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.