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.