When Minnesota Duluth opened the season with an eight-game win streak, the tally was eyed skeptically by college women's hockey fans. Yeah, some said, but who have the Bulldogs beaten? No one ranked: just Bemidji State, North Dakota, St. Cloud State, Minnesota State-Mankato.
It was an early-November series against Minnesota that would discern whether UMD belonged among the upper echelon of Division I teams. After they were swept by the Gophers, UMD maintained some validity despite dropping to No. 7 in the USCHO.com.
Saturday the Bulldogs dropped their fourth consecutive game - to one of those teams deemed a "no one" early in the season. Yet-unranked Mankato beat UMD 5-3 in front of about 700 fans at the DECC, taking three points from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association series. Before the series, UMD had never given up a point to Mankato at the DECC.
The teams settled for a 5-5 tie in Friday's opener after Bulldogs' senior Jessica Koizumi scored her career-high fourth goal of the game with 7.6 seconds remaining. The loss marked the first time since goalie Riitta Schaublin's freshman season that the Swiss National Team player allowed more than four goals in a single game.
Lindsay Macy and Maggie Fisher had two goals for the Mavericks and Britni Kehler had 42 saves. Elin Holmlov had three assists for the Bulldogs and Schaublin closed with 20 saves.
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In the final season of Schaublin's career, the Mavericks exposed a vulnerability. Four of the Mavericks goals were lofted over Schaublin's left shoulder to the back pocket. The purposeful positioning lent credence to UMD coach Shannon Miller's claim after Friday's game that the Mavericks are opportunistic. Out-shot for the entire game - including UMD's 13-5 shot advantage in the second period - the Mavericks anticipated and sprung.
Lindsay Macy, a junior who transferred from Wisconsin, read Mankato's first opportunity in the first period on their first shot on goal. The Bulldogs were on a power play when sophomore Tawni Mattila wiped up on center ice and Macy was able to cruise in on UMD's goalie, scoring a shorthanded goal at 3:11.
Mankato's second goal came on its second shot when sophomore Maggie Fisher matched Macy's target at 5:26.
Koizumi scored at 8:38 when she redirected a pass from Noemie Marin, who was positioned on the goal line.
The Mavericks closed the period with Macy's power play goal at 16:51. Same shot, same spot with an added ding off the pipe for a 3-1 lead.
Fisher scored at 12:03 of the second period when she skated in off the boards, spun and lofted, again, to Schaublin's left.
UMD junior Karine Demeule and Elin Holmlov combined for a goal at 16:32. They came in alone on Kehler and Demeule poked the puck between the junior goalie's skates.
Saara Tuominen backhanded the puck past Kehler at 16:22 of the third, cutting the Mavericks to a 4-3 lead. UMD pulled Schaublin with about two minutes remaining and Mankato's Andreanne Thibault scored an empty netter.
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The Bulldogs travel to Wisconsin next weekend.
Minnesota State-Mankato 3-1-1--5
Minnesota Duluth 1-1-1--3
First period - 1. MSU, Lindsay Macy 9, 3:11 sh; 2. MSU, Maggie Fisher 8 (Amanda Stohr), 5:26; 3. UMD, Jessica Koizumi 11 (Noemie Marin, Elin Holmlov), 8:38; 4. MSU, Macy 10 (Christina Lee, Bunker), 16:51 pp. Penalties - Kristina Bunker, MSU (slashing), 1:45; Bunker, MSU (high sticking), 6:12; Jodi Helminen, MSU (interference), 12:22; Suvi Vacker, UMD (interference), 15:55; Holly Snyder, MSU (body checking), 13:39; .
Second period - 5. MSU, Fisher 9, 12:03; 6. UMD Karine Demeule 4 (Holmlov), 16:32; Penalties - MSU bench (too many players), 3:14; Tawni Mattila, UMD (hooking), 7:46; Myriam Trepanier, UMD (tripping), 8:35; .
Third period - 7. UMD Saara Tuominen 4 (Holmlov), 16:22; 8. MSU, Andreanne Thibault 1, 18:45 en; Penalties - Kathleen Rosso, MSU (hooking), 11:41; .
Shots on goal - MSU 11-5-9--25, UMD 19-13-14--45; Goalies - Britni Kehler, MSU (45 shots, 43 saves), Riitta Schaublin, UMD (25 shots, 20 saves)
