GASCON JOINS ELITE COMPANY WITH NCAA TOURNAMENT SHUTOUT: Ève Gascon made the first NCAA Tournament start by a Bulldog Thursday night in 14 years, but joined a very elite group by picking up a shutout in the NCAA postseason.

Gascon joins Emma Soderberg and Kim Martin as the only UMD goaltenders in program history to post a shutout in a NCAA tournament game.  Soderberg earned one shutout in each of the previous three seasons to hold a program record for NCAA shutouts (three), most recently against Clarkson University last season (2-0). Martin's championship clean sheet happened in the 2008 NCAA title tilt -- a 4-0 shutout of the University of Wisconsin. Gascon is the first UMD rookie to earn an NCAA shutout in program history.

SHOUTOUT TO THE SHUTOUTS: Ève Gascon earned her seventh shutout of the season, which moves her into a tie for third with Riitta Schaublin for the most shutouts in a single season. Schaublin posted seven back in the 2004-05 season. Only Soderberg (12, 2022-23) and Kayla Black (10, 2014-15) have had more than Gascon this season.

EXTRA TIME IN THE TOURNEY: The Bulldogs played the third-longest NCAA game in program history on Thursday, logging 97:54 minutes before defeating the Huskies. It marked the eighth game UMD has played overtime in an NCAA tournament game, and the second time in the newer NCAA First Round format. All-time, UMD is 7-1 in overtime during NCAA play. UMD's five longest NCAA Tournament games:
 

1. 2010 NCAA Championship vs Cornell (3-2 win) 119:26, 3 OTs

2. 2022 NCAA Frozen Four Semifinal vs Northeastern (2-1 win) 98:15, 2 OTs

3. 2024 NCAA First Round vs UConn (1-0 win) 97:54, 2 OTs

4. 2007 NCAA Frozen Four Semifinals vs Boston College (4-2 win) 94:19 2OTs

5. 2003 NCAA Championship vs Harvard (4-3 win) 84:19 2 OTs

UMD IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT: 

UMD is in its fourth-straight NCAA Tournament and will make its fourth-straight NCAA Regional Final/Quarterfinal game appearance on Saturday. 

It also marks the fifth NCAA Tournament of head coach Maura Crowell's nine season tenure. Crowell and Co. are 5-2 in the NCAA First Round/Quarterfinals, and 6-4 in all NCAA Tournament games.

All-time, the Bulldogs are 21-9 in the NCAA postseason, and 6-5 in Regional Final/Quarterfinal games. UMD owns the third most NCAA tourney wins in all of the NCAA at 21.

In just the third season of the expanded NCAA field (where UMD has made the tourney every time), the NCAA now hosts a regional instead of a single quarterfinal that the top-3 seeded teams host. The NCAA didn't adopt a quarterfinal game until the 2004-05 season, and prior to that, UMD had played in and won the first three NCAA titles in 2001, 2002 and 2003, going a perfect 6-0 in the NCAA postseason.

UMD has now made 15 NCAA Tournament appearances, the third most in NCAA history. The Bulldogs have reached the NCAA Frozen Four nine times as a program, including twice in the last three seasons. With seven NCAA Championship game appearances, including the 2022 title tilt, UMD owns the third most NCAA titles in the NCAA with five (2010, 2008, 2003, 2002, 2011), and the only NCAA title three-peat in NCAA Division I history.

UMD IN THE NCAA REGIONAL FINALS/QUARTERFINALS: All-time, UMD is 7-5 in the NCAA Regional Final or Quarterfinals. The Bulldogs are 2-1 over the previous three seasons in the game to reach the NCAA Frozen Four. Here is UMD's all-time results in those games :

March 11, 2023 - at Minnesota 0-3 Loss*

March 12, 2022 - at Minnesota 2-1 Win*

March 15, 2021 - vs Colgate 1-0 OT Win

March 11, 2017 - vs. Minnesota 0-1 Loss

March 12, 2011 - at Wisconsin 1-2 Loss

March 13, 2010 - vs. New Hampshire 2-1 Win

March 14, 2009 - at New Hampshire 4-1 Win

March 15, 2008 - vs. Mercyhurst 5-4 Win

March   9, 2007 - at Mercyhurst 3-2 OT Win

March 11, 2006 - at St. Lawrence 0-1 Loss

March 18, 2005 - vs. St. Lawrence 2-3 OT Loss

*NCAA Regional Game

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT: In all, just four players currently on the roster have been a part of UMD's four-straight tournament appearances. Those four include graduate senior Mannon McMahon -- the only returning Bulldog player to have ended a season without an NCAA berth (as a freshman in 2019-20), and senior forwards Clara Van Wieren, Katie Davis and senior blueliner Nina Jobst-Smith.

TOURNAMENT TOUCH: Graduate senior Mannon McMahon leads UMD in scoring with three points and senior center Clara Van Wieren is second with two points in nine NCAA Tournament games over their careers. McMahon has notched three goals, while Van Wieren has recorded two assists.

THE BULLDOGS AND BUCKEYES:

All-Time Record: UMD leads 71-31-9

Last Meeting: March 8, 2024 (0-5 Loss, Neutral)

Last Series: Jan. 19-20 (OSU Sweep, Away)

First Meeting: Oct. 20, 1999 (UMD won 4-2)Last Season: 1-4-0 

Record this Year: 0-5-0

Last 10 Meetings: 1-9-0

UMD and OSU have met just once in NCAA Tournament history -- in the 2022 NCAA championship game. That game ended with a 3-2 win for the Buckeyes, but involved eight players still rostered with UMD this season. Those eight players included Mannon McMahon, Nina Jobst-Smith, Clara Van Wieren, Katie Davis, Jenna Lawry, Hanna Baskin, Brenna Fuhrman, Gabby Krause. 

On March 20, 2022 Top-seeded OSU held off the No. 8 Bulldogs 3-2 to capture the Buckeyes first-ever NCAA title at Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, PA in the 2022 NCAA Frozen Four Championship. 

The title was never out of reach for the Bulldogs, who clawed back twice to draw even with OSU in the second and third period.  After a scoreless opening frame, OSU took advantage of the game's lone power play at 4:10 of the second period. Bulldog netminder Emma Soderberg attempted to clear the puck, but Paetyn Levis was there to put the Buckeyes up 1-0. UMD responded midway through the period, and Taylor Anderson's effort helped get the puck to senior defenseman Kailee Skinner at the OSU point.  Skinner's shot was tipped down and in by Naomi Rogge, whose effort notched her second goal of the Frozen Four and equalized 1-1 at 12:42 of the second period.

The Buckeyes retook the lead on a wild sequence just 24 seconds into the final period, again getting behind Soderberg who was caught outside the crease.  But again, UMD counterpunched, this time in the form of Élizabeth Giguère, who added to her extensive Frozen Four resume on her fifth-ever career goal in the tournament 1:23 later. From the boards, Anna Klein found Giguère skating across the top of the circle, and the fifth-year senior casually sniped the puck over OSU goaltender Amanda Thiele's left shoulder to knot the game back up at 2-2.

OSU took the game's final lead at 13:20, after Kenzie Hauswirth's shot from the right point cleared UMD's crease but deflected off a defenseman's skate for the eventual game-winner, the final costly bounce for the Bulldogs in the contest. Soderberg had 36 saves in the game to bring her total to 82 in the Frozen Four, and the senior goaltender had a total of 146 in four games in the NCAA Tournament – a new single tournament record. Soderberg, along with Rogge, were both named to the Frozen Four All-Tournament Team, the 21st and 22nd Bulldogs selected for the honor in program history. 

LAST TIME OUT AGAINST OSU: Most recently, UMD and OSU met in the semifinals of the WCHA Final Faceoff on March 8, a 5-0 loss to the Buckeyes at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, Minn.

The Bulldogs fell behind 2-0 in the first period when the Buckeyes scored two goals just 44 seconds apart at 11:03 and 11:47. But OSU outshot UMD 19-4 in the second period and added two goals to hold the Bulldogs at bay. The Buckeyes added one final goal at 3:29 of the third period.

Sophomore goaltender Hailey MacLeod made 39 saves for UMD, which was outshot 44-17 in the contest. Rayan Kirk had 17 saves for the Buckeyes, who had five different goal scorers.

In all, UMD is 74-32-9 against the Buckeyes in program history, and 0-5 in the current season. In the Crowell era, UMD is 5-8-1 at the OSU Ice Rink.

UMD vs. Ohio State -  71-30-9 All-Time

(Last 10 games, 1-9)

March 8, 2024 0-5 Loss Neutral*

Jan. 20, 2024 0-1 Loss Away

Jan. 19, 2024 0-3 Loss Away

Oct. 14, 2023 0-2 Loss Home

Oct. 13, 2023 2-5 Loss Home

March 3, 2023 1-2 Loss Neutral*

Dec. 3, 2022 5-4 OT Win Home

Dec. 2, 2022 1-2 Loss Home

Oct. 22, 2022 2-3 Loss Away

Oct. 21, 2022 2-3 OT Loss Awa

Mar. 20, 2022 2-3 Loss Neutral+

Jan. 22, 2022 1-3 Loss Away

+NCAA Frozen Four Championship 

*WCHA Final Face-Off Semi

FIRST ROUND RECAP: In arguably the greatest NCAA First Round test in three seasons, No. 8 UMD survived double overtime and a called back overtime goal to defeat the No. 9 Connecticut Thursday night at the OSU Ice Rink in Columbus, Ohio. 

While the Huskies outshot UMD 7-6 in the first period, the Bulldogs pummeled UConn in the second and third periods, and after 60 minutes of action, UMD owned a 30-18 shots on goal advantage.

The first overtime was more of the same for the Bulldogs, who outshot the Huskies 12-7 in the period, but were forced to fend off a UConn power play at 17:54 to keep it scoreless into the second overtime.

A goaltending duel for the ages between UMD freshman Ève Gascon and UConn's Tia Chan appeared to finally be over around the 10:37 mark of the second overtime. After Gascon was screened in front of the net, fifth-year Huskies defenseman Claire Peterson scored through traffic to push UConn through. But a challenge by UMD head coach Maura Crowell confirmed what some players on her bench already seemed aware of – the Huskies had been offside prior to the goal. 

No short of a roller coaster of emotions for both sides, the two teams dropped the puck again. Finally, at the 17:13 point of the second overtime, senior defenseman Nina Jobst-Smith flicked a wrist shot from the top of the circle that was tipped by Olivia Wallin outside the crease. The puck fell to a wide open Mannon McMahon on the back doorstep, and McMahon extended her own college career by popping the puck past Chan for the game-winner.

NOTES FROM THE UCONN FIRST ROUND: Since the NCAA went to a regional tournament three years ago, the Bulldogs have perfect in the first round with a record of 3-0. 

--The Bulldogs have never been scored on in the NCAA First Round, and have outscored their opponents 7-0 in those three skates.

--UMD is now 9-0-1 against the Huskies all-time, and 25-8-4 all-time record against Hockey East foes.. 

--Thursday marked the first NCAA First Round game UMD played in outside the state of Minnesota after being sent to Minneapolis both of the previous two seasons.

BULLDOGS AGAINST THE TOURNAMENT FIELD: UMD has played 16 games against the 2024 NCAA Tournament field with a record of 3-11-2.  

Rookie defenseman Ida Karlsson leads UMD with seven points on seven assists against the field teams, while sophomore Danielle Burgen is tied for the most goals (3) and has a total of six points. UMD has also posted three shutouts against teams in the tourney (Connecticut, Minnesota and Colgate).

MACLEOD, GASCON TOP IN NCAA STATS: Sophomore goaltender Hailey MacLeod sits second the NCAA with a .954 saves percentage, and currently ranks sixth with a 1.27 GAA. 

MacLeod isn't the only UMD netminder with high marks in the NCAA -- freshman goaltender Ève Gascon ranks third with a .953 saves percentage, and 9th with a GAA of 1.40.

SHUTOUT SEASON: The Bulldogs sit tied for first in the NCAA with 13 shutouts, and joins the 2022-23 season (14 and the program record) and 2010-11 season (12 shutouts) as the only three teams in program history to record 12 or more shutouts. 

GASCON SETS ROOKIE SHUTOUT  RECORD: UMD freshman goaltender Ève Gascon set the Bulldog rookie record for shutouts in the first round of the WCHA playoffs and added to it Thursday against UConn for her seventh of the season. Gascon surpassed former UMD great Jennifer Harss, who recorded five shutouts en route to leading the Bulldogs to a an NCAA title in 2009-10.

21 WINS AND COUNTING FOR A THIRD-STRAIGHT SEASON: The Bulldogs have reached the 21 win mark for a third-straight season (Covid shortened their 2020-21 NCAA Frozen Four run season to just 19 games total).

UMD finished with 26 triumphs last season and 27 (and an NCAA runner-up finish) in 2021-22.

MCMAHON REWRITES THE RECORD BOOK (AGAIN): Two weeks after graduate senior Mannon McMahon took over the career consecutive games played record at UMD, the center set another record.

 cMahon  hit 169 games (and now is at 172 and counting, making her the new record holder one season after Naomi Rogge set the mark. 

HATS OFF: UMD has now had four hat tricks this season – (Reece Hunt twice, Mannon McMahon and Clara Van Wieren) – the most hat tricks in a single season by a Bulldog squad since the 2010-11 season, when UMD had five (three from Haley Irwin, and one each from Jessica Wong and Perilla Winberg.)

FOUR SCORES AND 20 YEARS AGO: For the first time since the 2003-04 season, UMD has had more than one player score four goals in a game. Reece Hunt's four goal game against St. Thomas on Feb. 9 marks the second four goal scorer after Mannon McMahon netted four against Long Island University Oct. 6, 2023).

While the Bulldog program has had 15 four goal (or more) scorers in a game in program history, no team has had two  players reach the mark in a single season since the 2003-04 season, when Jessica Koizumi (Feb. 14, 2004 vs Bemidji State) and Caroline Ouellette (Nov. 14, 2003 North Dakota). did it. In fact, UMD has had just four total seasons where more than one player logged four goals in a game , including the 2002-03 season, where the Bulldogs had a program-high four players reach the mark (Ouellette, Jenny Potter, and Erika Holst, twice.)

Hunt and McMahon are also two of seven players that reached that mark in all of the NCAA so far this season.

SHUTOUT SERIES: The netminding duo of Hailey MacLeod and Ève Gascon have also held opponents scoreless in four series this season – the first time UMD has posted three shutout series since the 2010-11 season.

UMD last posted three shutout series back in 2010-11 when Kim Martin and Jennifer Harss both had three each shutouts each in three split series.