Winds of Change

tUMD 5, Bemidji 3/tUMD 2, Bemidji 1

So, I never wrote about the games in Wisconsin last weekend because I was just too sad about them. I mean, I know Alex Rigsby was back from her injury and I know we couldn’t fill 4 lines or 3 D-pairings, but it’s still hard to see this talented team score only a single goal on the weekend. What is there to write about?

This weekend there’s plenty to write about, with a big sweepity sweep sweep sweep in Bemidji! Six BIG points get us essentially to home ice, although if we lost all our remaining games and tOhio State got 17 of 18 points available, we’d get edged out by them. I think. (tUMD’s website says we’ve clinched home ice, but if that’s the case, I’m missing something. Edit: tUMD issued a correction. We need one win or one tOSU loss.) That’s not going to happen, of course.

On Friday, tDogs went up 3-0 but had to hang on as the game got as close as 4-3 before Meghan Huertas scored on the empty net for her second goal of the night. Ashleigh Brykaliuk (I can type that without checking it first!) also had two goals, including a shorty, and Jenna McParland had a power play goal. I think we’re going to see this type of a pattern from here on out, with the Dogs jumping out to early leads and digging down deep to hang on as the short bench wears them down.

Tonight, tUMD had another goal from Ashleigh Brykaliuk (she is really killing it lately!) and then Zoe Hickel had a goal disallowed for some stupid BS reason, but she got another one on the PP. Bemidji finally got on the board, ending the Blackout (Dan’s term for a Kayla Black shutout, which is genius) with the extra attacker. Apparently the Beavers almost scored another goal as time expired but that’s according to Jack Hittinger, Bemidji’s beat writer.

I really hope tDogs can finish strong and make a good showing at the WCHA tournament. I know there’s no auto-bid (I am stupid, of course there’s an auto-bid, thank you Megan!) and the PWR doesn’t move that much, but there’s so much talent on this team and so much hope for the years to come, I’m staying positive!