College women's hockey: Bulldogs tidy up on 'D' to shutout Clarkson 2-0

Minnesota Duluth coach Maura Crowell wanted to see her team clean up two specific areas after Friday’s season-opening 4-2 loss to Clarkson.

To avoid the season-opening sweep, her team needed to be better in the defensive zone and slot.

Check and Check. The No. 10 Bulldogs did both on Saturday afternoon to blank the third-ranked Golden Knights 2-0 to split the nonconference series before a crowd of 934 at Amsoil Arena.

“So much better, really happy to see it,” Crowell said. “Just that one adjustment proved to be massive for us.”

Sophomore center Gabbie Hughes and senior captain Sydney Brodt both picked up their second goal of the season while junior defenseman Ashton Bell registered her third and fourth assists of the season.

Senior goaltender Maddie Rooney made 29 saves, including 14 in the third period, for her 10th career shutout. She’s just the third goaltender to shutout the Golden Knights in the last four seasons. Wisconsin was the most recent team to do so in last year’s Frozen Four.

Rooney credited her team’s improved play in the defensive zone for her latest shutout on Saturday.

“It was way better than yesterday,” Rooney said. “Most of the shots were from the outside. There were so many shots from the wall and if there were rebounds, my defense did a good job of clearing them. They made my job easier.”

Hughes tallied the Bulldogs’ first goal of the game for the second day in a row, though this one came 31 minutes into the game instead of 31 seconds in.

“I’m just trying to keep everyone on their toes,” Hughes said with a laugh when asked what took so long Saturday. “It was just a matter of getting the right chance.”

The right chance was when senior captain and wing Sydney Brodt drove into the offensive zone, drawing all five Knights in her direction. That left the slot wide open for Hughes to break the scoreless tie.

Later in the third period, Hughes returned the favor by setting up her captain on a power play goal that put UMD ahead by two. In a move that was described as “dirty” by Bell, “filthy” by Rooney and “sick” by Crowell, Hughes dangled a couple Clarkson defenders to get Brodt the puck in front.

“I just had enough speed coming in and thought I'd finally attack the net,” Hughes said of the goal. “We were creating opportunities on the outside and I think it was time we got the puck to the net. I just saw the time to really take it to the net. Syd was in front and I just dished to her.”

The Bulldogs are back at Amsoil Arena next weekend to open WCHA play, hosting Minnesota State-Mankato at 3:07 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Clarkson 0-0-0—0
Minnesota Duluth 0-1-1—2

First period — No scoring. Penalties — None.

Second period — 1. UMD, Gabbie Hughes 2 (Sydney Brodt, Ashton Bell), 11:30. Penalties — Avery Mitchell, CU (holding), 7:55.

Third period — 2. UMD, Brodt 2 (Hughes, Bell), 11:28 (pp). Penalties — Kasundra Betinol, UMD (tripping), 2:47.

Shots on goal — CU 8-7-14—29; UMD 5-12-6—23. Goalies — Marie-Pier Coulombe, CU (23 shots-21 saves); Maddie Rooney, UMD (29-29). Power plays — CU 0-of-1; UMD 1-of-1. Penalties — CU 0-0; UMD 0-0. Referees — Duncan Ryhorchuk, Michael Diebold. Linesmen — Sam Jerome, Ron Laturi. Att. — 934.

1/2: Minnesota Duluth goaltender Maddie Rooney (35) blocks a shot from Clarkson during the third period of Saturday's game at Amsoil Arena in Duluth. (Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com)

2/2: Mannon McMaho (16) of Minnesota Duluth controls the puck near Gabrielle David (8) of Clarkson during the third period of Saturday's game at Amsoil Arena in Duluth. (Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com)