UMDBulldogs.com Saturday story

Because the News Tribune isn't covering this weekend's series (or at least not Saturday's game):

http://www.umdbulldogs.com/womens/hockey/index.php?sect_rank=1&story_id=3554

BULLDOGS UNLEASH OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER ON SIOUX IN 9-2 WIN

Last Updated: Saturday, November 3, 2007 5:25 PM
What a difference a week makes.

The No. 4 University of Minnesota Duluth women´s hockey team sent a strong memo to the rest of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Saturday afternoon by trouncing the University of North Dakota 9-2 in the confines of the Ralph Englestad Arena, in Grand Forks, ND.

Just one week after being held to a season-low two goals in a series, the Bulldogs exploded on the Sioux for a season-high nine goals in a contest, courtsey of six different UMD players. Eleven players in all recorded a point in the outing, and it was the first time in 30 games the Bulldogs have hit the nine-goal mark. UMD last netted nine tallies a season ago when they took Ohio State to task 9-1 on Dec. 9, 2006.

Junior defenseman Myriam Trepanier warmed up the puck first at the 6:01 mark of the opening period when she ripped a shot from the point off a pass from Haley Irwin and Heidi Pelttari. Trepanier's goal was the first of four power play goals to come from the Bulldogs, the most they have put over the goal line all season.

North Dakota would answer with its own power play goal just two minutes later when a diving Casie Hanson would even the game at 1-1, 7:58 minutes into the contest.

Enter junior forward Tawni Mattila, who made only her third appearance in a Bulldog jersey Saturday after sitting out the last six games due to injury. Mattila tucked home a pass from Pelttari to give UMD a 2-1 edge at the 10:45 mark. Just five minutes later, freshman forward Iya Gavrilova scored the Maroon and Gold's game-winning goal and second power play goal of the afternoon when she made good on a brillant pass from Saara Tuominen and Emmanuelle Blais.

Though the Sioux would jump back on the board with just less than three minutes left to play in the first period to come within a single goal (3-2), the Bulldogs' Sara O'Toole punished North Dakota by scoring another power play goal with just ten ticks left on the clock to run UMD's tally to 4-2, and from there, the Bulldogs would never look back.

Gavrilova scored the only goal of the second period when she beat UND's Brittany Kirkham off a pass from Pelttari and Irwin. The Bulldog defense allowed a season-low five shots in the second stanza to help stifle any hope of a Sioux upset showing.

UMD would score four more goals in the third period -- two from Tuominen, Gavrilova's third of the night, and a nice finish by Irwin -- to push the outing completely out of the reach of North Dakota. The Bulldogs helped Johanna Ellison grab her second win of the season after turning away ten saves, and helped themselves by limiting their visits to the penalty box to a mere two infractions for a season rock-bottom of four minutes. The Bulldogs also landed a season-high 50 shots on goal to UND's 30.

UMD (6-2-1, 5-2) will again lace up its skates tomorrow when it finishes up its series with the Sioux (2-4-3, 2-2-1). Game-time for the WCHA contest is slated for 2:07 p.m.