UMDBulldogs.com Sunday story

Facing the possibility of it’s season coming to an end, the University of Minnesota Duluth needed a win in game three of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association best-of-three first-round playoff series and the Bulldogs not only secured the win but made a statement along the way, crushing St. Cloud State University 5-1 on Sunday night at Mars Lakeview Arena in Duluth, Minn.

“Once again our backs were against the wall and we were in a must win situation and our team stepped up and got it done. Every player on our team played fantastic and I’m extremely proud of their courage and performance,” said UMD head coach Shannon Miller.

Senior captain Noemie Marin put the Bulldogs on top at 1:13 in the first period for her 22nd goal of the season with freshman defenseman Heidi Pelttari assisting on the goal.

Freshman forward Emmanuelle Blais would put UMD up 2-0 with a power play goal at 10:25 in the first with the help of Marin.

With time winding down in the second period Minnesota Duluth would take further control of the game with a power play goal at 19:24 by freshman forward Saara Tuominen. Blais and Marin contributed on the play.

At 12:21 in the third period St. Cloud State would score what would become its only goal of the game when Meaghan Pezon scored her 12th goal of the season with Meghan McCarthy and Brittni Kuyper assisting on the goal.

Already in complete control of the contest, sophomore forward Tawni Mattilla enhanced UMD’s lead to 4-1 at 13:58 in the period. Sophomore forward Sara O’Toole and senior defenseman Suvi Vacker assisted on the goal.

But the Bulldogs weren’t done showcasing their mighty offense as Marin would notch her 23rd goal of the season at 16:53 with senior defenseman Jill Sales feeding her the puck.

Freshman goaltender Kim Martin secured her first playoff win in a Bulldog uniform as she stopped 21 shots in the contest to move to 11-5-2 on the season. Goalie Kendall Newell made 21 saves in the loss for the Huskies.

With the win, UMD (22-9-4) advances to the WCHA tournament at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis next Saturday (March 3). The Bulldogs will be facing the University of Minnesota in the semifinal game with a chance to appear in the WCHA championship set for Sunday (March. 4) at stake.

UMD beats St. Cloud, wins playoff series 2 games to 1

Dogs win 5-1, finish off St. Cloud Huskies.

Not seeing Friday or Saturday's games.... fans from [B]BOTH[/B] sides (before the game) were telling me about their disapproval with the way Dan Lick called the series. St. Cloud came out physical, trying to slow down UMD, but ended up in the box I think 4 straight times to start the game (including a Hirsch 5 minute checking from behind.)

UMD seemed to have a little trouble at first with St. Cloud playing a trap, clogging the ice so they couldn't get the puck established in the zone. If they could have been that physical without taking penalties (the first period penalties on both teams were legit it seemed) they might have kept the first period down to 1-0.

St. Cloud earns a game 3 against UMD with 3-1 win

Once again I have to miss this series(yes, sunday also).. here's the UMDBulldogs.com story from Saturday:

The University of Minnesota Duluth’s often feared offense came to a screeching halt on Saturday night in the Bulldogs' Western Collegiate Hockey Association quarter-final game against St. Cloud State University as UMD dropped a close 2-1 contest to the Huskies to force a game three on Sunday in the best-of-three playoff series at Mars Lakeview Arena in Duluth, Minn.

The Huskies (12-17-7) struck early in the contest with a power-play goal at the 5:38 mark in the first period by Laura Fast, her 16th of the season. Holly Roberts assisted Fast on the goal.

The power-play would again prove to be kind to St. Cloud State as Roberts scored her 17th goal of the season at 18:40 in the first with Caitlin Hogan earning the assist.

Just over half-way through the second period, sophomore forward Michaela Lanzl would make it a one goal margin as she notched her 11th goal of the season at 11:51. Senior captain Noemie Marin and sophomore defenseman Myriam Trepanier contributed on the play.

The Bulldogs’ (21-9-4) stood strong until late in the final period when Roberts scored an empty-netted goal unassisted at 18:35 to wrap up the win for the Huskies and force a deciding third game on Sunday afternoon.

UMD out-shot SCSU 36-22 but it just wasn’t to be for Minnesota Duluth this time around after holding on for a 4-3 win over the Huskies the previous night.

Freshman goalie Kim Martin made 19 saves in the contest for the Bulldogs and her counterpart, Kendall Newell, came up with 35 to earn the win for the Huskies.

The two teams are set to clash at 5:37 p.m. on Sunday (Feb. 25) in the final game of the best-of-three playoff series with each team looking to advance to the next round of the WCHA playoffs the following weekend in Minneapolis, Minn., at Ridder Arena.

Friday game story

a little late but:

It wasn’t the typical one-sided game one usually sees from the University of Minnesota Duluth when the Bulldogs face St. Cloud State University but it still counted as a win as UMD managed to hold on for a 4-3 victory in the first game of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association quarterfinal playoff series at Mars Lakeview Arena in Duluth, Minn.

Freshman forward Emmanuelle Blais put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard first with her 12th goal of the season at 4:36 in the first period on a power play. Senior defenseman Jill Sales fed Blais the puck to earn the assist.

St. Cloud State responded with it’s own goal midway through the period when Holly Roberts rocketed the puck past Bulldog senior netminder Riitta Schaublin for a power play goal. Laura Fast and Hailey Clarkson contributed on the play.

With the two teams tied 1-1 heading into the second and the Bulldogs down a skater due to penalty, things clearly didn’t seem in the Bulldogs favor but junior forward Karine Demeule managed to score a short-handed goal at 5:04 with the assistance of Blais and freshman forward Saara Tuominen.

The Bulldogs would make it a 3-1 contest at 8:41 in the second when Tuominen capitalized on the power play for her 10th goal of the season. Blais and senior captain Noemie Marin assisted her on the play.

Senior forward Jessica Koizumi would make it a 4-1 lead for Minnesota Duluth at 8:25 in the third period with the assist coming from the sophomore forward Michaela Lanzl.

Up by three goals, it was clear Bulldog fans were already mentally celebrating a UMD win but St. Cloud State wasn’t about to let the home fans celebrate just yet.

The Huskies pulled goaltender Lauri St. Jacques to gain an extra attacker and the move paid off for SCSU as Fast struck at the 15:10 mark of the period to chip away at the Bulldogs’ lead. Denelle Maguet and Caitlin Hogan assisted Fast on the goal.

With the final half minute of play ticking away, Hogan would make it a one goal gap as she flicked the puck past Schaublin to bring the score to 4-3.

With the clock winding down, the Huskies desperately tried to get the puck on goal once more but the Bulldogs managed to keep St. Cloud State at bay and hold on for a 4-3 playoff win.

Minnesota Duluth out-shot the Huskies 37-29 and both teams were saddled with 12 penalties apiece in the contest.

Schaublin made 26 saves to earn the win for the Bulldogs, moving her season record to 11-4-2. St. Jacques came up with 33 saves in the Husky loss, falling to 6-9-1 on the season.

UMD (21-8-4) will attempt to wrap-up the best-of-three WCHA first-round playoff series against SCSU (11-1-7) at 7:07 p.m. on Saturday (Feb. 24) at Mars Lakeview Arena.

Dogs beat St Cloud 4-3, take 1-0 series lead

The UMDBulldogs.com game recap and collegehockeystats.net stuff aren't online yet but, from what I know, UMD won 4-3 up at Mars/Lakeview arena to take a 1-0 lead in the best of 3 series. If I dont' get the game recap up tonight when I see it online, I'll try to do it early in the morning before the noon high school games but it's slow driving and a snowstorm forecast still.. I'll probably get it up after the UMD men's game tomorrow (by then the SWEEP should be complete) and get tomorrow's game up then also. Hope there was a decent crowd since the casual UMD fan was probably at the DECC for the men's game.

UMDbulldogs.com playoff preview

The University of Minnesota Duluth will host St. Cloud State University this Friday and Saturday (Feb. 23-24) in the first-round of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs. The puck is set to drop at 7:07 p.m. at Mars Lakeview Arena for Friday and Saturday's contests. If needed, a third game will be played on Sunday at 5:37 p.m. The playoff series between the two squad's will mark the first time UMD and SCSU have faced one another in the playoffs.

THE RECORDS: The Bulldogs clinched the No. 2 seed in the WCHA by defeating instate rival the University of Minnesota 7-1 last Saturday (Feb. 17) and sweeping the Gophers with 5-1 win on Sunday (Feb. 18). The series sweep avenges a sweep to the Gophers earlier in the season. No. 7 seed St. Cloud State enters enters this weekend's WCHA playoff series fresh off a 6-1 and 3-1 sweep over the University of North Dakota.

BULLDOG NOTES: Senior captain Noemie Marin enters the series against St. Cloud State as the second leading point scorer in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Marin has 21 goals and 20 assists for 41 points in 28 league games. Her team-leading 21 goals land her first in the league in goal scoring. Marin is tied for 14th in the nation in power play goals with eight in 32 contests. Senior forward Jessica Koizumi is second on the team in points scored with 16 goals and 16 assists for 32 points in 29 games played. Freshman forward Saara Tuominen has 31 points, having scored nine goals and 22 assists. Freshman goalie Kim Martin sports the WCHA’s top save percentage with a .960 in league play. Martin is the No. 2 goalie in the nation in saves percentage with a .951. She is second in the WCHA in goals against average with a 1.10.

HUSKY NOTES: Freshman forward Holly Roberts leads St. Cloud State in points this season with 30. She has scored 15 goals and 15 assists in 34 games for the Huskies. Junior forward Laura Fast is second on the team in points with 27, having scored 14 goals and 13 assists in 34 games. Fast finished the regular-season tied for 17th with UMD’s Emmanuelle Blais for point scoring in the WCHA with 24. She scored 13 goals and 11 assists in WCHA contests this season.Freshman forward Caitlin Hogan and senior forward Hailey Clarkson have five power play goals in league play. Roberts finished the regular-season tied for second place in the WCHA in short-handed goals with two. Freshman forwards Meaghan Pezon and Roberts finished tied for sixth in the WCHA for freshman scoring with 19 points.

THE SERIES: Minnesota Duluth holds a 26-6-1 record in the all-time series with St. Cloud State. The Bulldogs won all four regular-season games against the Huskies this season.

WCHA ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: For the second week in a row, UMD freshman forward Elin Holmlov has been named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s Rookie of the Week. Holmlov had two goals and two assists in the Bulldogs’ two wins (7-1, 5-1) over the University of Minnesota last weekend (Feb. 17-18) that clinched a second place league finish for UMD. The Knivista, Sweden, native is averaging a point per game in 22 WCHA games this season for Minnesota Duluth and her 20 assists are second on the team.


ON THE AIR: For the eighth year, you can hear all the action for the Bulldogs home and away games live. This weekend the games will be covered on 970 AM (WGEE). Ray Schow will be handling the play-by -play duties this weekend. The broadcast can be heard via the internet at: www.umdbulldogs.com. Click on the “Bulldogs on the Air” link. Follow the link to WARP radio and enter in the call letter “WDSM,” then hit “Go.” Finally, click the “Click Here to Listen” link.

UMD/SCSU playoff games switched to Mars Lakeview Arena

For me, this stinks.. They've changed the women's playoffs to 7:07 at Mars Lakeview Arena now rather than the double headers at the DECC. This means.. I'll be at the men's games because of shared tickets this weeked. The closest I'll get to putting up a game 'report' will be copy/paste of the umdbulldogs.com story I guess.

I know the atmosphere of the games at Mars Lakeview were great, but.. the pepband probably has to be at the DECC also rather than Mars so some of the atmosphere goes away. Then there's the few of us who DO go to BOTH teams' games......that cannot go to both obviously this weekend.

Sunday's sweep game story

From UMDBulldogs.com:

f today’s game between the University of Minnesota Duluth and the University of Minnesota is any indication of how the playoffs might pan out for the Bulldogs, the team and all their fans are in for a wild ride as Minnesota Duluth dispatched the Gophers 5-1 in the final regular season game for both squads on Sunday at Mars Lakeview Arena in Duluth, Minn.

With the win, UMD managed to sweep Minnesota this weekend (7-1, 5-1), avenging a sweep by the Gophers over the Bulldogs earlier this season. UMD is now 20-8-4 overall and enter next weekend’s Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs with 19-6-3 league record. Minnesota falls to 20-11-1 on the season.

"I’m extremely proud of our team and how we pulled together and played together this entire weekend," said UMD head coach Shannon Miller. "Sweeping the Gophers is a big deal for us for league standings and national rankings and for pride itself. Our team played a great weekend and Kim Martin was great as well. We feel good and we feel strong going into the playoffs."

Freshman forward Saara Tuominen would start the offensive charge for the Bulldogs as she came up with an unassisted goal at 6:37 in the first period of play.

Sophomore forward Michaela Lanzl would make it a two goal contest when she managed to jump over the stick of a Minnesota defenseman, sneaking the puck past her, and launching the puck past the Gopher’s netminder at 17:25 in the first period. Senior captain Noemie Marin and freshman forward Elin Holmlov assisted on the goal.

The Bulldogs would make it a 3-0 lead at 1:34 in the second when freshman forward Emmanuelle Blais found the back of the net for her 11th goal of the season with the help of Tuominen and senior defenseman Jill Sales.

Lanzl would show off her speed and offensive power once more when she poked the puck free from the Gophers’ Erica McKenzie, passing the puck onto Marin who scorched the puck into Minnesota’s net at 10:33 for her 21st goal of the season.

With a commanding lead already, and the clock winding down in the second period, sophomore forward Sara O’Toole picked up the puck at the blue line and skated it in to Minnesota’s zone where she rocketed it past the Gophers’ goaltender at 19:11. Senior defenseman Ashly Waggoner earned an assist on the play.

Early in the final period, Minnesota’s Dagney Willey scored on a delayed-penalty at 3:58 in the period but it would be the only puck the Gophers’ could get into the back of the net during the contest.

Despite being out-shot 33-23 by the Gophers, UMD was able to hold down Minnesota’s offense and skate away with a 5-1 win, and the sweep. Each team was saddled with seven penalties for a total of 14-minutes in the box and neither team managed to score with the extra skater.

Freshman goaltender Martin earned the win for the Bulldogs, stopping 32 shots on goal. She is now 10-4-2 on the season. Goalie Kim Hanlon stopped 18 shots for the Gophers. With the loss, she is now 8-6-0.

Minnesota Duluth will be back in action next Friday (Feb. 23) when the Bulldogs host St. Cloud State University in the first-round of the WCHA playoffs at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center. The puck is set to drop at 3:37 p.m.

UMD SWEEPS GOPHERS 5-1 Sunday!!

What a big weekend! I'm going to wait and post the UMDBulldogs.com game story... just wanted to post the above pics plus mention:

All 3 WCHA players of the week could come from UMD FRESHMEN this weekend. Elin Holmlov as Rookie of the week, Emmanuelle Blais as Offensive player of the week, and Kim Martin (ok..she DID play both games) as the obvious Defensive player of the week. This is said without knowing what other players did on the weekend.

Dogs ROUT Gopher 7-1, Clinch WCHA 2nd seed!

I don't think ANY of us imagined this game becoming a rout, but holy crap UMD came out skating. Emmanuelle Blais set the tone with 2 goals in the first 2:38 and UMD didn't look back after that.

Blais and Lanzl seemed to take advantage of a speed deficiency of the Gophers early and often, getting around the defense almost at will. Elin Holmlov also got 2 goals for UMD. Koizumi, knee injury and all, was flying all over the ice, playing the 2nd line, IF you can call a line with Blais and Tuominen a "2nd" line. Sara O'Toooooooooooooooooooooooooole saw some ice time as well, coming off a bad back injury.

The whole team came to play and noone seemed to take a shift off for UMD today. The crowd was great also, though I don't think I've ever seen fans bring old frying pans to a game for noise makers!

UMD has clinched the 2nd seed for the WCHA playoffs, regardless of tomorrow's outcome. Tom Hansen(post game radio) said the tentative start of the playoff games next weekend are 4:07, but with the MEN playing at home I'm positive that will change to 3:07 or even 2:37

News Tribune Gopher preview

What: Western Collegiate Hockey Association women’s regular-season finale

When: 3:07 p.m. today, Sunday

Where: Mars Lakeview Arena (1,500)

Rankings: UMD is seventh in the PairWise Rankings; the Gophers are eighth in PairWise. The Bulldogs have a two-point advantage over the Gophers for second in the conference. If UMD ties both or wins at least one game, it seals the No. 2 spot for next week’s WCHA playoffs.

Radio: WDSM 710 AM today; KDAL 610 AM Sunday.

Series: UMD is 13-18-4 against the Gophers and were swept 5-3, 1-0 earlier this season.

coaches

* UMD’s Shannon Miller is 184-54-24 in her eighth season.

* Minnesota’s Laura Halldorson is 275-64-22

gophers update

Minnesota split last weekend’s series against Bemidji State when it was upset in the opener 2-0, which it followed with a 5-3 win. The Gophers are 6-4 in the past 10 games. Offensive leaders include So. F Gigi Marvin (17 goals, 18 assists), Jr. F Bobbi Ross (15-12—27) and Jr. F Whitney Graft (7-18—25). Marvin was recently named to the U.S. National team’s preliminary roster for April’s World Championships. So. G Brittony Chartier (.899 GAA, 2.24 save percentage) and So. G Kim Hanlon (.914; 2.04) split time in goal. The Gophers’ power play is at 23.2 percent and penalty kill is at 86.1 percent.

bulldogs update

UMD swept North Dakota last weekend 4-0, 5-1 and is 7-1-2 in the past 10 games. The Bulldogs are led by Sr. F Noemie Marin (19-17—36), Sr. F Jessica Koizumi (16-15—31); Fr. F Saara Tuominen (7-20—27). Fr. G Kim Martin (.949; 1.41) and Sr. G Riitta Schaublin (.932; 1.66) have recently split time in goal. Martin is expected to start today, Sunday’s starter is TBA. The Bulldogs’ power play is at a lackluster 17.9 percent. Fr. F Elin Holmlov (4-18—22) is the WCHA Rookie of the Week after registering two assists against the Fighting Sioux.

UMDBulldogs.com Gopher weekend preview

BULLDOG NOTES: Senior captain Noemie Marin enters the series against the University of Minnesota as the second leading point scorer in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Marin has 19 goals and 16 assists for 35 points in 26 league games this season. Her team-leading 19 goals land her first in the league in goal scoring. Marin is tied for 14th in the nation in power play goals with eight in 30 contests. Senior forward Jessica Koizumi is second on the team in points scored with 16 goals and 15 assists for 31 points in 27 games played. 15 of her 16 goals have come in league play. Freshman forward Saara Tuominen has 27 points this season, having scored seven goals and 20 assists. In WCHA play alone for freshman scoring, Tuominen has six goals and 20 assists for 26 points, for second place. Freshman forward Emmanuelle Blais is tied for fourth in the conference in freshman scoring with teammate Elin Holmlov. Blais has eight goals and 13 assists. Holmlov has three goals and 18 assists. Freshman goalie Kim Martin sports the WCHA’s top save percentage with a .959 in league play. She is third in the nation in goals against average with a 1.41 gaa. Martin is the No. 1 goalie in the nation in saves percentage with a .949. Junior forward Karine Demeule is 10th in league play for goal scoring with 11 goals. The Bulldogs have three players listed in the top 10 in the WCHA in assist scoring.

GOPHER NOTES: With the University of Minnesota's win against Bemidji State, the Gophers have now won 20 games in each of head coach Laura Halldorson's 10 seasons. Sophomore forward Gigi Marvin has a team-leading 35 points this season. She has 17 goals and 18 assists in 29 games so far. Marvin is tied for fifth in the WCHA in point scoring with 30 points in 26 league games. Her 16 goals in conference play place her fourth in the league in goal scoring. Junior forward Bobbi Ross is second on the team in points scored with 15 goals and 12 assists for 27 points. In all, the Gophers have 11 players in double digits for points this season.

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Elin Holmlov Rookie of the Week

WCHA Rookie of the Week
Elin Holmlov, Fr., F, University of Minnesota Duluth

Feb. 13, 2007 - Elin Holmlov, a University of Minnesota Duluth freshman forward from Krivista, Sweden, had two assists in the Bulldogs' two Western Collegiate Hockey Association road victories (4-0, 5-1) over North Dakota last weekend, which moved Duluth into second place in the league race.

Holmlov is averaging a point per game in 22 games for the Bulldogs so far this season and her 18 assists are second on the team. She has four goals and 18 assists overall.

View all the weekly awards by clicking the blog title!

Dogs finish sweep 5-1

From UMDBulldogs.com:

The University of Minnesota Duluth’s mighty offense exploded for five goals from five different players in a 5-1 win over the University of North Dakota on Sunday in Grand Forks, N.D.

Senior defenseman Jill Sales put the Bulldogs on top at 16:47 in the first period for her third goal on the season. Sophomore forward Michaela Lanzl assisted on the goal.

The Bulldogs struck again less than half a minute later with a goal by senior forward Jessica Koizumi. Senior captain Noemie Marin and sophomore defenseman Myriam Trepanier assisted on Koizumi’s 16th goal of the season.

After a scoreless second period and up by two goals, Minnesota Duluth found the back of the net early in the third period when senior defenseman Suvi Vacker scored her first goal of the season at 2:56. Junior forward Karine Demeule and sophomore forward Tawni Mattila contributed on the play.

At 8:48 in the third, freshman forward Emmanuelle Blais made it a 4-0 lead for UMD when she scored her eighth goal of the season. Trepanier and freshman forward Saara Tuominen assisted on the goal.

North Dakota scored its first goal of the series on an unassisted goal from Ashley Lynch at the 10:29 mark of the period.

Late in the third, Marin would put to rest any thought of a North Dakota comeback when she scored her team-leading 19th goal of the season at 17:04 on the clock. Koizumi earned an assist on the play.

Freshman goaltender Kim Martin gave up one goal and stopped 13 shots in the contest for the win, moving her record to 8-4-2 on the season. Sophomore Amie Meyer, the Bulldogs’ backup goalie, played for roughly two minutes in the game, facing one shot. She also played roughly five minutes in yesterday’s game.

Brittany Kirkham made 31 saves for North Dakota and drops to 3-25-2 on the season with the loss.

UMD rocketed 36 shots on goal in the contest as opposed to only 15 by North Dakota. With the win, Minnesota Duluth is 18-8-4 overall and 17-6-3 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. North Dakota drops to 3-27-2 and is still winless in league play.

The Bulldogs will wrap-up regular season play next weekend (Feb. 17-18) against the University of Minnesota at Mars Lakeview Arena in Duluth, Minn. The puck is set to drop at 3:07 p.m. in both contests.

Saturday's news tribune Sioux game article

Noemie Marin scored twice and Elin Holmlov and Michaela Lanzl had two assists as the Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey team shut out North Dakota 4-0 Saturday in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association women’s game in front of 247 at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D.

The Bulldogs have not given up a goal to the Fighting Sioux since UMD’s 6-1 win Nov. 5, 2005.

The teams finish the series at 2:07 p.m. today. Freshman goalie Kim Martin is expected to start.

The seventh-ranked Bulldogs improve to 17-8-4 overall, 16-6-3 in the WCHA. North Dakota (3-26-2, 0-24-1 WCHA) is winless in conference play and has sealed the No. 8 seed for the WCHA playoffs. North Dakota faces Wisconsin, who secured the WCHA title last weekend when they took three points from the Bulldogs.

UMD senior goalie Riitta Schaublin had 19 saves before she was replaced by Amie Meyer in the third period. Meyer faced just one shot.

North Dakota freshman Brittany Kirkham had 34 saves in the loss.

The Bulldogs had a list of things to accomplish in Saturday’s game, and managed all but one.

“Our [penalty kill] set a goal to be at 100 percent. We set a goal for our power play to start scoring goals [Saturday] — which we didn’t,” UMD coach Shannon Miller said via telephone. “We set a goal to win 60-70 percent of our faceoffs, which we did. We set a goal to score two goals in the second period. We set some goals, We achieved them.”

UMD sophomore Tawni Mattila scored the game-winning goal, unassisted at 12:40 of the first.

Marin added a goal at 5:49 of the second and Demeule’s unassisted goal came at 12:09.

Marin scored the final goal — her 18th of the season — at 16:04 of the third period.

UMD was unable to score during seven power plays. The teams combined for 10 penalties in the final period.

The Fighting Sioux have been challenged offensively this season, and have been outscored 121-36 through 31 games.

UMD senior Jessica Koizumi, who sat the last series with an injury, played the entire game. She went from the third line to skating a regular shift on the second line and special teams.

The Bulldogs finish the regular season next weekend against Minnesota at Mars Lakeview Arena.

Dogs beat Sioux 4-0

I was at the Cloquet section semi-final(Cloquet wins 2-1) and didnt' hear the game, but UMD beats North Dakota 4-0 up at 'The Ralph.'

Riitta stopped 19 shots and let Amie Meyer play the last 5 minutes for a little more game experience. I really think she'll be a good backup to Kim Martin next year, and probably has earned a few spot starts next season. Even saying that, we still need a third goaltender for the just in case scenarios and if Martin has any international events she needs to be at during the season, you have to have that second goaltender on the bench.

Koizumi played today, so hopefully she's feeling good tomorrow and getting the strength back in her knee.

UMD outshot NoDak 38-20 for the game.

UMD heads to North Dakota

The UMDbulldogs.com preview for the North Dakota series is online...

BULLDOG NOTES: Senior captain Noemie Marin enters the series against North Dakota as the second leading point scorer in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Marin has 16 goals and 15 assists for 31 points in 24 league games this season. Her 16 goals land her second in the league in goal scoring. Marin is tied for 12th in the nation in power play goals with eight in 28 contests. Freshman forward Saara Tuominen is currently 11th in the nation in points per game for rookies. Tuominen has 26 points this season, having scored seven goals and 19 assists. In WCHA play alone for freshman scoring, Tuominen has six goals and 19 assists for 25 points, for second place. Freshman forward Emmanuelle Blais is fourth in the conference in freshman scoring with seven goals and 13 assists. Freshman forward Elin Holmlov is fifth in the WCHA in freshman scoring with three goals and 16 assists for 19 points in 18 games. Freshman goalie Kim Martin sports the WCHA’s top save percentage with a .960 in league play. She is fifth nationally in goals against average with a 1.44 gaa. Martin is second in the nation in save percentage with a .950. Bulldog senior goaltender Riitta Schaublin is No. 11 nationally in goals against average with a 1.77. She has a .934 save percentage in WCHA play. Senior forward Jessica Koizumi is currently sixth in the WCHA in point scoring with 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points in 21 games played. Junior forward Karine Demeule is 10th in league play for goal scoring with 10 goals. The Bulldogs have four players listed in the top 10 in the WCHA in assist scoring.

NORTH DAKOTA NOTES: Sophomore forward Samantha Bowers has five goals and three assists for eight points this season. She is tied for the team lead in goals and currently leads the team in assists. Senior forward Alexia Gagnon-Laplante has five goals and two assists on the season. Sophomore forward Randi Motsko has four goals and three assists thus far this season. Seven North Dakota players have five points. Freshman goalie Brittany Kirkham has a 3.56 goals against average this season

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UMD loses 2-1 in Overtime to Wisconsin

It was a fun series, and another great game tonight... Tonight UMD came out firing but Wisconsin really did take the second period to them once again. I think all the hard work, then to give up the first goal with just a minute left in the period deflated UMD for part of the second period.

Riitta Schaublin played great again, stopping numerous shots right in front of her. The game winning goal in overtime was a defensive lapse killing the penalty causing a breakaway.

This weekend was the best I've seen UMD play for a complete weekend in 2 full seasons, so even only taking 1 pt I think it was a great growing weekend with the playoffs coming.

The senior ceremony was nice but interesting... Julianne Jubinville wasn't announced as a senior, so I really hope she decides to come back to school and try to play next season. That is, if she's medically cleared, I want to see her play her senior season.

I'm not sure Michaela Lanzl's decision by the NCAA has been made yet, as she also wasn't announced during the senior ceremony after the game.

News Tribune's Friday game story

Badgers, ’Dogs tie
Jon Nowacki Duluth News Tribune
Published Saturday, February 03, 2007
At first glance, Minnesota Duluth had no business being in its women’s hockey game against Wisconsin on Friday night.

The Bulldogs were playing without four of their top nine forwards and often looked winded. The Badgers, meanwhile, were putting shot after shot on net.

But anyone who thought the Bulldogs were out of it doesn’t know this year’s Bulldogs. The walking wounded can still skate, and they proved it again Friday, rallying for a 1-1 Western Collegiate Hockey Association tie against second-ranked Wisconsin before a season-high 975 fans at the DECC as Bulldogs senior Noemie Marin tied the game with 47 seconds left in regulation.

Wisconsin outshot UMD 33-14, but Bulldogs freshman goalie Kim Martin stopped 32 shots. With the tie, Wisconsin increased its unbeaten streak to 14 games while UMD increased its streak to 10.

“For the last month, we’ve been talking about surviving because of all our injuries. It’s amazing,’’ said UMD coach Shannon Miller. “So until we get all our injured players back, we’ll just keep trying to find ways to win games. We got outplayed, but Kim played fantastic tonight, and the team pulled together and got so excited when we scored. I love it. We’re elated.’’

Seventh-ranked UMD (16-7-4) got off to a good start and had some good scoring opportunities in the first period. Instead, it was Wisconsin (24-1-4) jumping to the early lead at 17:57 in the first period when freshman Emily Kranz took a pass from behind the net by Kyla Sanders and lifted a shot just over Martin’s left shoulder and into the net. Martin was flawless the rest of the way, playing technically sound and steady.

“The goalie is the X-factor,’’ said Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson. “You can look at teams on paper and look at this or look at that, but when the goaltender is playing well and she’s seeing things like that, it can be difficult to score.’’

It would stay 1-0 despite Wisconsin dominating the second period and much of the third period, with the Bulldogs getting only one shot on net in roughly a 30-minute stretch.

The Badgers outshot UMD 9-1 in the second period and 13-5 in the third, and it could have been even worse if UMD didn’t have a 6-to-4 advantage in power plays. Power plays were about the only time the Bulldogs could get shots on net, but they never took advantage of them, including a squandered 5-on-2 advantage for 40 seconds midway through the third period.

“I was so happy when we finally scored because our team worked so hard,’’ said Martin, whose .959 save percentage is the best in the league despite missing a good part of the season with knee injuries. “I didn’t mind that we weren’t getting a lot of shots. You don’t need a lot of shots to score. It’s hard for goalies when you’re not getting many shots. I like to see a lot of them.’’

Instead, UMD would rely on Marin’s late-game heroics. Ironically, perhaps Martin’s biggest save came when she wasn’t even on the ice. UMD pulled her with 57.1 seconds remaining after an icing, and Bulldogs forward Saara Tuominen controlled the faceoff. She quickly passed the puck over to Elin Holmlov at the point, and the freshman launched a shot on net.

Badgers goalie Jessie Vetter couldn’t handle the shot and the puck dropped in front of the net with Vetter out of position. Marin reached across her body and grabbed control of it and flipped in a backhander for the game-tying goal.

“I thought at times we were trying to be too fancy and should have shot more, but we didn’t do too bad at controlling the puck,’’ Marin said. “We’re getting things done because of our character and heart, and Kim played awesome. She was the difference. She was a wall tonight.’’

Wisconsin, which suffered its only loss this season to UMD, outshot the Bulldogs 3-1 in overtime but neither team truly was a three in the extra session.

At the very least for Wisconsin, which came into the game needing three points to clinch its second straight WCHA title, the Badgers can feel OK about getting a point.

“We created a few chances, but if we get to two [goals], you don’t have happen at the end what happened,’’ Johnson said. “We iced the puck when we didn’t need to and created a faceoff at the other end, and they pulled their goalie. That’s the nature of our game: Teams look for bounces and teams look for breaks. They got one tonight.’’

* UMD first-line winger Jessica Koizumi missed Friday’s game with an MCL tear. The senior from Simi Valley, Calif., has shown rapid improvement but is still considered day-to-day.

UMD/Wisconsin tie 1-1

Great hockey game from the aspect of a hockey fan. Maybe not the type of game UMD would want to play, getting outshot drastically. Kim Martin kept UMD in the game and allowed them to get the tying goal with herself pulled & the powerplay, Marin scoring off Holmlov's rebound.

The shots were 33-14 for the game. I don't think Jay Mendel refereed a bad game at all, though he COULD have put UMD in the penalty box about a shift before they scored, evening up the players on the ice. It was a fun atmosphere, and the attendance count says 975 but it felt like a larger crowd, even though it was obvious by looking around that it was indeed around 1,000 at best.

Let's do it again tomorrow night, but let's win and make Wisconsin earn the title on Ohio State's ice instead of at the DECC.

News Tribune Weekend Preview

The news tribune preview for the Wisconsin series is available at
http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/articles/index.cfm?id=34844§ion=Sports

UMDBulldogs.com preview for Wisconsin

As always, click the title to go to the FULL page...

BULLDOG NOTES: Senior captain Noemie Marin enters the series against the Badgers as the second leading point scorer in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Marin has 15 goals and 15 assists for 30 points in 22 league games this season. Her 15 goals land her second in the league in goal scoring. Marin is tied for seventh in the nation in power play goals with eight in 26 contests. Freshman Saara Tuominen is currently 10th in the nation in points per game for rookies. Tuominen has 25 points this season, having scored seven goals and 18 assists. In WCHA play alone for freshman scoring, Tuominen has six goals and 18 assists for 24 poins. Freshman forward Emmanuelle Blais is third in the conference in freshman scoring with seven goals and 12 assists. Freshman goalie Kim Martin sports the WCHA’s top save percentage with a .959 in leage play. She is fifth nationally in goals against average with a 1.48 gaa. Martin is second in the nation in saver percentage with a .948. Bulldog senior goaltender Riitta Schaublin is No. 10 nationally in goals against average with a 1.75.

BADGER NOTES: Wisconsin enters the weekend’s series with firm control of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, holding a 18-1-3 record in league play and 39 points. Senior forward Sara Bauer leads the conference in point scoring with 12 goals and 29 assists for 41 points in WCHA play. She is No. 3 nationally in points per game having scored 18 goals and 34 assists (52 points) for a 1.86 points per game average. The Badgers also have three more players in the top ten in point scoring in WCHA play alone. Junior forward Jinelle Zaugg currently leads the league in goal scoring with a total of 17 goals in 22 conference games. Junior Meghan Duggan leads the WCHA freshman in scoring with 15 goals, 14 assists and 29 points in 22 league games. Badger senior goalie Christine Dufour is No. 1 nationally in save percentage with a .949. She is also first in goals against average with a 0.91.

SERIES: Minnesota Duluth holds a 17-12-5 advantage in the all-time series with Wisconsin dating back to the 1999-2000 season. The two squads skated to a series split earlier this season with the Bulldogs taking the first game 2-0 before falling to the Badgers in a 1-0 contest the next day. UMD handed Wisconsin its only loss of the season with the 2-0 Bulldog win at the Kohl Center back on Nov. 24th. WCHA front-runner Wisconsin can claim the WCHA regular season crown with a win and a tie or two wins against the second-place Bulldogs.

U of Wisconsin's weekend preview

Click the blog title to go view the page:

The No. 2 Wisconsin women’s hockey team goes head-to-head with No. 7 Minnesota Duluth Feb. 2-3 in a series that could determine the regular season conference champion. In their final road series of the regular season, the Badgers look to improve upon their 13-game unbeaten streak as well as claim the WCHA crown.

For the 24-1-3 Badgers, it will take one win and a tie, or two wins to guarantee their second consecutive WCHA regular season title. Wisconsin has already clinched home ice for the first round of the WCHA playoffs, though the opponent has yet to be determined.

Women’s hockey fans can watch and listen to Saturday’s contest as Wisconsin and Minnesota Duluth will be featured as the USCHO Game of the Week. The audio and video feeds can be found by clicking here. (http://www.uscho.com/agate/item,WGOTW.html)

The last time the two foes met, each team walked away with a shutout victory. The Bulldogs won 2-0 on Nov. 24, issuing the UW its only loss of the season. The Badgers responded the next day with a 1-0 win.

Most recently, the UW has been relentless against its opponents, out-scoring them 39-2 in eight contests since Jan. 1. In addition, Wisconsin has shut out its opponent in six of its last seven games, including both games last weekend against Minnesota State.

Outstanding efforts by Wisconsin veteran Sara Bauer have continued to lead the Cardinal and White. Against MSU, Bauer recorded eight points, including five on Saturday, which tied her best-ever points-performance as a Badger and led to her second WCHA Offensive Player of the Week honor this season.

The 5’3” forward leads the nation in points with 52 (18 goals, 34 assists), which is 15 more than any other player in the WCHA. She stands just two points away from becoming the seventh player in NCAA history to reach 200 career points.

As a team, the UW boasts four of the top five point-scorers in the WCHA. Bauer (52 points), Meghan Duggan (37), Meaghan Mikkelson (35) and Jinelle Zaugg (35) all rank in the top five while Erika Lawler (29 points) is tied for ninth among league players.

In net for the Badgers, after making 20 saves on Jan. 27 to record her 16th career shutout, senior Christine Dufour tied the school record for career shutouts. Jessie Vetter also earned a shutout with 18 saves on Jan. 26 to notch her third consecutive shutout.

Holding a 16-7-3 overall record and 15-5-2 league record, the Bulldogs have rebounded from some early-season losses. In their last nine competitions, UMD is 7-0-2. They most recently took three points from Ohio State after beating them 5-3 Friday and skating to a 1-1 tie Saturday.

Minnesota Duluth’s Noemie Marin and Jessica Koizumi lead the squad in points with 31 and 29, respectively. The two seniors have notched 15 goals apiece this season, with eight and seven, also respectively, scored on the power play.

Senior Riitta Schaublin and freshman Kim Martin share time between the posts for the Bulldogs. Schaublin owns a .925 save percentage and a 1.75 goals-against average. Martin holds a .948 save percentage and a 1.48 goals-against average.

The games are set to begin at 7:07 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center.

Wisconsin Athletic Communications Erin Starck
2/1/2007 8:54:12 AM