Soderberg notches another shutout, but UMD settles for scoreless tie at Minnesota State

MANKATO — Minnesota Duluth fifth-year senior goaltender Emma Soderberg picked up her eighth shutout of the season and 19th of her collegiate career Saturday, but it was only good enough to earn the Bulldogs a scoreless overtime tie at Minnesota State.

Soderberg, who finished with 20 saves in regulation, made three more saves in a shootout to earn UMD the extra point Saturday, giving the Bulldogs four out of six points in the WCHA series following the come-from-behind 4-3 tie on Friday in Mankato.

Senior goaltender Alexa Berg stopped all 32 shots she saw to get the shutout for the Mavericks on Saturday. Fifth-year senior defenseman Maggie Flaherty beat Berg for the lone goal in the shootout.

“We talk a lot about our defense and playing good defense, and to shut them out today, it's something that we want to highlight with our group,” Crowell said. “It's not just about goalscoring. We know that's the name of the game. But we did a good job eliminating odd-man rushes, which we had given up quite a few yesterday.”

Soderberg appeared to lose her shutout — and UMD appeared to lose the game — with 34 seconds left in overtime after Mavericks junior forward Sidney Langseth beat an outstretched Soderberg, who got caught out of the crease when she darted out from the net to play the puck. In the process, she was bumped by Mavericks freshman forward Taylor Otremba and spun around, leaving an open net.

Crowell and the Bulldogs challenged for goalie interference — “what’s the harm in that situation,” Crowell said — and after a lengthy review, the goal was overturned.

“Just based on challenges this year, it's flip a coin,” Crowell said of the challenge, noting Soderberg still had a skate touching the crease when contact was made. “I think we felt pretty good about what we had seen, but that doesn't always go in your favor. It was a flip-a-coin situation, but we felt that she was interfered with, and that it was a a valid challenge.”

UMD now returns home next weekend to face St. Cloud State at Amsoil Arena. It’s the Bulldogs’ final regular season series of the season, and the Huskies are coming off a tight split at Wisconsin, winning 1-0 on Friday and losing 3-2 Saturday.

The Huskies, currently fifth in the WCHA, are jockeying with the sixth-place Mavericks over who will come to Duluth at the end of February for a series at Amsoil Arena against the fourth-place Bulldogs.

UMD was once again without fifth-year senior center Kylie Hanley on Saturday due to an upper-body injury. UMD also lost fifth-year senior wing Taylor Anderson in the first period Saturday in Mankato with an upper-body injury.