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Monday, December 31, 2007
4 Bulldogs Playing for Team canada U-22 Team
The 4 Bulldogs representing Canada's U-22 team in Germany take the ice Thursday.
Haley Irwin, Emmanuelle Blais, Joss Larocque, and Laura Fridfinnson, are the four players representing their country. No Team USA in this tourney.
The only other WCHA players on that Canadian roster are Gopher player Melanie Gagnon, and Badger Mallory Deluce. The rest are mainly east coast NCAA players.
I'll try and post stats from these players as hockeycanada.ca gets them listed.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
UMDBulldogs.com Mid-Season Report
It's hard to believe the season's nearly 2/3 over (20 of 32 games played).. but below, find the UMDBulldogs.com mid-season report.
20 games down, 12 left to play.
The No. 2 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will be off the practice ice until the end of December, but with 12 regular season games remaining before the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center hosts the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Final Face-Off and 2008 NCAA Frozen Four, all eyes are on the Bulldogs.
UMD has posted a 16-3-1 record overall, including 13-3-0 in the WCHA, to remain in sole possession of the league through the first half of the 2007-08 season. The Bulldogs, who rounded out 2007 play with a sweep over St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y., have notched nine WHCA Player of the Week honors in just ten weeks of play, a feat no other conference team has been able to match.
Winners of an NCAA-leading eight straight games, UMD is led by freshman forward Iya Gavrilova, who is currently in the midst of an eight game scoring streak. Gavrilova, who along with sophomore forward Saara Tuominen leads the Bulldogs with 30 points through the first 20 games, has notched 15 points (6g, 9a) since collecting two assists against Minnesota State on Nov. 23. No other rookie in the country has reached 21 points, nine shy of Gavriloca's impressive 30 (12g, 18a).
The Bulldogs are tops in the WCHA with a result-grabbing 3.80 goals a game scoring average, courtesy of seven UMD players who have registered double-digits points, including three who have posted more than 21 in 20 games. 17 of the Bulldogs rostered 22 players have appeared in the scoring column, with 16 of the 22 tallying at least four points. UMD has also boasts the most effective power play in the conference, after scoring five goals in its last four games with the man advantage.
The Maroon and Gold has also bolstered its defense, showcasing a NCAA-leading in saves percentage (.958) Kim Martin between the pipes. Martin is 10-3-1 on the season, and has backstopped the Bulldogs to four shutouts, adding to her career total of seven. UMD is allowing only 1.20 goals a game, ranking them fifth in the country and second in the WCHA.
UMD will return to action after the new year for a two-game series (Jan. 11-12) in Mankato against Minnesota State. The Bulldogs swept the Mavericks at the DECC just four weeks ago to start its current winning streak.
BULLDOG NOTES: UMD will have four players skating for Canada's National Women's Under-22 Team at the European Air Canada Cup (Jan. 2-6) in Ravensburg, Germany.
Merry Christmas (happy holidays? nah.. I don't really do politically correct ;)) to anyone who reads this :) and may the four players going to Germany come back healthy and ready to continue the march to the National Title.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
UMD Jumps Up to #2 Ranking in USCHO.COM Poll
What a great way to head to break.. UMD takes over the #2 spot in the USCHO.COM poll, heading into break on a huge roll.
The rest of the rankings
1 New Hampshire (13)
2 Minnesota-Duluth ( 1)
3 Harvard
4 Minnesota
5 Mercyhurst
6 St. Lawrence
7 Wisconsin
8 Dartmouth
9 Connecticut
9 St. Cloud State
Others Receiving Votes: Clarkson 4, Boston College 3
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
UMD Beats 4th Ranked St. Lawrence 4-1
CollegeHockeyStats.net Game Stats Page
UMDBulldogs.com story:
NO. 3 BULLDOGS MAKE 4-1 STATEMENT AGAINST NO. 4 ST. LAWRENCE
It wasn't the NCAA Quarterfinals, but the No. 3 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team certainly could have passed as a team with the desire to return there.
The ever-impressive Bulldogs stymied No. 4 St. Lawrence University 4-1 at Appleton Arena in Canton, N.Y. Friday night, putting to rest memories of back-to-back Saint wins in the 2005 and 2006 NCAA Quarterfinals, and showcasing a rivalry that has become one of the NCAA's most dependable.
The Bulldogs relied on their back-stopping specialist Kim Martin, who turned away 28 saves, and frustrated an already struggling power-play unit for St. Lawrence, which was 0-for-6 with the man-advantage. UMD, who was 1-of-3 with the extra skater, has now scored four power-play goals in its last three contests.
Elin Holmlov helped the Bulldogs get on the board first when she netted her seventh goal of the year on a pass from Iya Gavrilova at the 7:12 mark in the opening stanza. The two line-mates would connect again just over four minutes later when Holmov would notch her second goal of the night, courtesy of Gavrilova and Sara Murray. The eventual game-winner would send UMD into the first intermission with a 2-0 lead, and a deficit from which the Saints would never recover.
St. Lawrence would make a run at the Bulldogs just 2:37 into the second period when Brittaney Maschmeyer would bury an irrational goal past Martin to bring the Saints within one. St. Lawrence's first penalty of the night would prove to be a costly one, however, as Gavrilova picked up a rebound from a Myriam Trepanier shot from the point and buried it from the right side of the goal top-shelf, giving UMD a 3-1 cushion at 7:32 in the second stanza. The tally was Gavrilova's tenth in a Maroon and Gold jersey, and extends her current scoring streak to seven games, which includes six goals in those outings (6-9=15).
Sophomore forward Emmanuelle Blais would add the icing on the cake when she simply out-hustled a Saints defenseman and skated around her from the corner, crossing in front of the goal to beat St. Lawrence goaltender Meaghan Guckian. The unassisted tally came just 3:38 into the final 20 minutes, and gave UMD a 4-1 lead that would eventually go into the books as the game result.
Guckian made 22 saves for the Saints, who drop to 13-4-0 overall on the year, and are now 3-8 against the Bulldogs all-time.
WCHA-leading UMD, who improves to 15-3-1 overall, will try to pull off the sweep tomorrow evening when they face the redemption-minded Saints once more. Game-time for the rematch will start at 6 p.m. CST.
BULLDOG NOTES: Iya Gavrilova's goal ties her with Saara Tuominen as the Bulldog's top goal-getter this season with ten tallies apiece...Tuominen still leads UMD with 28 points overall...Gavrilova's seven-game scoring streak now also knots her with sophomore mates Tuominen and Emmanuelle Blais for the highest scoring streaks of any currently rostered Bulldog player...Both Blais and Tuominen reached those highs last season...Elin Holmlov's two goals were the second time the sophomore forward has recorded two tallies in a game in her career...Junior Myriam Trepanier has now registered a point in her last four outings, a career-high scoring streak for the defenseman.
UMD/St. Lawrence Preview, UMDBulldogs.com
NO. 3 BULLDOGS AND NO. 4 ST. LAWRENCE TO CLASH IN CANTON FRIDAY
Last Updated: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 3:19 PM
The No. 3 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team may have wrapped up the 2007 portion of its Western Collegiate Hockey Association schedule on top of the league, but that won't stop the Bulldogs from stepping out of conference play in a big way this weekend. UMD will travel to Canton, N.Y. to face No. 4 St. Lawrence University Friday and Saturday at Appleton Arena (3,000 capacity) in a rematch of the 2006 NCAA Quarterfinals with plenty of future playoff ramifications. Both contests will start at 6 p.m. CST.
THE SERIES: The Bulldogs, who are now 14-3-1 and 13-3-0 in WCHA play, hold the advantage over the Saints with a 7-3 all-time record. That record is slightly jaded, however, as St. Lawrence has beat UMD in its last two outings, and the Bulldogs are 1-3 in their previous four skates with the Saints, dating back to the 2003-04 season.
The two teams met most recently in the the 2006 NCAA Quarterfinals in Canton, where UMD fell 1-0. The Bulldogs and Saints also dueled in the 2005 NCAA Quarterfinals at Wessman Arena in Superior, Wisc., as St. Lawrence uprooted favored UMD 3-2 in overtime. Both teams were 2007 Frozen Four participants, with the Bulldogs playing in the NCAA Final game. The Saints have played in the last four Frozen Fours, but have yet to win the most coveted prize in college hockey.
LAST WEEK: WCHA-leading UMD swept its sixth league opponent last weekend, with a 7-2 downing of Ohio State Saturday at the DECC. Forward Sara O'Toole and defenseman Heidi Pelttari had two goals and one assist in the series-opening offensive outbreak. Four different players scored in Sunday's 4-0 shutout of the Buckeyes, while goaltender Kim Martin grabbed her fourth clean-sheet of the season. Three players racked up four points in the series, and in the process, the Bulldogs put a mind-bending 99 shots on the OSU goal over the weekend.
The Saints, who are currently in second place in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference with a record of 7-1-0 and 13-3-0 overall, swept Maine last weekend in Canton. St. Lawrence rolled out a 2-0 win Friday night, and uncorked a 9-1 victory the following evening. Junior forward Marianna Locke, this week's reigning ECAC Player of the Week, recorded five points -- three goals and two assists -- over the weekend, including both game-winning tallies. Four of Locke's five series points were earned in Saturday night's offensive stockpile.
THE COACHES: Shannon Miller, who currently is the only coach in the WCHA to have racked-up 214 wins, is in her ninth season behind the Bulldog bench.
As the only head coach UMD has ever employed, Miller has amassed an impressive overall record of 214-60-25 and has led the Bulldogs to six NCAA playoff appearances and three straight NCAA Championship titles (2001, 2002 and 2003). She has led UMD into four NCAA Frozen Four berths, including the 2007 NCAA Championship game. No other hockey program in the country has won three consecutive NCAA titles.
For her efforts, Miller was named the 2000 and 2003 Western Collegiate Hockey Association Coach of the Year and the 2003 American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Women’s Division I Coach of the Year. Along with the incredible NCAA runs, her Bulldogs have captured two WCHA regular season titles (2000 and 2003) and three WCHA playoff titles (2000, 2001 and 2003).
During Miller’s time at the Bulldog helm, UMD has produced eight first-team All-Americans, 11 Patty Kazmaier Award Finalists, two WCHA Players of the Year, three WCHA Student-Athletes of the year and one CoSIDA Academic All-American.
Paul Flanagan is in his ninth season as the head coach of the Saints. Flanagan has guided St. Lawrence to four consecutive Final Four berths (2004-2007).
TUOMINEN AND PELTTARI EARN WCHA WEEKLY HONORS: Saara Tuominen and Heidi Pelttari joined the ranks of eight other previous Bulldog selections this season, ten now in just ten weeks, to be exact.
Tuominen, a sophomore from forward from Ylojarvi, Finland, scored two goals and two assists in UMD's weekend sweep of Ohio State. She scored one goal and had an assist in last Saturday's 7-2 win, and then tallied one goal and assist Sunday in the Bulldogs' 4-0 victory. Tuominen currently leads both UMD and the WCHA in scoring with 27 points.
Pelttari, a sophomore defenseman, recorded four points in UMD's clean sweep of the Buckeyes. The product of Tampere, Finland, scored back-to-back goals for the Bulldogs last Saturday, and added an assist in UMD's 7-2 series-opening triumph, while dishing out another assist in the Bulldogs' 4-0 blanking of OSU last Sunday. The defenseman was also +5 in the series, and leads all UMD blueliners in scoring this season with 12 points (3g, 9a).
GOLDEN GOAL GAVRILOVA: Freshman forward Iya Gavrilova currently holds the Bulldogs longest scoring streak, dating back to Nov. 23 against Minnesota State. The Krasnoyarsk, Russia native has scored in UMD's last six games (5-7=12), including five goals in the last four outings, four of which have been game-winning tallies. She ranks fifth in the NCAA in that category.
NET DETECTORS: As the highest scoring offense in the WCHA (3.83 goals per game), and the fourth ranked offense in the NCAA, it's no wonder the Bulldogs boast some of the leading point-getters in the conference and country. Sophomore forward Saara Tuominen ranks No. 1 in the WCHA (and tenth in the NCAA) in point scoring after combining ten goals and 17 assists for 27 total points. Tuominen also ranks first in the league in assist scoring (ninth in the NCAA) with just under an assist a game (0.90). Freshman forward Iya Gavrilova is ahead of all conference freshman in scoring with 24 points (9-15=24), while rookie forward Haley Irwin checks into the second spot with 19 points (9-10=19). Gavrilova check in at the No. 3 spot among rookies in the country, averaging 1.33 PPG, with Irwin sliding in at the sixth spot nationally with a 1.19 PPG average. Four of the top 11-point scoring leaders in the WCHA are also, impressively enough, Bulldogs.
SPREADING THE WEALTH: The Bulldogs, who have six players in the points column in double-digits, remain a team that has shared the offensive burden 18 games into the season. UMD's top-producing line of Iya Gavrilova, Saara Tuominen, and Elin Holmlov have tallied 68 of the Bulldogs'176 points between them (25-43=68).
UMD has also gotten some offensive firepower in some unsuspecting places. The Bulldogs boast six skating freshman who have posted 71 points as an underclass unit. The UMD blueliners have also chipped in, having added 31 total points.
BULLDOG NOTES: No currently rostered UMD player has ever been on the winning side of a Bulldog-Saint showdown...After last weekend's sweep, UMD is now 8-1-1 (.850) at the DECC this season, and leads the WCHA with the best away record of 6-2-0 (.750)...UMD has given up more goals (14) in the second period than any other stanza...The Bulldogs remain three points ahead of Minnesota in the race for first place in the WCHA heading into the holiday break.
SAINTS NOTES: St. Lawrence maintains the highest scoring offense in the NCAA, averaging 4.31 goals a game (UMD is fourth, averaging 3.83)...The Saints are led by a pair of senior forwards, Sabrina Harbec (8-21=29) and Chelsea Grills (9-17=26).
ON THE AIR: Both games will be featured live on the B2 Networks, at www.b2livetv.com. The contests will also be covered with a radio feed over the internet. Visit http://www.stlawu.edu/sports/w_hockey/index.html on the day of the game, and the available link will be on the right hand side of the page.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Saara Tuominen, Heidi Pelttari, WCHA Players of the Week
WCHA Offensive Player of the Week
Saara Tuominen, So., F, Minnesota Duluth
Saara Tuominen, a sophomore forward from Ylojarvi, Finland, scored two goals and two assists in the University of Minnesota Duluth's weekend (Dec. 8-9) sweep of WCHA-rival Ohio State.
She scored one goal and had an assist in last Saturday's 7-2 win, and then scored one goal last Sunday in the Bulldogs' 4-0 victory. Tuominen currently leads UMD in scoring with 27 points (10g, 17a), which ranks her tenth nationally and first in the WCHA.
Others nominated this week were: Gigi Marvin, F, Minnesota; Erica Lawler, F, Wisconsin; Felicia Nelson, F, St. Cloud State; Melissa Jaques, F, North Dakota; and Kala Buganski, F, Minnesota State.
WCHA Defensive Player of the Week
Heidi Pelttari, So., D, Minnesota Duluth
Heidi Pelttari, a sophomore defenseman, recorded four points in the University of Minnesota Duluth's sweep over Ohio State over the Dec. 8-9 weekend.
The product of Tampere, Finland scored back-to-back goals for the Bulldogs last Saturday and added an assist in UMD's 7-2 series-opening triumph, while dishing out another assist in the Bulldogs' 4-0 blanking of the Buckeyes last Sunday. The defenseman was also +5 in the series, and leads all UMD blueliners in scoring this season with 12 points (3g, 9a).
Others nominated this week were: Kendall Newell, G, St. Cloud State; Brittany Kirkham, G, North Dakota; Britni Kehler, Minnesota State; and Kim Hanlon, G, Minnesota.
GO DOGS!
Monday, December 10, 2007
News Tribune UMD/OSU SWEEP Story
College women's hockey: Trio of third-period goals propel Bulldogs
Andy Greder Duluth News Tribune
Published Monday, December 10, 2007
The Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey team got belated goal-scoring Sunday against Ohio State, but the outcome remained the same for the streaking Bulldogs.
Third-ranked UMD scored three third-period goals in a 4-0 Western Collegiate Hockey Association win over the Buckeyes at the DECC. On Saturday, UMD was punctual with three first-period goals in a 7-2 win over Ohio State.
UMD (14-3-1, 13-3 WCHA) has won six straight games and nine of its past 10.
“We’ve become a team,” UMD coach Shannon Miller said. “That takes time and over the last three, four weeks, we’ve come together and rolled ever since.”
The WCHA-leading Bulldogs haven’t lost since Nov. 18 to second-place Minnesota.
“We have been building as a team, and it took a while because we had a lot of freshmen [6], and they needed to learn,” said Saara Tuominen, the UMD sophomore center who had four points in the sweep, including a goal Sunday. “Now we have tempo.”
The Bulldogs have tallied three straight sweeps and haven’t lost a series in six weeks, since Oct. 26-27.
UMD’s first goal was credited to freshman forward Iya Gavrilova after her shot hit a Buckeye stick and went into the net in the first period. Ohio State goalie Deidre Facklis had 50 saves in her second career start.
Ohio State (8-8-2, 5-7-2) was outshot 54-21 and fell to 3-32-4 all time against the Bulldogs.
“Things were working good, but we couldn’t score,” Miller said. “We had created good opportunities, especially in the third.”
UMD played with a one-goal lead from 11:53 of the first period until Tuominen scored at 6:08 of the third.
“We were one goal away,” Ohio State coach Jackie Barto said. “We had our chances but couldn’t convert. They have a good goalie [Kim Martin], and that can make all the difference in the world.”
Martin made 21 saves, but it was UMD’s 24 shots on goal in the third period that proved costly for the Buckeyes.
“We tried to keep UMD on the perimeter, and our goalie made good saves, but then they came out strong [in the third period],” Barto said. “Their forwards are quick and go to the net. They are tough to contain.”
Freshman Haley Irwin and sophomore Elin Holmlov added goals in the thirdperiod.
The Bulldogs will play fourth-ranked St. Lawrence in Canton, N.Y., in a nonconference series at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. St. Lawrence swept Maine this past Friday and Saturday to improveto 13-3.
The Saints are the highest-scoring team in Division I at 4.31 goals per game, while UMD is third (3.83). The Bulldogs are fifth in goals against at 1.52, while St. Lawrence is sixth (1.62).
“I think the games will be close, 2-1 games,” Miller said. “They are going to be tight. Both teams have good goalies. Both teams will have opportunities on special teams.”
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Dogs SWEEP Ohio State
Ohio States Deidre Facklis stopped 46 of 50 shots, but that wasn't nearly enough as Kim Martin shut out Ohio State to earn the 4-0 win this afternoon.
Iya Gavrilova scored **ANOTHER** goal, her 9th now...as did Saara Tuominen with her 10th goal. Haley Irwin scored *HER* 9th, and Elin Holmlov got on the board with her 6th goal of the season.
To the guy at the game cheering for OSU, yelling and swearing (F'bombs even)at the referees the entire game.. tell me you'll be there next season and I'll bring duct tape so we don't gotta listen to that crap. The guy's lucky he didn't get himself removed from the building rather than just ending up across the arena in another seat.
News Tribune OSU Saturday Game
Bulldogs rout Ohio State
Duluth News Tribune
Published Sunday, December 09, 2007
Junior forward Sara O’Toole doesn’t have as many points this season as her prolific line mates Haley Irwin and Emmanuelle Blais, but O’Toole shined for the Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey team Saturday against Ohio State.
O’Toole, of Burton, New Brunswick, scored UMD’s first two goals in a 7-2 Western Collegiate Hockey Association win over the Buckeyes at the DECC.
“That second line with Irwin, O’Toole and Blais has been on fire the last few weeks,” said UMD coach Shannon Miller. “[O’Toole] often does a lot of the work and creates a lot, but doesn’t get the credit or points. It was nice for her to get recognized with some points.”
O’Toole added an assist Saturday and has five goals and three assists in 17 games.
The league-leading Bulldogs (13-3-1 overall, 12-3 WCHA) have won five straight games and eight of their last nine.
Third-ranked UMD took a 3-0 lead after the first period, outshot the unranked Buckeyes 45-14 and scored on two of nine power plays.
“We moved the puck well and when we were on the power play, we had a lot of intensity early,” Miller said. “Later on, the power play was disappointing. We hunkered down and got sloppy with the lead.”
Hayley Klassen scored both goals in the second period for fourth-place Ohio State (8-7-2, 5-6-2).
Sophomore defender Heidi Pelttari and sophomore forward Saara Tuominen each had three points for UMD, the No. 4 scoring team in the nation at 3.82 goals per game.
Sophomore Kim Martin had four saves in 27 minutes, junior Johanna Ellison had six saves and two goals allowed in 23 minutes and Amie Meyer had two saves in nine minutes.
UMD and Ohio State play at 3:07 p.m. today at the DECC.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Dogs Over Power Ohio State 7-2
UMD outshot "The" Ohio State 45-14 in winning the 7-2 in a lopsided game.
Iya Gavrilova got another goal (her 8th), Sarah O'Toole (4th and 5th) and Heidi Pelttari (2nd and 3rd) each had 2 goals 1 assist for UMD. Saara Tuominen (9th goal) with 1 goal 2 assists, and Kim Martin assited on O'toole's goal that opened the game.
Ohio State started to take slashes and hit Kim Martin at times in the second period, and with the game pretty much at hand, Coach Miller replaced Martin with just over 12 minutes to go in the second period.
UMD's defense played good for almost all of the game, but gave up two bad goals, one where the defender stuck her stick out to block a shot and tipped the puck at the point of the shot and it went over Johanna Ellison's shoulder...and the other a defensive turnover that led to a breakaway for OSU that Ellison had no chance on. Other than those two instances it'd be hard to find anything that didn't go well Saturday.
Friday, December 07, 2007
UMDBulldogs.com Ohio State Series Preview
WCHA-LEADING NO. 3 BULLDOGS WELCOME OHIO STATE TO THE DECC THIS WEEKEND
The No. 3 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will look to extend its grasp on the Western Collegiate Hockey Association when it welcomes Ohio State University to the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center this weekend. The Bulldogs and Buckeyes will square off at 3:37 p.m. Saturday afternoon, before returning to the friendly confines of the DECC for a Sunday matinee at 3:07 p.m.
THE SERIES: UMD holds a dominate 30-3-4 all-time series lead over Ohio State, showcasing an impressive 14-2-1 defending the home ice of the DECC.
Just one season ago, the Bulldogs went 2-1-1 against the Buckeyes, including a rare 3-0 loss against OSU on Dec. 8, 2006 that snapped UMD's 10-game unbeaten streak against its conference foes. The Bulldogs stormed back the following game and trounced the Buckeyes 9-1.
The last time the two teams met was at Ohio State on Jan. 26-27, 2007. UMD pulled out a 5-3 victory before settling for a 1-1 overtime tie the following afternoon. Kim Martin made 63 saves in the series, and remains unbeaten against OSU in three career starts. Martin has 99 collegiate saves against the Buckeyes.
LAST WEEK: WCHA-leading UMD kept rolling in conference play by dropping then-No. 4 Wisconsin in Madison for its fifth WCHA series sweep of the season. The Bulldogs handed the Badgers a 3-1 loss Friday behind three goals from three different freshmen, with UMD stifling Wisconsin's power-play five times. The Maroon and Gold then scored just two goals in 45 seconds to convert a comeback into a 3-2 victory Saturday, thanks to freshman Iya Gavrilova, who scored both tallies.
Ohio State was idle last weekend after splitting with St. Cloud State in Columbus the weekend prior.
THE COACHES: Shannon Miller, who currently is the only coach in the WCHA to have racked-up 212 wins, is in her ninth season behind the Bulldog bench.
As the only head coach UMD has ever employed, Miller has amassed an impressive overall record of 212-60-25 and has led the Bulldogs to six NCAA playoff appearances and three straight NCAA Championship titles (2001, 2002 and 2003). She has led UMD into four NCAA Frozen Four berths, including the 2007 NCAA Championship game. No other hockey program in the country has won three consecutive NCAA titles.
For her efforts, Miller was named the 2000 and 2003 Western Collegiate Hockey Association Coach of the Year and the 2003 American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Women’s Division I Coach of the Year. Along with the incredible NCAA runs, her Bulldogs have captured two WCHA regular season titles (2000 and 2003) and three WCHA playoff titles (2000, 2001 and 2003).
During Miller’s time at the Bulldog helm, UMD has produced eight first-team All-Americans, 11 Patty Kazmaier Award Finalists, two WCHA Players of the Year, three WCHA Student-Athletes of the year and one CoSIDA Academic All-American.
Jackie Barto is currently in her ninth season behind the bench of the Buckeyes. Barto has accrued a 78-130-24 record at OSU.
GAVRILOVA AND MARTIN'S AWARD SWEEPING WEEK: UMD forward Iya Gavrilova and her back-stopping teammate Kim Martin swept the U.S. College Hockey Online Player of the Week honors for Dec. 4. The pair also garnered WCHA Player of the Week nods , the eighth time in nine weeks a Bulldog has picked up the conference honor.
Gavrilova scored three goals against formerly No. 4 Wisconsin on the weekend, including both game-winners and the game-knotting goal with 25 seconds left in regulation Saturday. The freshman native of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, has scored in each of UMD's four straight wins -- with three goals and five assists over that stretch -- and is currently second on the team in assists (13) and points (20). With seven goals in 16 games, the rookie is third in that category among the Bulldogs.
Martin was twice named the USCHO.com Defensive Player of the Week as a freshman, and has been named three times this season the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week for her efforts. The product of Stockholm, Sweden surrenderred only a trio of goals on 66 shots as UMD swept the Badgers this past weekend. Martin has earned each of UMD's four consecutive victories, allowing just five goals in 91 shots over that time, and holds a 1.47 GAA and .952 SV% on the season.
NET DETECTORS: As the highest scoring offense in the WCHA (3.62 goals per game), it's no wonder the Bulldogs boast some of the leading point-getters. Sophomore forward Saara Tuominen ranks No. 1 in point scoring after combining eight goals and 15 assists for 23 total points. Tuominen also ranks first in assist scoring with just under an assist a game (0.94). Freshman forward Iya Gavrilova is ahead of all freshman in scoring with 20 points (7-13=20), while rookie forward Haley Irwin checks into the second spot with 17 points (8-9=17). Four of the top 10-point scoring leaders in the WCHA are also, impressively enough, Bulldogs.
TAKING OFFENSE TO THE BUCKEYES: Eight current Bulldogs have registered points against OSU during their Maroon and Gold careers. Junior forward Sara O'Toole has recorded four points, including three assists in one game (Dec. 9, 2006), while sophomore forward Saara Tuominen has scored two goals and dished two assists for four points in her first four clashes with the Buckeyes. Of the remaining six players who have tallied points against OSU, all six have posted at least two points, with junior forward Tawni Mattila having found the net twice last season against the Buckeyes in UMD's 9-1 pounding of OSU at the DECC on Dec. 9, 2006.
A TALE OF TWO COACHES: UMD head coach Shannon Miller and OSU head coach Jackie Barto both entered the WCHA at the same time, having stood behind their respective benches for nine years now. Miller has amassed a 212-60-25 record as the Bulldog skipper, including three-straight NCAA titles and an NCAA runner-up finish last season. Barto is 78-130-24 as the Buckeyes boss.
BULLDOG NOTES: UMD has opened up a three-point advantage over No. 5 Minnesota in the WCHA, and an eight-point lead over two-time defending WCHAChampion and No. 7-ranked Badgers...Sophomore center Saara Tuominen continues to lead the WCHA and UMD with with 23 points (8-15=23), which ranks her No. 13th nationally with a 1.44 points per game average...Iya Gavrilova, who ranks fourth in the country among rookie scorers (7-13=20), is currently in the midst of a four-game scoring streak...Emmanuelle Blais joins Gavrilova by posting a four-game scoring streak of her own...Two other Bulldogs have run up three game scoring streaks (Elin Holmlov and Myriam Trepanier)...The Bulldogs are 6-1-1 (.812) at the DECC so far this season.
BUCKEYE NOTES: OSU is lead by a pair of seniors who have each racked up 20 points in 16 games...Forward Erin Keys (10-10=20) and defenseman Tessa Bonhomme (7-13=20)...Keys is one of only two players in the WCHA heading into this weekend that has tallied 10 or more goals...Bonhomme is tied for the No. 1 spot in the nation among all defensemen in scoring, averaging 1.25 points per game, and is the top returning Buckeye with the most luck against the Bulldogs, having posted seven points on three goals and four assists in her career against UMD.
THAT'S THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT: In an effort to help out the Iron Range Food Shelves, the University of Minnesota Duluth Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will hold a food collection drive during both its men's and women's hockey series this weekend at the DECC. Anyone bringing a non-perishable food item to either of the two men's games with the University of Alaska Anchorage or the two women's afternoon matchups against THE Ohio State University will receive a discounted ticket certificate and concession coupon to the men's Dec. 14 game with the U.S. Under-18 Team.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Kim Martin, Iya Gavrilova Honored With Player of the Week Awards!
WCHA Defensive Player of the Week
Kim Martin, So., G, Minnesota Duluth
Kim Martin, a sophomore goaltender from Stockholm, Sweden, made 63 saves in No. 3-ranked Minnesota Duluth's two-game WCHA road sweep over No. 4-ranked Wisconsin in Madison on Nov. 30-Dec. 1.
Martin backstopped the Bulldogs to a 3-1 victory last Friday afternoon, despite 18 minutes worth of UMD penalties, and helped the Badgers go 0-for-5 on their power-play. Martin's brilliant play last Saturday earned her a ninth win on the season, and she picked up her second game in a row with 30 or more saves, and has made 30 saves in four of her last six starts.
Others nominated this week were: Emily Brookshawk, G, Bemidji State; Holly Snyder, D, Minnesota State; and Rachael Drazen, D, Minnesota.
WCHA Rookie of the Week
Iya Gavrilova, Fr., F, Minnesota Duluth
Iya Gavrilova, a freshman forward from Krasnoyarsk, Russia, continued a four-game scoring streak in a big way by netting three goals to help the No. 3 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs sweep No. 4 Wisconsin on the road.
She scored the game-winning goal last Friday (Nov. 30) in UMD's 3-1 victory over the Badgers. Gavrilova then scored back-to-back goals in last Saturday's matinee just :45 seconds apart, including the equalizing tally with :25 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Gavrilova ended the overtime :15 seconds after it began when she scored her second game-winning goal in two days.
Others nominated this week were: Lisa Edman, F, Minnesota State; and Jenny Lura, G, Minnesota.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
News Tribune SWEEP Article
It took 15 seconds of OT, but women sweep Wisconsin
Andy Greder Duluth News Tribune
Published Sunday, December 02, 2007
MADISON — The Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey team trailed Wisconsin 2-1 Saturday with less than one minute left when freshman Iya Gavrilova took control.
The forward from Krasnoyarsk, Russia, scored the game-tying goal at 19:35 in the third period and the game-winning goal 15 seconds into overtime as the Bulldogs swept the Badgers in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association series with a 3-2 win at the Kohl Center.
“She has skills that normal players don’t have,” said sophomore captain Saara Tuominen, a linemate of Gavrilova’s. “I’m not a goal scorer, but she gives great passes, so with her I am [a goal scorer]. She sees the ice so well, and when she gets on the breakaway she can always score.”
Gavrilova’s game-winner was on a breakaway and her game-tying goal came as the Bulldogs used an extra attacker for the final minute.
“She has a gift,” said UMD coach Shannon Miller. “She has great hands, tremendous work ethic and is very unselfish.”
The 20-year-old Gavrilova, a member of Russia’s 2006 Olympic team, has seven goals and 13 assists for 20 points in 16 games this season.
“It was amazing to score two goals in one minute,” said senior captain Karine Demeule, who played with a recently torn ankle ligament and scored the game’s first goal at 1:37 in the first period. “We swept Wisconsin, which was the key. It was a payback weekend [for last season’s NCAA Division I championship game].”
Wisconsin beat the Bulldogs 4-1 to win its second straight title on March 18, but the Badgers have showed that they are far from the same team.
With the sweep, UMD (12-3-1 overall, 11-3 WCHA) solidified its position atop the WCHA standings with 22 points. Wisconsin (10-6-2, 6-4-2) has two wins in its last eight games and remains in third place with 14 points. Minnesota is in second place with 19 points after a sweep of Bemidji State. The Bulldogs have led the WCHA since the start of the season on Oct. 5.
Meghan Duggan scored Wisconsin’s second power-play goal of the afternoon at 11:31 in the third period for a 2-1 lead.
Wisconsin’s Erika Lawler knotted the game at 1 with a power-play goal at 14:28 in the second period.
The third-ranked Bulldogs beat the fourth-ranked Badgers 3-1 Friday. The freshmen trio of Gavrilova, Laura Fridfinnson and Haley Irwin each scored a goal Friday.
Wisconsin outshot UMD 34-25 Saturday and was 2-for-5 on power plays, but UMD made the big plays in the waning moments.
“We always knew we had a chance, but we had a short period of time,” Tuominen said. “We just wanted it more.”
The sweep puts UMD in the pole position for the No. 1 seed in the WCHA playoffs Feb. 29-March 9.
“This game was very important,” Gavrilova said. “We have first position. Now, every game we need to build on it for playoffs. We were ready [Friday and Saturday] and it showed.”
Saturday, December 01, 2007
UMD SWEEPS WISCONSIN!
Iya Gavrilova scored with 24.2 seconds left to TIE the game at 2-2, and 15 seconds into Overtime, Gavrilova scores the game winner getting behind the defense to go in alone on Jessie Vetter.
UMD is now 8 points ahead of Wisconsin in the WCHA standings, with Wisconsin playing 2 less games than the Bulldogs. They are ahead of Minnesota by 3 points, before the final of Minnesota's game with Bemidji State going on as I type this, though Minnesota and UMD have played the same number of games so there's no catchup points for Minnesota to earn through 'games at hand.'
Duluth News Tribune Friday Wisconsin article
College women's hockey: Special teams lead UMD past Wisconsin
Andy Greder Duluth News Tribune
Published Saturday, December 01, 2007
MADISON — Special teams carried the Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey team against Wisconsin on Friday in a rematch of last season’s NCAA Division I title game.
UMD capitalized on one of its three power plays to take a 2-0 lead at the start of the second period and held the Badgers scoreless during eight penalty kills in a 3-1 Western Collegiate Hockey Association win at the Kohl Center.
“Our entire defense was solid — whether it was 5-on-5 or penalty kill,” said UMD coach Shannon Miller, whose team improved to18-14-6 all time against the two-time defending national champions.
UMD avenged its4-1 defeat to Wisconsin in the championship game on March 18 with 31 saves Friday from sophomore goalie Kim Martin.
The Bulldogs (11-3-1 overall, 10-3 WCHA) stopped the Badgers(10-5-2, 6-3-2) during a 5-on-3 advantage for 1 minute,10 seconds in the thirdperiod.
“It was unfortunate for us to have those penalties, but we worked hard and trusted ourselves on penalty kill,” said freshman defender Joss Larocque. “It was impressive to kill all thosepenalties.”
UMD’s Iya Gavrilova scored off an Elin Holmlov pass on a power play at 49 seconds in the second period during a player advantage that carried over from the first period.
“We came out of the locker room with an intensity to move the puck,” Miller said. “We attacked the net with venom and had three super shifts until we got the puck in.”
UMD freshman Laura Fridfinnson singlehandedly gave the Bulldogs a lead in the first period. The forward from Arborg, Manitoba, had her third scoring attempt in a minute trickle between the pads of Badgers goalie Jessie Vetter for a 1-0 lead at 13:26.
Wisconsin’s only goal came from Tia Hanson at 14:06 in the second period.
“We’ve had trouble getting the puck in the net for three or four weeks,” said Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson, whose team has scored 15 goals — seven on Nov. 24 against Bemidji State — in the last seven games (2-4-1). “We got the puck up to the net, but Martin was there every time. We also had that 5-on-3 and didn’t take advantage.”
UMD’s Haley Irwin continued her scoring streak when she tipped in an Emmanuelle Blais centering pass for the third Bulldog goal of the afternoon. The Thunder Bay, Ontario, freshman had a hat trick and a five-point series in the sweep over Minnesota State-Mankato last weekend.
Last season, UMD was the only team to defeat the Badgers — 2-0 on Nov. 24, 2006 — in Wisconsin’s 36-1-4 campaign. This year, Wisconsin has lost to the Bulldogs, St. Cloud State, Minnesota and was swept by top-ranked New Hampshire. After Friday’s win, the third-ranked Bulldogs lead the WCHA with 20 points, while the fourth-ranked Badgers remain in third place with 14 points.
Wisconsin outshot the Bulldogs 32-22, but it didn’t matter with Martin in net.
“She gives our defense the chance to join the rush,” Larocque said. “We don’t have to play so defensively with Kim because she backs it up so well and gives us confidence. She is one of the best goalies around.”
Friday, November 30, 2007
UMD Beats Wisconsin 3-1, UMDBulldogs.com story
I couldn't watch today's game online, but the UMDBulldogs.com story follows:
NO. 3 BULLDOGS STAY ON TOP OF WCHA WITH 3-1 WIN OVER WISCONSIN
Last Updated: Friday, November 30, 2007 5:38 PM
Despite being out shot 32-to-22 and serving twice as many minutes in the penalty box (16 minutes compared to eight), the No. 3 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team was up to the task of preserving its Western Collegiate Hockey Association lead Friday afternoon. The Bulldogs defeated the University of Wisconsin 3-1 in Madison, Wisc., running their overall tab to 11-3-1, and 10-3-0 in WCHA play.
UMD got on the board first at 13:26 of the opening stanza when freshman Laura Fridfinnson's backhanded a shot from the left circle to beat Badger goaltender Jessie Vetter. The goal, which was assisted by Tawni Mattila, was Fridfinnson's fifth on the year and sent the Maroon and Gold into the locker room with a 1-0 lead.
The Bulldogs would stretch that advantage just 49 seconds in the second period when freshman forward Iya Gavrilova would tuck home a rebound off an Elin Holmlov shot from the right circle, courtesy of a pass from Myriam Trepanier on the point. Gavrilova's fifth goal of the season was also UMD's 17 tally with a man-advantage, and it proved to be the eventual game-winner.
Wisconsin would pull within one when Tia Hansen overtook a puck outside the center circle and cleanly netted the Badgers one and only goal of the contest 14:06 into the second period. But the Bulldogs would gut-check, and just two minutes and 32 seconds later, Emmanuelle Blais would carry a Tara Gray pass over the Wisconsin blueline and find freshman Haley Irwin to finish the Badgers off. The goal was Irwin's fourth in just two games and eighth overall this year.
UMD's penalty-kill unit was yet again unbeatable for 60 minutes, stifling seven Wisconsin power-plays. Goaltender Kim Martin turned away 31 shots, including 16 in the scoreless third period alone, to cash in her eighth win of the season.
The Bulldogs and Badgers (10-5-2, 6-2-2) resume their bitter rivalry tomorrow afternoon in the Kohl Center at 2:07 p.m.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Bulldog Badgers Preview UMDBulldogs.com
NO. 3 BULLDOGS TO BATTLE NO. 4 BADGERS FOR WCHA SUPREMACY IN MADISON THIS WEEKEND
Last Updated: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 4:49 PM
The last time the No. 3 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team took to the ice against the No. 4 University of Wisconsin, it was for the 2007 NCAA national title. The stakes won't be quite as high this weekend when the Bulldogs head to the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisc., but the all-important Western Collegiate Hockey Association showdown for first place will certainly not be missing any action. UMD will put its WCHA league-leading status on the line Friday and Saturday afternoon against the third place Badgers, with the puck dropping at 2:07 p.m. both days.
THE SERIES: The Bulldogs are 17-14-6 all-time against Wisconsin, including a 8-4-4 record against the Badgers in Madison. UMD has split with Wisconsin on their home ice in every meeting but two. The Bullldogs played the Badgers to two ties on Feb. 3-4 in 2001, and UMD earned a 1-1 tie on Feb 17, 2004 to stave off a series sweep. The Bulldogs have never been swept in Madison.
UMD was the only team a season ago to beat then No. 1 Wisconsin when they upended the Badgers 2-0 on Nov. 24, 2006 in the Kohl Center, and the win snapped Wisconsin's 26-game unbeaten streak. The Badgers rallied and won three of their next four meetings against the Bulldogs, including a 4-1 win in the 2007 NCAA championship game on March 18, 2007 in Lake Placid, NY.
LAST WEEK: WCHA-leading UMD extended its hold on the conference by completing its fourth conference sweep of the season against Minnesota State last weekend (Nov. 23-24). The Bulldogs defeated the Mavericks 3-1 last Friday night at the DECC without scoring a single goal at even-strength. UMD used its then ranked No. 1 penalty-kill to not only successfully defuse five MSU power-plays, but tied the game at 1-1 when the Bulldogs notched their second short-handed goal of the year.
UMD topped the Mavericks last Saturday night 10-4, scoring the most goals the Bulldogs have tallied in a single-contest since Feb. 23, 2003 when the Maroon and Gold beat Bemidji State, 11-3. 12 players racked up at least a point in the scoring spree for a second time this season, including four players who registered three or more points.
The Badgers took three out of four points during WCHA play against Bemidji State last weekend in Bemidji, Minn. Wisconsin handed the Beavers a 7-0 bruising Friday before settling for a 0-0 tie on Saturday. The Badgers out-shot BSU 50-14 in Saturday's surprising level outcome.
THE COACHES: Shannon Miller, who currently is the only coach in the WCHA to have racked-up 210 wins, is in her ninth season behind the Bulldog bench.
As the only head coach UMD has ever employed, Miller has amassed an impressive overall record of 210-60-25 and has led the Bulldogs to six NCAA playoff appearances and three straight NCAA Championship titles (2001, 2002 and 2003). She has led UMD into four NCAA Frozen Four berths, including the 2007 NCAA Championship game. No other hockey program in the country has won three consecutive NCAA titles.
For her efforts, Miller was named the 2000 and 2003 Western Collegiate Hockey Association Coach of the Year and the 2003 American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Women’s Division I Coach of the Year. Along with the incredible NCAA runs, her Bulldogs have captured two WCHA regular season titles (2000 and 2003) and three WCHA playoff titles (2000, 2001 and 2003).
During Miller’s time at the Bulldog helm, UMD has produced eight first-team All-Americans, 11 Patty Kazmaier Award Finalists, two WCHA Players of the Year, three WCHA Student-Athletes of the year and one CoSIDA Academic All-American.
The Badgers are led by head coach Mark Johnson, who is in his fifth season with Wisconsin. Johnson has guided the Badgers to two NCAA titles and was named the ACHA Division I Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2007.
IRWIN DOUBLES HER EARNINGS: Freshman forward Haley Irwin earned her second WCHA Rookie of the Week honor Tuesday just 21 days after she picked up her first.
The native of Thunder Bay, Ontario recorded her first collegiate hat trick last Saturday against Minnesota State when she netted three goals and added an assist in UMD's 10-4 victory over the Mavericks. Irwin also had an assist the night before in the Bulldogs 3-1 win over MSU, scoring five points in the two contests.
12 games into her first season in a Maroon and Gold jersey, Irwin has notched 16 points (7-9=16), which ranks her fourth in the nation among rookie scorers with a 1.33 points per game average.
KILLING THEM SOFTLY...AND OFTEN: UMD now ranks second in the nation behind Wisconsin in penalty kills after the Bulldogs gave up three power-goals in last Saturday's win over the Mavericks. The only other time UMD has allowed that many power-play goals in program history was on Dec. 12, 2006, when Harvard (and current Bulldog assistant Julie Chu) found the net three times with a Bulldog in the box.
UMD has a 91.6% penalty kill rate after having challenged 76-of-83 infractions successfully. The Bulldogs have recorded the second most penalties in the NCAA, having logged 215 minutes through 14 games for an average game incarceration rate of 15.4 minutes. The Badgers check in at 93.8% with 60-of-64 violations battled without a red light.
FABULOUS FRESHMEN: Both the Bulldogs and Badgers sport first-year players with big-time ablity. UMD's Haley Irwin and Wisconsin's Mallory Deluce have both been named WCHA Rookies of the Week twice so far this year. Irwin's third on the Bulldogs squad with 16 points, while Deluce has scored eight goals for a total of 12 points. The Badgers are led by Hilary Knight, who has dished out 11 assists in addition to scoring six goals to give her a team-best 17 points 16 games into her first season. UMD's Iya Gavrilova has posted almost identical numbers, ranking second on the Bulldogs scoring chart with four goals and an impressive 13 assists for 17 points through just 14 games.
NET DETECTORS: As the highest scoring offense in the WCHA (3.71 goals per game), it's no wonder the Bulldogs boast some of the leading point-getters. Sophomore forward Saara Tuominen ranks No. 1 in point scoring after combining eight goals and 14 assists for 22 total points. Tuominen also ranks first in assist scoring with an assist a game. Freshman forward Haley Irwin leads the conference with seven power-play goals in 12 contests, while freshman forward Iya Gavrilova is ahead of all freshman in scoring with 17 points (4-13=17). Four of the top 11 point scoring leaders in the WCHA are also, ironically enough, Bulldogs.
GOALTENDING WARS: Recent two-time WCHA Player of the Week sophomore netminder Kim Martin is following the career path of Wisconsin's No. 1 pipe-cleaner. Junior Goaltender Jessie Vetter has won 41 games in just 51 games played over her career, and has recorded 21 shutouts, six of them this season. Martin has played in 28 career games, winning 18 of them, and has recorded six clean-sheets in those outings.
BULLDOG NOTES: UMD is in first place in the WCHA, having played two more conference games than the Badgers...Wisconsin has played more overall games (16) than UMD (14)...UMD is currently four points ahead of the Badgers in the league standings...The Bulldogs are now 6-1-1 in the DECC (.812) this season after last weekend's sweep...Five UMD defensmen tallied points in last Saturday's blow-out of MSU (3 goals, 7 assists), the most this season for the blueliners.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
IRWIN EARNS WCHA ROOKIE OF THE WEEK HONORS FOR SECOND TIME
Via UMDBulldogs.com:
Freshman forward Haley Irwin earned her second Western Collegiate Hockey Association Rookie of the Week honor Tuesday just 21 days after she picked up her first.
The native of Thunder Bay, Ontario recorded her first collegiate hat trick last Saturday (Nov.24) against Minnesota State when she tallied three goals and added an assist in the No. 3 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team 10-4 victory over the Mavericks.
Irwin also had an assist the night before in the WCHA-leading Bulldogs 3-1 win over MSU, scoring five points in the two contests. 12 games into her first season in a Maroon and Gold jersey, Irwin has notched 16 points (7-9=16), which ranks her fourth in the nation among rookie scorers with a 1.33 points per game average.
UMD heads to Madison, Wisc. Friday to set up their national game rematch with No. 4 Wisconsin. The puck drops both Friday and Saturday afternoon at 2:07 p.m.
Monday, November 26, 2007
UMD Up to 3rd in New USCHO.COM Poll
The complete poll, released today (November 26) is below. You can click on the blog title to go see the men's poll, and the Division III polls.
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1. New Hampshire
2. Harvard
3. Minnesota-Duluth
4. Wisconsin
5. St. Lawrence
6. Minnesota
7. Mercyhurst
8. Dartmouth
9. Connecticut
10. Boston College
Others receiving votes: St. Cloud State, Clarkson
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UMD takes on Wisconsin this weekend at Madison at 2 pm central time Friday and Saturday. Wisconsin usually offers FREE live game video from their website under *THIS LINK* Look for the Upcoming Events box, and choose 'Web Stream' to watch the game.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Duluth News Tribune Saturday Mankato article
College hockey: UMD women breeze past Mankato
Andy Greder Duluth News Tribune
Published Saturday, November 24, 2007
The Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey team remained undefeated Saturday against teams not named the Minnesota Gophers.
The Bulldogs beat Minnesota State-Mankato 10-4 Saturday night, received a hat trick from freshman forward Haley Irwin, and UMD (10-3-1 overall, 9-3 WCHA) swept the Western Collegiate Hockey Association series at the DECC.
The WCHA-leading Bulldogs are 1-3 against the Gophers, but 9-0-1 against Mercyhurst and four other WCHA opponents this season. Mercyhurst of Erie, Pa., and College Hockey America is 10-2-2, while the combined record of UMD’s non-Gopher, WCHA opponents is 15-31-11 this season.
Tawni Mattila, Saara Tuominen and Sara O’Toole each scored Friday night as the fourth-ranked Bulldogs beat the unranked Mavericks 3-1.
The Bulldogs cured their case of second-game hangovers Saturday. UMD lost the second game of the Minnesota series 3-0 on Nov. 18 after beating the Gophers 5-0 on Nov. 17. UMD had experienced similar letdowns — yet still won the second game — against St. Cloud State, Bemidji State and North Dakota this season.
UMD captain Saara Tuomninen was right when she said an energized and focused team would show up for the second game against the Mavericks on Saturday.
UMD held a 39-23 shot advantage over the Mavericks (4-7-1, 4-5-1).
Irwin’s hat trick and Iya Gavrilova’s three assists improved UMD’s all-time record against Minnesota State to 29-3-3, and the Bulldogs are 6-1-1 at the DECC this season.
Irwin of Thunder Bay, Ontario found success with persistence.
Her hat trick and assist came after a game-high seven shots and one assist in Friday’s win.
Irwin, who was named the WCHA rookie of the week Nov. 6, has seven goals and nine assists in 12 games this season.
The Mavericks are in sixth place in the WCHA and received one goal in each period Saturday. Mavericks goalie Paige Thunder of Cloquet spelled starter Britni Kehler midway through the second period.
UMD will play at Wisconsin (10-4-2, 6-2-2) in a rematch of the 2007 NCAA national championship game next Friday and Saturday. The Badgers beat the Bulldogs 4-2 to win their second straight national title on March 18 in Lake Placid, N.Y.
The Badgers beat Bemidji State (1-10-3, 0-8-2) on Friday 7-0 and tied 0-0 Saturday.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
UMD Routes Mankato 10-4
UMD routed Mankato 10-4, though it wasn't even that close really.
The fun part was after UMD made the score 6-1, both coaches changed goaltenders and it became Johanna Ellison and Paige Thunder on the ice together. I mentioned wanting to see this before the season, and unfortunately in the blowout game, it happened. There was a brief referee consultation on a UMD goal and a Mankato penalty that allowed them to warmup and be announced at the same time also. They look so alike on the ice, having been coached by Johanna's dad for years.
Amy Meyer played the third period for UMD. Haley Irwin had a Hat Trick for UMD, Jaime Rasmussen scored her first two goals of the season, and Saara Tuominen had a goal and three assists. Myriam Trepanier scored a goal and assisted on two others, and two assists each were given to Iya Gavrilova and Heidi Pelttari. There's so many stats that could be talked about I probably missed some. Check out the game's box score here!
The third period was really sloppy, with both teams taking a lot of dumb penalties and each team ended up with 3 powerplay goals for the game.
News Tribune Mankato Friday Game Article
College women's hockey: Penalty kill leads UMD to victory
Andy Greder Duluth News Tribune
Published Saturday, November 24, 2007
The Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey team took its NCAA-leading penalty-kill unit to the next level Friday night against Minnesota State-Mankato.
The Bulldogs entered the Western Collegiate Hockey Association game at the DECC with successful penalty kills in 58 of 61 chances, with one short-handed goal.
Junior forward Tawni Mattila of Duluth changed that when she scored a short-handed goal off an Iya Gavrilova pass, and the Bulldogs beat the Mavericks 3-1 before 524 spectators.
“We talk about being aggressive and taking advantage of opportunities when they present themselves on penalty kill,” UMD coach Shannon Miller said. “I thought we had three or four good opportunities and were able to capitalize on one.”
UMD (9-3-1, 8-3 WCHA) killed all five Mankato power plays Friday.
“We like to pressure and not let them do what they want,” junior forward Sara O’Toole said. “The intensity on penalty kill has to match power play. That is what we did [Friday].”
Sophomore center Saara Tuominen scored the game-winning goal on a power play at 11:40 in the second period, and O’Toole added another power-play goal at 9:10 in the third.
The Mavericks (4-6-1, 4-4-1) scored first when defender Jodi Helminen slipped a shot past UMD sophomore goalie Kim Martin.
“That first goal was kind of harsh,” O’Toole said. “There weren’t too many shots. [Mankato] got a lucky bounce and got one in. We weren’t down; we knew it was a long game.”
The Bulldogs outshot the Mavericks 15-9 in the first period and went into the locker room tied 1-1.
“We had an idea of what we wanted to attack,” Mavericks coach Jeff Vizenor said. “We were able to do it early. Then they got the short-handed goal and they gain momentum from those things. They got stronger and we got more tentative.”
UMD began to roll with a 13-2 shot advantage in the second period and a 13-8 edge in the third. Martin finished with 18 saves and Mankato goalie Britni Kehler had 38 stops.
With UMD up 2-1 in the second period, Miller encouraged the Bulldogs to continue the pressure.
“I was telling them to play with some urgency,” Miller said. “We need to learn, as a young team, a sense of urgency.”
Miller’s call for aggressive play was in part to letdowns in the second game of recent series. Last week against Minnesota, the Bulldogs won the first game 5-0 on Nov. 17 and lost 3-0 the next day.
“Before the game, we said we need to be focused on [Friday’s] game the same as [Saturday’s],” said Tuominen, a captain from Ylojarvi, Finland, who is the second-leading scorer in the WCHA with seven goals and 11 assists. “I think you’ll see a better team [today].”
The Bulldogs and Mavericks finish the series at 7:07 p.m. today at the DECC.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Dogs get back on track, beat Mankato 3-1
UMD scored TWO (yes, 2) powerplay goals and a shorthanded goal on their way to a 3-1 win over Minnesota State Mankato. Kim Martin stopped 17 of 18 shots to get the win.
UMD scorers were Tawni Mattila, Saara Tuominen, and Sara O'Toole. News Tribune story tomorrow.
UMD/Mankato Preview, UMDBulldogs.com
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the No. 4 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will host Minnesota State University, Mankato this Friday and Saturday at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center. The puck will drop on the Western Collegiate Hockey Association showdown at 7:07 p.m. both nights.
THE SERIES: UMD holds a commanding lead over Minnesota State in the all-time series with a 27-3-3 record against the Mavericks. The Bulldogs are an impressive 15-1-1 when hosting MSU at the DECC.
UMD's one and only program loss at home came last season when the Mavericks knocked the Bulldogs off their home ice advantage with a 5-3 win on Nov. 18, 2006 after UMD tied MSU for the first time in Duluth 5-5 the night before. That series not only marked the first loss and tie for the Bulldogs in the DECC against the Mavericks, but it was also the first time since the 2003-3004 season that UMD did not skate out of a Bulldog-Maverick series with a win.
UMD last swept MSU in its first conference meeting last fall, beating the Mavericks in Mankato 3-1 and 6-1 on Oct. 6-7 to start the 2006-2007 campaign.
LAST WEEK: The WCHA-leading Bulldogs split last weekend with No. 6 Minnesota at the DECC, with a decisive 5-0 win Saturday afternoon and then a 3-0 stumble Sunday. Sophomore goaltending ace Kim Martin stood between the pipes for 80 saves on the weekend. Eight Bulldogs recorded a point in Saturday's scoring spree, including a goal and two assists by UMD tally leader Saara Tuominen, who leads the Bulldogs with 17 points.
The sixth-place Mavericks enjoyed a weekend off from on-ice action after sweeping No. 10 Ohio State two weeks ago 3-2 and 8-3 for the first time in MSU history.
THE COACHES: Shannon Miller, who currently is the only coach in the WCHA to have racked-up 208 wins, is in her ninth season behind the Bulldog bench.
As the only head coach UMD has ever employed, Miller has amassed an impressive overall record of 208-60-25 and has led the Bulldogs to six NCAA playoff appearances and three straight NCAA Championship titles (2001, 2002 and 2003). She has led UMD into four NCAA Frozen Four berths, including the 2007 NCAA Championship game. No other hockey program in the country has won three consecutive NCAA titles.
For her efforts, Miller was named the 2000 and 2003 Western Collegiate Hockey Association Coach of the Year and the 2003 American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Women’s Division I Coach of the Year. Along with the incredible NCAA runs, her Bulldogs have captured two WCHA regular season titles (2000 and 2003) and three WCHA playoff titles (2000, 2001 and 2003).
During Miller’s time at the Bulldog helm, UMD has produced eight first-team All-Americans, 11 Patty Kazmaier Award Finalists, two WCHA Players of the Year, three WCHA Student-Athletes of the year and one CoSIDA Academic All-American.
The Mavericks are lead by seventh-year head coach Jeff Vizenor. Vizenor is 70-124-22 overall at MSU.
MARTIN'S MILESTONE MARK: Considering sophomore goaltender Kim Martin nabbed almost everything that Minnesota could put on her net last weekend, it seems only fitting she would grab the WCHA's Defensive Player of the Week for a second time this season.
The native of Stockholm, Sweden, shattered UMD's previous record for saves in a game when she kept the Bulldog net empty by turning away 50 shots on goal, including a penalty shot, against the Gophers last Saturday to earn the sixth shutout of her career.
Martin, who just recently returned from net-minding duties for Team Sweden at the Four Nations Cup two weeks ago, eclipsed the Bulldog record of 44 saves (set by Riitta Schaublin on March 9, 2007 against Mercyhurst College) after just two periods when she had tallied 45 stops in forty minutes of action. What made Martin's feat even more impressive was the fact that UMD played 12 minutes in the second stanza a man down, including a 5-on-3 that Martin and the Bulldog penalty kill units simply twarted. The clean sheet was Martin's third on the year.
KILLING THEM SOFTLY...AND OFTEN: UMD leads the nation with the most effective penalty-kill, despite conceding a power-play goal to Minnesota last Sunday. The Bulldogs have killed 66-of-70 infractions successfully for a 94.3% rate, and are averaging 15.4 minutes in the box an outing.
Four UMD players have logged 20 or more minutes in the penalty box, including three freshmen. Iya Gavrilova leads UMD with seven penalties totaling 25 minutes, while junior Myriam Trepanier has committed the most violations with 11 for 22 total minutes.
The Mavericks rank No. 7 in the country with their penalty kill unit, which is 50-of-56 for an 89.3 percentage rate, averaging 12 minutes a game a man down.
FROM NEAR AND FAR: The Mavericks sport the second most players from across the Atlantic Ocean in the WCHA after UMD. MSU has two rostered players from Sweden and one from Finland, while the Bulldogs list two from Sweden, two from Finland, and one from Russia.
WELCOME ADDITIONS: UMD added two early signees last week, including Kacy Ambroz of New Prague, Minn. and Lana Steck of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Ambroz tallied 46 goals and 36 as a junior forward last season for New Prague High School, and has tallied 297 points in her high school career so far. She was named an honorable mention All-State last season, as well as to the All-Metro Third Team,
Steck, who orginally signed with the Bulldogs for this season before an injury sidelined her for the year, was a goaltender for Team Mnitoba in the 2007 Canada Winter Games.
BULLDOG NOTES: Senior captain Karine Demeule will be sidelined this weekend due to a foot injury sustained Sunday prior to the afternoon contest...Sophomore Saara Tuominen continues to lead UMD with 17 points (6-11=17), which ranks her No. 16 nationally...Three other players have amassed eleven or more points 12 games into the season, including Tuominen's linemates freshman Iya Gavrilova (4-8=12) and sophomore Elin Holmlov (4-7=11), as well as freshman Haley Irwin, who checks in with 11 (4-7=11)...Irwin has tallied the fifth most points per game in the country for a rookie with a contest average of 1.10 PPG...Kim Martin ranks No. 2 in the nation with a .955 save percentage...Martin has made a total of 275 saves while allowing just 13 goals...11 of the 13 goals that have found the net against Martin were scored by Minnesota in just three games this season...Junior defenseman Myriam Trepanier's game-winning goal in last Saturday's skate landed her in the 7th slot all-time among UMD defensive scorers with 24 career points (10-14=24).
MAVERICK NOTES: Sophomore Kala Buaganski is on a four-game scoring streak with a goal in each game and a total of six points...Seven MSU players earned at least two points in the home sweep of Ohio State on Nov. 9-10...Three players lead the Mavericks in scoring with seven points, including senior Kristine Bunker (5-2=7), junior Maggie Fisher (4-3=7), and Buaganski (4-3=7)...MSU's power-play ranks 23rd in the country, with the Mavericks only having scored seven goals in 54 man advantages (13.0).
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Selling my X-box
Just wanted to mention I'm selling my original X-box game console with 19 games on eBay ;). It works great, but I bought a new computer 6 weeks ago and when I find time for doing some gaming.. I use it instead so I figured I'd let someone else enjoy the X-box.
X-Box listing on eBay
Monday, November 19, 2007
UMD Remains 4th in USCHO.COM Poll
The poll, released today:
1. New Hampshire (14 first place votes)
2. Wisconsin
3. St. Lawrence
4. Minnesota-Duluth
5. Harvard (1 first place vote)
6. Minnesota
7. Mercyhurst
8. Dartmouth
9. Connecticut
10. Clarkson
Others Receiving Votes: Boston College 8, St. Cloud State 5, Minnesota State 1
Sunday's Game Story, News Tribune
College women's hockey: Minnesota dogs UMD
Kevin Pates Duluth News Tribune
Published Monday, November 19, 2007
Minnesota knows it will be back at the DECC once, maybe twice more this season, so the Gophers wanted to leave Sunday afternoon with a positive feeling.
A 3-0 victory over No. 4-ranked Minnesota Duluth did the trick.
No. 6 Minnesota overpowered the leader in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association women’s standings from start to finish before a crowd of 833.
Minnesota (7-4-1 overall, 5-4-1 WCHA) has beaten UMD in three of four games this season and eight of the past 11 in the series, and likely will return to Duluth for the WCHA Playoff Championships on March 8-9, and possibly the Division I Frozen Four on March 20-22.
The shutout win followed a 5-0 loss Saturday in which Minnesota outshot UMD 50-29.
“We were frustrated after losing, but confident in how we dominated the game at times,” said Minnesota captain Bobbi Ross, a senior center who had two assists. “We needed to tweak a few things and become more focused on the little things. No mistakes and getting to the net were important.”
UMD (8-3-1, 7-3) had a setback even before getting on the ice when senior winger Karine Demeule tore ligaments in her left ankle after stepping awkwardly in the locker room.
Coach Shannon Miller didn’t get any positive vibes from her players.
“I’m really disappointed that we did not at least match the intensity of our opponent,” Miller said. “I could tell before I left the locker room that there was no passion, no desire, no fire in the players’ eyes or in their body language. They were asleep.”
After missing on 50 shots on goal Saturday, the Gophers connected on their 56th shot of the weekend when winger Whitney Graft scored at 7:58 of the first period. UMD’s Emmanuelle Blais hit the crossbar on a breakaway with 8:37 left in the period for the Bulldogs’ best scoring chance of the game.
Left wing Erica McKenzie banked a shot off a UMD defender 41 seconds into the second period for a power-play goal and a 2-0 lead, and a UMD turnover led to a 3-on-1 break at 5:33 which finished with a Jen Schoullis goal.
“We played a complete team game and put the puck away,” said Brad Frost, the first-year Minnesota head coach. “We have some pretty special, gifted forwards.”
There was no scoring in the third period, although Minnesota had chances. There was 84 seconds of a 5-on-3 power play, and Gophers center Gigi Marvin got a puck behind UMD goalie Kim Martin with 7:47 left, but a video replay was inconclusive on whether the puck completely crossed the goal line. UMD’s best chance of the period, a2-on-1 break with 7:10 left, was broken up by Minnesota defender Michelle Maunu, a sophomore from Esko.
“When a team doesn’t step up and get energized before the game, they’re not going to find it on the ice,” said UMD junior center and assistant captain Tawni Mattila. “Coming off such an exciting win, maybe we expected it to come easy [Sunday]. We can’t take any game lightly. Minnesota’s a great team, but we have to be prepared.”
Minnesota has handed UMD its only losses this season and outshot the Bulldogs 83-50 for the weekend, including 33-21 Sunday.
Sunday’s loss was UMD’s first at home (4-1-1). The Bulldogs are back at the DECCon Friday and Saturday against Minnesota State-Mankato (4-5-1).
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Gophers beat Bulldogs 3-0
Today's game.... lacked a lot of positives for UMD.. they tried to make too many pretty passes rather than put shots on Gopher goaltender Kim Hanlon. In the first couple minutes Hanlon looked a little shaky, but UMD didn't capitalize and only got 4 shots to her in the whole first period.
Referee Chris Perrault called a strange 'elbowing' penalty on Erin Olson when she dumped the puck into the Gopher zone and was body checked but held her ground as the much bigger player, which knocked down the body checker.. which led to a Gopher goal opening minute of the second period and pretty much let the steam out of the Bulldogs.
They had a few chances but seemed way to reluctant to shoot the puck today.. the powerplays UMD had were miserable, and reminded me of the series three weeks ago when Minnesota scored 3 short handed goals in that series. The Gophers scored 2 of their 3 goals on low five-hole shots and it seemed like that was their goal on the day, to keep the puck low, on the ice.
While going into the series I didn't expect a UMD sweep, they could have at least come out for Sundays game with more effort and shot the puck.
Karine Demeuele didn't play in today's game, for whatever reason, hopefully just an illness. Her presence on the ice could only have helped a lackluster performance.
Saturday's News Tribune Game Story
Before getting into today's loss, Saturday's game story in today's News Tribune:
Martin earns shutout with record saves
BY KEVIN PATESNEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER, Duluth News Tribune
Published Sunday, November 18, 2007
There were a few incentives for the Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey team Saturday afternoon at the DECC.
UMD raised a banner noting its 2007 NCAA Division I runner-up finish.
UMD coach Shannon Miller celebrated her 44th birthday.
A goal by the Bulldogs in the game’s first five minutes would mean T-shirts for 500 fans in a giveaway promotion.
Oh, and Minnesota had smoked UMD twice when the teams met last month in Minneapolis.
Olympic silver medalist goalie Kim Martin led the way in a 5-0 win as No. 4-ranked UMD beat No. 6 Minnesota in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association women’s game before 1,048 spectators.
Martin, a sophomore from Stockholm, Sweden, made a school single-game record 50 saves and sophomore center Saara Tuominen of Ylojarvi, Finland, had a goal and two assists.
“Kim was very stellar; she was spectacular,’’ Miller said. “This game and our [3-1] win over Mercyhurst [Oct. 21] are certainly her best games this season.
“We’re proud we have a convincing win, but I’m not naļve, it was not a five-goal win. We need to be more consistent.’’
Accurate shooting and goals at the start of each period sparked the first-place Bulldogs (8-2-1 overall, 7-2 WCHA), along with the shot-stopping of Martin. She and Tuominen were among UMD players representing their countries in last week’s Four Nations Cup in Leksand, Sweden.
They returned Monday and had to regain their collegiate focus. All the Bulldogs had to remember were 3-2 and 5-1 losses in Minneapolis on Oct. 26-27.
“If a goalie plays good and solid, the team can trust you and follow you,’’ Martin said. “This is probably my best game here. Fifty shots and no goals, I can’t do much better than that.’’
Martin had played five games in seven days with Sweden in the Four Nations Cup during an off-week for the Bulldogs. She said she probably has never had so many saves in a shutout victory. She broke the UMD record of 44 set by Riitta Schaublin against Mercyhurst in the 2007 Division I quarterfinals on March 9, a 3-2 overtime win in Erie, Pa.
The Gophers (6-4-1, 4-4-1) did just about all they could to get on the scoreboard. They had a penalty shot by Gigi Marvin in the first period, they had 27 shots on goal in the second period, and Marvin hit the crossbar late in the third period. They ended up with their most lopsided loss of the season.
“We did a lot of great things offensively, but we turned the puck over in bad spots,’’ said Minnesota coach Brad Frost. “We had chances to change the momentum — with the penalty shot, on a 5-on-3 power play — but we didn’t capitalize.
“Martin was spectacular. That’s one of the best performances I’ve seen.”
Two goals in 3:38 early in the first period gave UMD a 2-0 lead. Tuominen got a centering draw in the offensive zone and passed to defender Myriam Trepanier at 5:21. Winger Karine Demeule put in a rebound at the left edge of the crease at 8:59 to beat freshman goalie Jenny Lura.
Martin stopped Marvin on a penalty shot with 5:39 left in the first period after the Bulldogs were called for covering the puck in the crease.
Tuominen said she was a bit tired after returning from Sweden and didn’t practice until Friday. But she was buoyed by Martin’s performance, and the Bulldogs followed the goalie’s lead.
“We had more energy than when we played Minnesota the first time,’’ said Tuominen, who has six goals this season. “We knew we had to show up and play better.’’
Asked if she had seen Martin play better, Tuominen, a 2006 Finnish Olympian, said Martin was exceptional in the 2006 Winter Games.
The Bulldogs were outshot 27-7 in the second period, when killing five penalties, including 29 seconds of a two-player disadvantage. Martin had a bundle of good saves with a stop on Marvin from the left edge in the 5-on-3 shift.
Tuominen finished a 2-on-1 rush 72 seconds into the second period, and then Elin Holmlov, a Swedish teammate of Martin, scored 47 seconds into the third. Emmanuelle Blais finished the scoring with 6:39 to play. UMD was outshot 50-29.
The Bulldogs had lost three straight to the Gophers and seven of the last nine. UMD is 3-0-1 at home this season and is unbeaten in the last nine at the DECC.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Dogs Shut Out Gophers 5-0!
Kim Martin stopped all 50 Gopher shots, 27 of them in the second period (both UMD team records) to shut out the Gophers 5-0! UMD spent most of the second period in the penalty box, leading to the barrage of shots Martin faced. The Gophers hit at LEAST 4 pipes/crossbars during the game.. that's why they call the goalpost "goaltender's best friend."
The five goal scorers for UMD were Myriam Trepanier, Karine Demeule, Saara Tuominen, Elin Holmlov, and Emmanuelle Blais. Tuominen picked up 2 assists with her goal, and Holmlov assisted on Tuominen's goal. Iya Gavrilova got 2 assists while Hailey Irwin and Jaime Rasmussen each scored one assist as well.
News Tribune Gopher Preview Story
What: Western Collegiate Hockey Association series between the Gophers (6-3-1) and Bulldogs (7-2-1)
When: 3:37 p.m. today;3:07 p.m. Sunday
Where: DECC
RELATED CONTENT
Andy Greder Archive
Rankings: Minnesota is No. 6 and UMD is No. 4 in the U.S. College Hockey Online poll
On Air: KDAL 610 AM
Minnesota Duluth already has experienced some highs and lows in just six weeks of the college women’s hockey season.
On Nov. 3-4, UMD beat North Dakota 9-2 with aseason-high scoring output and followed that up with a3-2 win.
On Oct. 26-27, the then-top-ranked Bulldogs were swept by No. 10 Minnesota one week after UMD beat and tied No. 2 Mercyhurst.
UMD (7-2-1) hopes for a more steady performance today in opening a Western Collegiate Hockey Association series against Minnesota(6-3-1) at 3:37 p.m. at the DECC.
“It has a lot to do with the attitude,” said UMD coach Shannon Miller. “We were brilliant against Mercyhurst and it completely eluded us the next weekend [against the Gophers]. We have to focus.”
UMD had outscored opponents 20-2 entering theMinnesota series in Minneapolis — and lost 5-1 and 3-1.
“We want revenge,” UMD sophomore goalie Kim Martin said. “We didn’t play well last time. I think we always have a hard time playing them [at Ridder Arena]. They are a good team and hard to beat. We were No. 1 and we should have played better.”
“We need our defense to play a lot better,” Miller said. “We need to do a better job of [redirecting] the puck carrier. We need to challenge.”
Miller wants the Bulldogs to be aggressive against Minnesota freshman goalie Jenny Lura, who has a .911 save percentage and 1.84 goals-against average.
“We have to bring speed and aggression to the net and get to rebounds,” Miller said. “We have to work it up with our defense and have traffic in front of the net against a good goalie.”
The Bulldogs had six freshmen in the lineup against Minnesota three weeks ago.
“We have a young team that hasn’t played in college where every game is important,” Martin said. “We have a talented team and coach [Miller] is trying to make us understand that each game is important.”
The No. 4-ranked Bulldogs return four players from last week’s the Four Nations Cup in Leksand, Sweden, while No. 6 Minnesota has three players back.
UMD to add Two Recruits
Lana Steck of Winnipeg, Manitoba and Kacy Ambroz of New Prague, Minn., are expected to sign national letters of intent with UMD this week.
Ambroz had 46 goals and 36 assists as a junior forward last season on the New Prague High School team.
Steck was a goalie for Team Manitoba in the 2007 Canada Winter Games.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
UMDBulldogs.com Gopher Series Preview
It is perhaps the biggest rivalary in all of women's college hockey, and it is set to ignite again for the second time in three weeks at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center this weekend. The No. 4 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will host the No. 6 University of Minnesota Saturday and Sunday in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association rematch of epic proportions. The league-leading Bulldogs and fifth place Gophers square off at 3:37 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.
THE SERIES: Just three weeks ago, UMD (7-2-1. 6-2-0 WCHA) and Minnesota (6-3-1, 4-3-1 WCHA) played at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis. The then-newly minted No. 1 ranked nationally Bulldogs met an inspired Gopher squad, who recorded an awakening 3-1, 5-1 series sweep. In Friday's 3-1 upset, UMD spent a season-high 27 minutes in the penalty box to chase Minnesota's power play unit throughout the match. Netminder Kim Martin nabbed a career-high 40 saves en route to posting double-digit saves in each regulation period for the third time in her career. Saturday's 5-1 slump was the most goals the Bulldogs have allowed in 35 contests.
The losses were the first and only WCHA setbacks of the season for UMD, and gave Minnesota the 15-21-4 all-time series advantage between the two teams. The Bulldogs have faced the Gophers a program record 40 times heading into this weekend, the most they have dropped the puck against any other team.
LAST WEEK: Both UMD and Minnesota enjoyed the last weekend off from NCAA competition, although the Bulldogs lent four current players and all three of its assistant coaches to four different respective national team rosters, while the Gophers loaned three players to Team USA.
Prior to the weekend off, UMD swept North Dakota in Grand Forks, N.D. 9-2 and 3-2 on Nov. 3-4. The Bulldogs have now won nine straight against UND, and Saturday's nine-goal outburst was the most goals UMD has scored in 30 games, stretching back to last season's 9-1 win over Ohio State on Dec. 9, 2006.
The Gophers split with No. 1 Wisconsin in Madison two weekends ago, posting a 3-2 win on Nov. 3 to mark Minnesota's first win over the Badgers since the 2005-06 season when they defeated Wisconsin back on Feb, 10, 2006.
THE COACHES: Shannon Miller, who currently is the only coach in the WCHA to have racked-up 207 wins, is in her ninth season behind the Bulldog bench.
As the only head coach UMD has ever employed, Miller has amassed an impressive overall record of 207-59-25 and has led the Bulldogs to six NCAA playoff appearances and three straight NCAA Championship titles (2001, 2002 and 2003). She has led UMD into four NCAA Frozen Four berths, including the 2007 NCAA Championship game. No other hockey program in the country has won three consecutive NCAA titles.
For her efforts, Miller was named the 2000 and 2003 Western Collegiate Hockey Association Coach of the Year and the 2003 American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Women’s Division I Coach of the Year. Along with the incredible NCAA runs, her Bulldogs have captured two WCHA regular season titles (2000 and 2003) and three WCHA playoff titles (2000, 2001 and 2003).
During Miller’s time at the Bulldog helm, UMD has produced eight first-team All-Americans, 11 Patty Kazmaier Award Finalists, two WCHA Players of the Year, three WCHA Student-Athletes of the year and one CoSIDA Academic All-American.
The Gophers are led by first-year head coach Brad Frost, who took over for former coach Laura Halldorson in August of 2007. Frost had been a Minnesota assistant coach for seven years prior to taking over the team.
IRWIN's EARNINGS: Freshman forward Haley Irwin was named the WCHA Rookie of the Week of Nov. 6 for her point-garnering performances against the University of North Dakota.
The Team Canada U-22 member netted a tally and four assists in the series opener before adding a goal in Sunday's contest. Irwin is currently tied for second as one of the top point getters for UMD (4-6=10) in her first eight collegiate appearances, and is ranked No. 3 in the nation in points per game among rookies with a 1.25 PPG average.
KILLING THEM SOFTLY: UMD has the third ranking penalty kill in the nation after having terminated 54 of 57 infractions successfully for a 94.7 kill rate. Minnesota has the fifth most potent power play in the country, scoring 11 times in 57 chances for a 24.4 percentage.
The Bulldogs rank fifth in the nation with 151 total penalty minutes, averaging 15.1 minutes a game with a man down, while the Gophers are right behind them in the sixth spot with 150 logged minutes for a 15.0 minutes a contest sporting a man disadvantage.
STATE OF CHAMPIONSHIPS: The Bulldogs and Gophers have won five of the last seven NCAA national championships between them. UMD is the only team in NCAA history to have won three-straight NCAA national titles (2001, 2002, 2003), while Minnesota is one of three teams to have won titles back-to-back rings (2004, 2005).
UMD is also the only program in the nation that has accrued three NCAA national titles and a NCAA second-place finish (2007).
TICKET SCALPERS: The Bulldogs and Gophers have seldom, if ever, played against each other in front of an empty rink. Seven of UMD's top-single attendance highs at the DECC have come against Minnesota, with the No. 3 spot through No. 9 Bulldog-Gopher games.
UMD is 8-5-3 all-time when Minnesota has visited Duluth, including 2-0 last season when the visiting Gophers fell at Mars Lakeview Arena 7-1 and 5-1 on Feb. 17-18.
BANNER OCCASSION: Saturday's contest againt Minnesota will feature a special pregame ceremony to honor the 2006-07 UMD women's hockey team. Chancellor Kathryn Martin and Athletic Director Bob Nielson will unveil the 2007 NCAA Second Place banner with a red carpet event prior to the dropping of the puck.
BULLDOG NOTES: UMD is carrying an eight game unbeaten streak at the DECC into this weekend's series...Sophomore Saara Tuominen, who just returned this week from captain duties for Team Finland at the Four Nations Cup, leads the Bulldogs with 14 points (5-9=14)...Freshman Haley Irwin and Iya Gavrilova both have notched 10 points (4-6=10) to rank second and third in UMD scoring...Tuominen has dished out more assists (5) facing Minnesota than any current player listed on the Bulldog roster...Sophomore Emmanuelle Blais has scored seven points (5-2=7) against the Gophers in seven appearances...Netminder Kim Martin made a career-high 40 saves against Minnesota in UMD's 3-1 loss three weeks ago...This weekend's I-35 showdown is the closest regular season back-to-back turnaround in the history of the rivalry (20 days)...The Bulldogs were on the right side of the law in their Nov. 3 9-2 thrashing of North Dakota, picking up a season-low two penalties for a mere four minutes in the box.
GOPHER NOTES: Minnesota is led by senior Erica McKenzie, who has picked up 15 points (9-6=15) through 10 games...Fellow senior and team captain Bobbi Ross has notched 12 points (5-7=12)...Ross has scored 123 points in her collegiate career coming into this weekend's series...Junior defenseman Rachel Drazan was named the USCHO Defensive Player of the Week for Nov. 6 after scoring the game winning goal for the Gophers and adding an assist to help Minnesota knock off Wisconsin 3-2...Drazan leads the Gophers with four power play goals this season.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
YouTube Vids
I got bored tonight and went looking on youtube for some hockey videos
Im not sure who created this but it's a UMD Women's hockey photo montage of 'Simply The Best' including stuff from the last National Championship in Duluth... Maybe new memories can be made in March at the DECC.
Hockey Bloopers Video
Monday, November 12, 2007
November 12 USCHO.COM Poll
The poll, with first place votes in (*)'s
1 Wisconsin ( 6)
2 Mercyhurst ( 3)
2 New Hampshire ( 3)
4 Minnesota-Duluth
5 St. Lawrence
6 Minnesota
7 Harvard ( 1)
8 Dartmouth
9 Connecticut
10 Boston College
10 Princeton
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Finland defeats Sweden 1-0, Canada Wins 2-0 over USA
Finland took third place, and Canada won the 4 Nations Cup tournament for, I believe, the 10th time now. The only notable Bulldog news from either game is Kim Martin stopped 29 of 30 shots vs Finland in the third place game, even though she lost.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Team USA 2 Finland 1, Sweden 3 Canada 5
Team USA beat Finland 2-1, while Canada beat Sweden 5-3 to set up the expected USA/Canada final.
UMD present and former:
For Finland, Saara Tuominen scored their lone goal, while Jenny Potter assisted on both Team USA goals.
Elin Holmlov scored a goal AND picked up 1 assist in the loss to Canada, with Erika Holst assisting on Holmlov's goal. She had been skating on their third line, until this game, when Maria Rooth was moved to third line in favor of a Erika Holst, Pernilla Winberg, Elin Holmlov line. Who knows what might have happened if she'd been on it their other two games.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Finland Shuts Out Sweden 3-0
Sweden again got shut out in the 4 Nations Cup tournament this afternoon.
Former Bulldog Mari Pehkonen scored twice in the 2nd period of this game.
Canda Defeats Team USA 6-3
UMD notes from a game that Team USA was never really in competitively (from the stats, I didn't get to look at the stats live):
Caroline Ouellette scored an assist in the first period..
Assistant Coach Julie Chu picked up a powerplay assist in the third period.
Other stuff from the game boxscore:
The game was 3-1 after the first period, but then Wisconsin goaltender Jessie Vetter gave up 2 quick goals in the first 3:24 of the second period and was chased from the game in favor of Megan Van Beusekom, who played at Princeton and currenty for the Minnesota Whitecaps
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Blog Searching
Once in a while, I like to check and see just how people find this blog and read it. Lately the phrases used in yahoo and google searches to find this blog are 'UMD Women's Hockey' (duh!) and "Johanna Ellison."
Whatever method you use and end up here, thanks for viewing/reading this blog. ;)
Team USA Defeats Sweden 4-0
Kim Martin stopped 38 of 42 shots, but that wasn't nearly enough as Sweden got shut out by Team USA 4-0 in game 2 of the 4 Nations Cup. USA outshot the Swedes 42-24 for the game.
Jessica Koizumi picked up an ASSIST on a goal by Meghan Fardelmann in the third period.
Canada defeats Finland 4-1
Canada defeated Finland in the opening game of the 4 Nations Cup, 4-1.
UMD past or present:
Caroline Ouellette had 2 assists for Canada, and Mari Pehkonen scored Finland's lone goal.
You can check out box scores after the games, provided by Beyond the Dashers website, OR you can check out live stats on hockeycanada.ca, OR on Sweden's hockey website by clicking on 4 nations cup then clicking on 'live' next to the game for live stats.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Haley Irwin Rookie Of the Week
WCHA Rookie of the Week
Haley Irwin, Fr., F, Minnesota Duluth
Haley Irwin, a freshman forward from Thunder Bay, Ontario, had a goal in each game as Minnesota Duluth went into first place in the WCHA by sweeping North Dakota, 9-2 and 3-2, this past weekend.
Irwin had a goal and four assists in the series opener on Nov. 3 and finished the weekend with two goals and four assists. Irwin is currently tied for second as a point leader for Minnesota Duluth (4-6-10) in her first 10 collegiate games.
Also nominated this week were: Jen Schoullis, F, Minnesota; Lisa Edman, F, Minnesota State; Stephanie Roy, F, North Dakota; and Jenna Kilpatrick, Ohio State.
Click the blog title to see the rest of the weekly awards!
USAToday Women's Poll
1. New Hampshire 185 (15)
2. Mercyhurst 159
3. Wisconsin 155 (4)
4. St. Lawrence 118
5. Minnesota Duluth 114
6. Harvard 94
7. Minnesota 82
8. Connecticut 63
9. Ohio State 30
10. Boston College 18
Others receiving votes: Dartmouth 14, Clarkson 2
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/hockey/usatwomen.htm
4 Nations Video Coverage?
Today's Canada vs Sweden exhibition game has been broadcast with live video though Sweden's hockey website website. They don't have it mentioned that far ahead but check tonight and tomorrow morning and just maybe the 4 Nations Cup games will be broadcast with live video online! The Play By Play is in Swedish, but if you're reading this.. you already understand hockey enough where the language it's broadcast in doesn't matter. So, click the link OR the blog title to go to the website and see if there's video. I'm going to try and update when I find out myself also.
Monday, November 05, 2007
USCHO.Com Weekly Rankings/Poll 11-5-07
The Poll is out and UMD is Ranked 4th still (tied for 4th last week.)
The poll (first place votes):
1. New Hampshire (10)
2. Wisconsin (3)
3. Mercyhurst (1)
4. UMD
5. St. Lawrence
6. Minnesota
7. Harvard
8. Connecticut
9. Dartmouth
10. Boston College- Ohio State tie.
No teams are listed as 'others receiving votes' this week.
The USA Today poll comes out tomorrow afternoon.
UMD Off/Bye Week
While a most of the Bulldog's will have a bye week this week to rest or whatever else, it's 4 Nations Cup time for Heidi Pelttari, Elin Holmlov, Kim Martin, and Saara Tuominen. Also joining them in Leksand, Sweden for the 4 Nations cup are coaches Caroline Ouellette(Canada of course) and Julie Chu. Jessica Koizumi makes what I beleive is her first appearance with the TOP tier national team for Team USA also. Every time she got to camps it seemed she ended up injured, but she's playing in this one. Once again Jenny Potter will also be part of Team USA's roster.
Team USA put out a nice Media Guide in .pdf format with roster bios. Check it out!
Team Sweden and Team Finland connections to UMD Bulldogs are once again big in this tournament, besides Pelttari, Holmlov, Martin, and Tuominen. Mari Pehkonen, while only playing one season in Duluth before transferring to Providence, is again on the Team Finland roster.
Maria Rooth and Erica Holst, as always it seems, join Martin and Holmlov on the Team Sweden national team roster.
Pretty much the only place to get much information on the 4 Nations Cup seems to be HockeyCanada.ca. Complete rosters and schedules are listed there.. and I don't believe there is *ANY* live radio coverage of this tournament, but I'm looking to find out.
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