UMD Season (16 Days and counting down!)

UMD 2010-11 Season
Not only do they defend their 5th National Championship, but have a nice new arena to defend the second half of the season. There are only 5 seniors on the roster, to replace the 5 that graduated, plus Libby Guzzo's transfer to St. Scholastica, making 20 total roster players with the three goaltenders (Harss, Martin, and Steck.)

4 players are listed as defensemen.. giving me the idea that Jessica Wong and Elin Holmlov will see some blue line time this season. Some people were asking what the roles of Gina Dodge and Kacy Ambroz would be this season (with the Olympians returning).. but I don't think there's reason to wonder after their play last season.

UMD should be able to roll 3 lines with anyone this year, with defense being the one spot with possible questions with Rasmussen and Murray graduating. Larocque and Gray will be on the ice a lot with Posa (Soph) and Noora Jaakola (Freshman), and whoever they do decide to move from forward to defense to fill in.

Might we see a goaltender battle between Harss and Martin this winter? Martin didn't have a really excellent Olympic tournament, but they (Team Sweden) didn't play anyone for tuneup matches so she had a really bad defensive team in front of her. Sweden would have been far better off to leave it's players on their NCAA teams seeing high caliber opponents, but that's getting off topic. She (Martin) is (reported as) probably the healthiest (knees) she's been as a Bulldog so it will be fun to see both goaltenders probably rotate at least until after Christmas.

Shannon Miller can't go anywhere for at least 5 years.. if not more.. she has 5 rings for 5 fingers.. but needs 5 more for the other hand!

National Championship Game Photos!

Click the blog title to view all my game pictures from UMD's 5th National Championship Win!

After nearly 3 full overtimes, equaling 119 minutes and 26 seconds of hockey (4 hours and 24 minutes real time), the UMD Bulldog women's hockey team became National Champions, for the 5th time! Neither team scored in a first period that had 19 shots between the two teams, and one penalty each. In the second period, Cornell's Melanie Jue scored the only goal, a powerplay goal, at 13:44, and gave Cornell a 1-0 lead at the second intermission. Cornell took a penalty at 19:11 of the second period, and Emmanuelle Blais scored a powerplay goal 18 seconds into the third period to tie the game at 1. Jamie Rasmussen capitalized on another Cornell penalty, at 14:42, skating in deep and burying a centering pass to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead. Less than two minutes later though, Jue tied the game for Cornell, batting in a puck that popped up in the air and bouncing off UMD goaltender Jenny Harss. Cornell took a penatly at 16:42 of the third period, but UMD couldn't capitalize, and the game went to overtime.

The first overtime had great scoring chances for both teams. The best came when Audrey Cournoyer got the puck in front of Cornell goaltender Amanda Mazzotta, and before she could make a move around her, Mazzotta pokechecked the puck and caused it to hop Cournoyer's stick. UMD had 12 shots and Cornell 11 in the first overtime. The majority of the second and third overtime's were spent in Cornell's zone, as UMD started to skate more of the third line and rotate Kacy Ambroz and Vanessa Thibault more into the first two lines to give players a break. Ambroz forechecked hard the 2nd and 3rd overtime and helped the Bulldogs create momentum, but they couldn't get anything by Mazzotta, until the last minute of the third overtime. Laura Fridfinnson was tripped as she gained the zone and a great scoring chance, creating a UMD powerplay. The powerplay expired, but UMD still had the zone when a Tara Gray blast from the blue line was tipped into the net by Jessica Wong, 6 seconds after the powerplay ended, to win the game in overtime. Mazzotta finished the game with 61 saves on 64 shots, while Harss stopped 47 of 49 shots she faced.

UMD captain Saara Tuominen assisted on UMD's first two goals, while Jamie Rasmussen assisted on the first, Cournoyer on the second, and Mariia Posa added to Gray's assist on Wong's game winning goal. Laura Fortino assisted on both Cornell goals, while Lauriane Rougeau and Karlee Overguard each had an assist for the Big Red.

Tara Gray slapshot that Wong tipped for game winner

ALL the game shots

UMD Faces Bemidji State Saturday

Emmanuelle Blais was named a top 10 finalist for the Patty Kaz award, while she and Jamie Rasmussen were named to the All-WCHA First Team, Laura Fridfinnson to the Second Team, and Jenny Harss to the Third Team.

The Dogs head to Ridder Arena for a noon game Saturday with Bemidji State, and the winner of that faces the winner of.. Minnesota and Ohio State! Yes, that is read correctly, Wisconsin's season was ended (barring a low-seed invite to the NCAA tourney) via two overtime losses to Ohio State in the WCHA first round.


Jamie Rasmussen

Emmanuelle Blais

Emmanuelle Blais 4 Goals Dominate North Dakota

Click the blog title to view the game box score...

Last week's WCHA offensive player of the week Emmanuelle Blais scored 4 goals on 11 shots on goal, Saara Tuominen scored a goal and assist fresh off returning from the Olympics, and Jocelyne Larocque scored her first goal of the season as the Bulldogs skated to a 6-2 victory in game one of the best of three playoffs.

Jaime Rasmussen had three assists, Sarah Murray and Jessica Wong each had two assists, while Laura Fridfinnson and Katie Wilson each picked up an assist in the victory. Jenny Harss stopped 30 of 32 shots while UMD scored their 6 goals on 48 total shots on Sioux goaltender Jorid Dagfinrud.


Emmanuelle Blais

UMD Women Sweep Bemidji, Win Regular Season WCHA Championship!

Click the blog title to view the game box score

By way of a 3-0 Jenny Harss shutout of the Bemidji State Beavers, the UMD Bulldog women claimed a share of the WCHA regular season title! They will be the co-champion as the Minnesota Gophers beat the Wisconsin Badgers to secure the split of first place. The Bulldogs, by having more conference victories than the Gophers, get the first seed in the WCHA playoffs and face North Dakota at Heritage Center next weekend.

Emmanuelle Blais scored twice (63 career goals, 66 assists), giving her 22 regular season goals, and Jamie Rasmussen completed another great offensive regular season as a defenseman with her 6th goal of the season and another assist (her 14th) in the win. Jessica Wong picked up two assists, while Laura Fridfinnson and Katie Wilson each picked up one assist.

UMD Beats Bemidji State, Tied For First Place

Click the blog title to view the game box score...

The UMD Women beat the Bemidji State Beavers, while the Wisconsin Badgers beat the Minnesota Gophers in overtime, to give UMD a TIE for first place in the WCHA with one game remaining in the regular season!

Emmanuelle Blais got UMD off on the right foot, opening the scoring at 3:30 of the first period, but Bemidji tied the game at 5:37 when Annie Bauerfield scored, and the teams took a 1-1 tie to the first intermission.

Erin Cody gave Bemidji a 2-1 lead 2:49 into the second period, but from the 5:49 point of the second, when Laura Fridfinnson tied the game at 2, the game was all UMD. Jessica Wong put UMD up for good 17 seconds after Fridfinnson's goal, then added some insurance at 9:48 of the third for a 4-2 lead. A Blais powerplay goal finished the scoring at 14:54 of the third period.

Jenny Harss stopped 38 of 40 Bemidji State shots, while Alana McElhinney stopped 25 of 30 UMD shots.

Blais added two assists to give her a four point game and Katie Wilson picked up three assists. Jamie Rasmussen picked up one assist, and Kirsti Hakala picked up her second point of the season adding an assist on Blais game opening goal.

Jessica Wong

Emmanuelle Blais (aka "Manue")

Ohio State Beats UMD 6-3, Seniors Honored

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Ohio State beat UMD 6-3 (including an open net goal) on Saturday. Paige Semenza got the Buckeyes on the board for the only goal of the first period. Emmanuelle Blais tied the game 5:11 into the second period, but Laura McIntosh scored less than a minute left to give OSU the lead again. Natalie Spooner but Ohio State up by two goals at 15:46, Audrey Cournoyer got UMD within one at 17:24, and Raelyn LaRocque put them back up by two at 18:29 to give a frantic end to the second period. Jessica Wong made the game 4-3 with a goal 3:27 into the third period, but UMD was held scoreless the rest of the game, while OSU got another goal from Spooner, and the empty net goal by Hokey Langan to close out the scoring. After the game the 5 seniors were celebrated for their final regular season home game. Kirsti Hakala, Emmanuelle Blais, Jamie Rasmussen, and Sarah Murray took the ice with their parents, while Saara Tuominen, in Vancouver for the Olympics also received great applause.

The Seniors

UMD SWEEP! Bulldogs Beat Gophers 3-0 Saturday

Click the blog title to view game photos from both games

On Saturday, the Bulldogs finished the job they started on Friday, winning 3-0 to complete the sweep of the Gophers at the DECC. UMD's three goals were all on the powerplay, one per period. Emmanuelle Blais scored in the first period, Laura Fridfinnson scored in the second, and Tara Gray scored in the third. Katie Wilson picked up two assists, while Blais, Gray, Jamie Rasmussen, and Vanessa Thibault each added an assist also. Jenny Harss stopped all 31 shots she faced, earning her third shutout of the season. Jenny Lura, in net for the Gophers, stopped 23 of 26 shots, equaling Grogan's total from Friday night.

The almost obvious offensive and defensive players of the week this week?

One of Friddy's many shots on goal

Jenny Harss

UMD Answers Mankato, Splits Series with 7-1 Sunday Win

On Sunday, UMD gave up the first goal, but went on to dominate, winning 7-1. Sarah Murray scored her first goal of the season and second of her career, answering Ida Clark's goal for the Mavericks. UMD scored three powerplay goals in 3 minutes 20 seconds in the second period to break open the game. Two Jamie Rasmussen (her 4th and 5th) goals sandwiched an Emmanualle Blais goal to give UMD a 4-1 lead barely 6 minutes into the period, and Vanessa Thibault once again found the net at 16:13 for her sixth goal of the season. Blais and Audrey Cournoyer scored unassisted, short-handed goals, 22 seconds apart in the third period to finish the scoring for the Bulldogs. Katie Wilson had three assists, while Saara Tuominen, Jessica Wong, Cournoyer, and Thibault each had an assist themselves. UMD outshot Mankato 36-26, holding the Mavericks to 3 shots in the second period.

Jamie Rasmussen blasting her powerplay goal in the 2nd period

Emmanuelle Blais gets behind the defense for a shorthanded breakaway goal

Former Cloquet (CEC) Lumberjack goaltender Paige Thunder saw third period action on Sunday for Mankato

UMD Beats Ohio State in 3-2 in Overtime!

Click the blog title to view the game box-score from Columbus.

Jamie Rasmussen scored 31 seconds into overtime to give UMD the 3-2 win in overtime. Saara Tuominen and Emmanuelle Blais scored UMD's regulation goals while Mariia Posa assisted on those goals. Blais and Katie Wilson assisted on the Rasmussen game winner, while Jessica Wong and Laura Fridfinnson picked up assists as well in the game.

UMD outshot Ohio State 36-26 and neither team scored a powerplay goal with UMD going 0-5 and Ohio State 0-4. Of UMD's 36 shots, Rasmussen had *9* of those shots so it seems like the perfect ending, for her to score the game winner.

Jamie Rasmussen

Blais & Rasmussen WCHA Players of Week

It seems like a no-brainer really.. with 4 goals and an assist against North Dakota, Emmanuelle Blais was named WCHA offensive player of the week, and Jamie Rasmussen with1 goal and 4 assists is the defensive player of the week for her efforts against the Sioux.

UMD heads to Erie, PA to face unbeaten Mercyhurst this weekend, and after that series, Saara Tuominen and Mariia Posa head to Finland for a week for the 4 Nations Cup tournament, which means they'll miss the series in St. Cloud.

UMD Beats Robert Morris University 5-2

Click the blog title to go see some game pictures....or check out UMDBULLDOGS.COM to check out UMD's recap!

UMD won it's home opener against RMU 5-2 at the DECC October 2nd


, 2009. Laura Fridfinnson had a goal (the game winner) and 3 assists, and Jessica Wong scored twice in the third period to seal the game for the Bulldogs. Jaime Rasmussen and Saara Tuominen also scored their first goals of the season and Jennifer Harss notched her first NCAA win stopping 14 of 16 shots put on her.

#47 Emmanuelle Blais eyes a pass to #9 Katherine Wilson during the first period.

Jamie Rasmussen lets a shot go!

Laura Fridfinnson goes 5-hole on the RMU goaltender!

Post game celebration.

Pos