shots last weekend in Minneapolis, including 35 saves on 35 shots Saturday for her fourth shutout of the season and 13th of her college career. She said she knew something was off with her team when she looked up at the scoreboard about 10 minutes in. Shots were 13-0 in favor of the Gophers.
Crowell said she also sensed the heads of her players were elsewhere as they struggled with the basics. With so many Twin Cities natives on the UMD roster, Ridder can be a distracting place with all the friends, family and supporters there that weekend. Crowell said.
UMD would like to play at Ridder Arena again March 7-8 for the WCHA Final Faceoff. Another trip could be in the cards should the Bulldogs make the NCAA tournament as well, though they are currently outside the bubble at No. 9 in the Pairwise.
Should UMD return to Ridder next March, to play the Gophers or anyone else, Rooney said her team will be much better prepared thanks to Saturday’s shutout victory.
“That gives us a lot of confidence we can face any top five, top 10 team and give them a run for it,” Rooney said. “Playing in that building again will be to our advantage having that nice win last weekend.”
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College women's hockey: Bulldogs looking to start series stronger in preparation for postseason - Duluth News Tribune
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