Women’s hockey: Tommies blanked by No. 10 UMD

After a scoreless first period, Tommies goaltender Julia Minotti continued to keep UMD off the board until the hosts netted a power-play tally at 5:53 of the middle frame. That goal proved to be the game winner, yet the Bulldogs popped in two more in the final period — the first coming short handed at 2:50, the second on an empty net at 18:11.

Minotti finished the game with 32 saves, while her teammates put 24 shots on the UMD goal to no avail.

With the loss, the Tommies (12-18-1 overall, 7-17-1 WCHA) were passed by St. Cloud State and fell into seventh place in the conference standings after the Huskies beat WCHA cellar dweller Bemidji State on Friday. The Bulldogs (16-12-3, 12-10-3) have already clinched a fourth-place regular-season finish in the circuit, 17 points ahead of fifth-place Minnesota State, 14 points behind third-place Minnesota.

St. Thomas and UMD finish their weekend series at 3 p.m. Saturday.