Women’s hockey travels to Duluth
Coming off the back of a series of contested games against the University of Minnesota Gophers, the Minnesota State women’s hockey team travels to Duluth this weekend to face No. 7 ranked Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs.
The Mavericks faced Duluth earlier in the season, but were met with two losses, and look to turn their fortunes around away from home.
The Mavericks have hit a slump recently, losing their last five games to conference teams.
After their blowout to the Gophers, The Mavs’ overall season record fell to 10-17-0. They now sit with a 4-16-0 record in the conference, placing them sixth in the WCHA standings.
The Bulldogs currently sit with a 13-11-2 overall record, and a 10-10-0 record in the conference, placing them fifth in the WCHA standings.
The Mavericks had a tough matchup against the Gophers, as the scoreline told the story both times. The Mavericks failed to get over the hump in either game.
The Bulldogs have also hit a slump as they head into the latter end of the season, losing their last four games.
The Bulldogs have won six out of their last seven games against the Mavericks, and sit with a 7-6-1 winning record at home. It’s safe to say the Bulldogs will feel confident going into this matchup with the Mavs, having a 5-8-0 away record on the season.
Mannon McMahon and Reece Hunt will be the players the Bulldogs look to, with both players leading the team in points. McMahon has 22 points on the season, with Hunt not far behind with 21.
The Mavs will look to turn their fortunes around and be more clinical than they have been in their recent games.
“We continue to make great strides in playing complete, competitive games against the nation’s best,” said head coach John Harrington in a press conference posted to the Mavericks athletic page after Saturday’s game. “We need to keep giving ourselves a shot in the third period by creating opportunities as we look to continue to capitalize on our opponents’ mistakes.”
The Mavs will look to Sydney Langseth, Whitney Tuttle and Jamie Nelson, as all three have combined for a total of 71 points on the season.
It looks like it could be a very electric and contested matchup between the two rivals, as both are looking to end their losing streaks and finish the season strong.
The Mavs will look to get their first win against Duluth since February 2022, while the Bulldogs will look to win their third straight game against the Mavs.
This weekend’s games will be held in Duluth at the AMSOIL Arena at 6 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday.
Header Photo: The Minnesota State women’s hockey team’s games against the University of Minnesota Duluth will take place at the AMSOIL Arena Friday and Saturday. (Courtesy Maverick Athletics)
Write to Ahmed Hassan at ahmed.hassan.4@mnsu.edu