THE SERIES: The Bulldogs (27-4-1) are 37-0-1 all-time against the Beavers, including 4-0 in outings this season. Bemidji State remains the only WCHA opponent UMD has never conceded a setback to.
The Maroon and Gold outscored the Beavers this season 16-2, while outshooting BSU 177 to 62 in four skates. UMD held Bemidji State to just seven shots in its last encounter in Bemidji, Minn. on Jan. 19, which resulted in a 6-1 Bulldog win.
BSU posted its most impressive effort against UMD on Oct. 14 at the the DECC, falling only 1-0 to the usually high-octane offensive of the Bulldogs. Beaver netminder Emily Brookshaw, a 2005-06 U-22 U.S. National Women’s Festival Team member, faced 35 shots in the contest, keeping 34 of them out of the net.
The two squads have met only one other time in the first round of the WCHA Playoffs. The Bulldogs hosted BSU at the DECC back on March 3, 2006, and upended the Beavers 7-2. UMD returned the following night to hand BSU a 3-0 setback on March 4, 2006.
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My prediction is a relatively easy sweep, though I'm glad to be able to see BSU goaltender Emily Brookshaw play this weekend.
Next stop is postseason for UMD women's hockey team
Andy Greder Duluth News Tribune
Published Monday, February 25, 2008
The wait is over for Minnesota Duluth. The playoffs are next.
UMD dispatched St. Cloud State with a workmanlike 3-2 victory Sunday at the DECC, and the Bulldogs are primed for a postseason run after a stellar 32-game regular season.
After clinching the Western Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season championship Saturday with a 5-1 win over the Huskies, the second-ranked Bulldogs weren’t caught looking ahead to the playoffs.
“The season is far from over,” senior captain Karine Demeule said. “The best part is coming.”
The Bulldogs will play Bemidji State in a best-of-three, first-round WCHA playoff series at 7:07 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the DECC. If necessary, a third game will take place at 7:07 p.m. next Sunday.
If the Bulldogs beat the Beavers, UMD will host the WCHA Final Face-Off on March 8-9.
The Bulldogs (27-4-1, 24-4 WCHA) went undefeated against five of the seven league teams. The Bulldogs were 20-0 against St. Cloud State, Ohio State, Minnesota State-Mankato, North Dakota and Bemidji State. Against second-place Minnesota and third-place Wisconsin, UMD was 4-4.
To close the season, the Bulldogs won 19 of their past 20, a span that included a16-game winning streak.
UMD went 11-1 in 2008 with two members of its first line out for extended periods of time. Sophomore captain Saara Tuominen missed the first 10 games of 2008 with a torn knee ligament. Freshman winger Iya Gavrilova has missed the past six and is under an NCAA eligibility investigation.
In their extended absences, the second line of Emmanuelle Blais, Haley Irwin and Laura Fridfinnson has stepped up.
Irwin, a freshman center, leads the team with 45 points. Wingers Blais and Fridfinnson have contributed a combined 50 points.
On Sunday, Elin Holmlov, the first line’s mainstay, scored two first-period goals, both assisted by Tuominen.
At 1:21, Tuominen passed to an open Holmlov on the left side for a short-handed goal. At 10:14, Tuominen found Holmlov for a power-play score.
“We just have a connection, kind of,” said Tuominen, who returned to full practice one week ago. “We have been, like, on the same line for almost two years, so it wasn’t too hard to come back. We are supporting each other all the time.”
The short-handed goal was the fourth that St. Cloud State has given up in its past three games. The Huskies made up for the miscue with a goal on the same power play at 1:55.
Irwin put UMD up 3-1 with a goal in the last minute of the first period.
There was no scoring in the second period and first half of the third period until Felicia Nelson’s slap shot from the top of the right circle at 11:31 brought St. Cloud State to within a goal.
After the game, WCHA commissioner Sara Martin presented UMD with the WCHA regular-season trophy and the school honored its senior, Demeule, and Samantha Hough, whose career was cut short because of an injury.
“It is exciting because I’m a senior and it’s the first time I’ve won the WCHA [regular-] season [title],” Demeule said. “So it’s really exciting for me. It’s great that we are hosting the WCHA tournament two weeks from now. It makes everything even more exciting because we really want to do well here.”
College women's hockey: UMD defeats St. Cloud State
Kevin Pates Duluth News Tribune
Published Saturday, February 23, 2008
Center Haley Irwin had two goals and linemate Laura Fridfinnson added a goal and an assist Saturday afternoon as Minnesota Duluth defeated St. Cloud State 5-1 in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association women's game at the DECC.
The No. 2-ranked Bulldogs (26-5-1 overall, 23-4 WCHA) clinched the league's regular-season championship. No. 13 St. Cloud State (16-12-5, 11-12-4) is fourth in the league.
Irwin and defender Myriam Trepanier scored goals 11 seconds apart early in the second period for a 4-1 lead. Fridfinnson had the only goal of the third period at 2:57.
The Bulldogs were up 2-0 after one period as Irwin scored a short-handed goal 2:13 into the game and Elin Holmlov added a goal with 8:46 left in the first period.
Irwin finished off a flurry in front of the St. Cloud State net at 3:23 of the second period for her 18th goal of the season and Trepanier followed at 3:34. The UMD women's record for fastest two goals is six seconds.
St. Cloud State winger Felicia Nelson broke goalie Kim Martin's shutout bid with 2:39 left in the second period.
The Bulldogs are 17-1 against No. 13 St. Cloud State at the DECC and 19-2 in Duluth overall versus the Huskies.
Each team had six shots in the first period. Martin was in goal for UMD and Kendall Newell for St. Cloud State. UMD led in shots 17-11 after two periods and 27-15 for the game.
Yes, I know there's an investigation ongoing but until otherwise informed, UMD is WCHA Regular Season CHAMPION!
THE SERIES: UMD holds a 30-6-1 all-time lead over the Huskies, including a 16-1 tab at the DECC (and 18-2 overall in Duluth). The Huskies one and only win at the DECC, (they beat the Bulldogs at Mars Lakeview Arena last year on Feb. 24, 2006 3-1 in the first round of the WCHA Playoffs) was Feb. 24, 2002, when St. Cloud State handed UMD a 3-0 defeat on its home ice.
The Bulldogs and Huskies (16-11-5) opened the 2007-08 season in St. Cloud to the Maroon and Gold's favor, posting two shutouts to sweep its first WCHA team of the season. UMD picked up a 3-0 victory on Oct. 5th, and then blanked St. Cloud State on Oct. 6th by a tally of 8-0. Nine Bulldogs registered a point in the series, with sophomore Saara Tuominen notching two goals and three assists. Goaltender Kim Martin, who was named the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week following her stellar performance in St. Cloud, made 61 saves in 119:27 minutes of action.
LAST WEEKEND: UMD (25-4-1, 22-4-0) was idle over the weekend.
THE COACHES: Shannon Miller, who currently is the only coach in the WCHA to have racked-up 225 wins and has never won fewer than 20 games in a season, 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 225-61-25 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.
St. Cloud State is led by second-year head coach Jeff Giesen. Giesen has tallied a 28-27-12 mark in two seasons behind the Husky bench, and is 1-9-0 in ten outings against the Bulldogs.
A MATTER OF RECORDS: The Bulldogs are on the verge of erasing a few of their past program records. UMD already rewrote the books earlier in the season when they rolled through the opening four games of the year without allowing a goal for the first time in program history. The Maroon and Gold then tallied a school-best 16-game winning streak from Nov. 24rd through Feb. 2nd, and tied a 1999-00 mark for most WCHA series swept in regular season play with 10.
One Bulldog victory this weekend would set a new UMD record for most WCHA wins in a year. The current record of 22 was set during the 2004-05 season. A Bulldog sweep would tie a school all-time high of 27 regular triumphs in a year, as well as set the new program benchmark for most WCHA series swept in a season (11).
THE CAPTAIN RETURNS: Sophomore captain forward Saara Tuominen, who last suited up for the Bulldogs on Dec. 15, will return to the ice this weekend in a UMD jersey. Tuominen, who was leading the Bulldogs in scoring when she was injured in the European Air Canada Cup the first week in January, had scored 30 points (11g, 19a) in just 20 games this season.
WHO WILL BE CROWNED THE CHAMPS? The Bulldogs hold an advantage heading into the last weekend of regular season WCHA play. With a one point lead over Minnesota, a UMD series sweep would assure the title champions would be crowned in Duluth Sunday, no matter what the result of the Badger-Gopher showdown in Minneapolis. A UMD split would complicate matters, through, and would force the Bulldogs to rely on a Wisconsin-Minnesota series split. A UMD split and a Gopher sweep would result in a Minnesota regular season WCHA title.
The Bulldogs have twice been hailed the WCHA Regular Season Champions (2003 and 2001) in their nine-year history, but have never raised the trophy in Duluth.
SNIPERS AND STREAKERS: Three Bulldogs are in individual races for the 2007-08 WCHA Scoring and Goaltending Championships. The two awards are based on conference games only, and players must have competed in a minimum of 33% of their team's minutes.
Freshman forward Haley Irwin is currently on top of the league scoring race with 39 points (15g, 24a). Right behind Irwin is Minnesota's Gigi Marvin, who is sitting at 37 points, with Bulldog freshman forward Iya Gavrilova in third with 34.
Gavrilova still has a 14-game scoring streak intact, while Irwin is joined by fellow freshman forward Laura Fridfinnson in the midst of seven-game scoring tabs in their own right.
Between the WCHA pipes, netminder Kim Martin trails only Wisconsin's Jessie Vetter (1.38, 1439:26) in the goaltending race. Martin owns a 1.46 goals against average in 1187:48 minutes of action.
Martin, who now has 33 wins in 47 appearances for her career, is ranked No. 2 in the NCAA with a .952 save percentage, allowing just 33 goals in 655 shots against her.
NATIONALLY SPEAKING: Freshman forward Iya Gavrilova just edges out Haley Irwin in the national statistics as the sixth ranked scorer in the country with 1.58 points per game (Irwin is ranked 7th with 1.46). Gavrilova and Irwin are the No. 1 and 2 rookie scorers in the nation with 41 points each.
The Bulldogs as a whole own the No. 3 scoring offense in the NCAA and the leading scoring attack in the WCHA, averaging 4.03 goals a contest. UMD is also the second ranked penalty kill in the nation, having deflated 138-of-149 of opponents power-play attempts for a 92.6 success rate.
CLICK and go read the entire preview
I've received a few emails and a blog comment asking why there hasn't been any Iya Gavrilova blog entries concerning the investigation into her eligibility. Well, I decided that to really be fair, the best thing to do is wait until either Iya, Coach Miller, UMD, or the NCAA gives us some FACTS, so there's some real information to comment about.
The one thing I will say is that the NCAA needs to expedite any decision and soon, because the WCHA playoffs are coming, and if UMD's wins are voided it would completely change the WCHA and NCAA playoff pictures.
So, when there is concrete information from any of the sides, and a decision on what's going to happen, I'll give my opinions about it :)
College women's hockey: UMD’s win streak snapped
Andy Greder Duluth News Tribune
Published Saturday, February 09, 2008
Being sick is never fun.
But being sick when you’re supposed to be playing your best hockey just makes the illness worse.
With eight Minnesota Duluth players battling the flu, the third-ranked Bulldogs saw their school-record 16-game winning streak snapped in a 3-2 defeat to fifth-ranked Wisconsin in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association women’s game Friday at the DECC.
After taking a 1-0 lead, the Badgers (21-6-2 overall, 17-4-2 WCHA) answered both UMD goals with another score.
The Bulldogs (24-4-1, 21-4) tied it at 1 in the second period when freshman Laura Fridfinnson lifted a shot past Wisconsin goalie Jessie Vetter. UMD knotted it again at 2 when sophomore Emmanuelle Blais scored at 4:52 in the third period.
“They had three or four shifts when they really came at us,” Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson said. “We just found a way to win.”
Wisconsin increased its winning streak to 11 with Kayla Hagen’s game-winning goal at 10:26 in the third.
UMD outshot the Badgers 29-24, including 14-6 in the third period, but the Bulldogs converted only 1-of-8 power plays.
“I thought we had a lot of good chances, though,” UMD coach Shannon Miller said of the power plays. “That’s the difference right there.”
The Bulldogs got seven of their eight sick players back Friday, with the exception of freshman Iya Gavrilova. Friday’s pregame skate was the first time everyone skated together this week.
“We didn’t have the energy,” Miller said. “They really [were] giving what they have. The energy is low. It’s not because they aren’t excited to play Wisconsin; it’s with that many people getting over the flu or that shouldn’t even be playing.”
The sick ward included Elin Holmlov, Kim Martin, Karine Demeule, Haley Irwin, Heidi Pelttari, Emmanuelle Blais and Libby Guzzo.
“Some of the kids that played tonight probably wish they had a couple more days [of rest],” Miller said.
Demeule, a senior captain, saw positives in the loss.
“After winning 16 games, it boosted our confidence,” Demeule said. “This game against a great team showed we can play hard when we aren’t our best.”
The Bulldogs were stuffed by Vetter and the Badgers, who rank second in the nation with 1.21 goals-against per game.
“Didn’t you see that sheet of Plexiglas we had behind the net?” joked Johnson. “The best penalty killer is the goalie. They had some flurries, but she was up to the task.”
Vetter finished with 27 saves, while Martin had 21 stops for UMD.
The Bulldogs were able to sweep Vetter and the Badgers on Nov. 30-Dec. 1 behind late-game heroics from Gavrilova, who scored two goals in two minutes for the overtime win Dec. 1. Wisconsin beat UMD 4-1 for the 2007 national championship on March 18.
The two teams will play at 7:07 p.m. today to conclude the series.
STREAKING BULLDOGS AND BADGERS TO WRANGLE FOR WCHA TITLE FRIDAY AT THE DECC
In a series that could crown the Western Collegiate Hockey Association champion, the No. 3 University of Minnesota Duluth is set for a collision course with the No. 5 University of Wisconsin in the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center Friday and Saturday night at 7:07 p.m. The Bulldogs are perched at the top of the WCHA, eight points in front of the Badgers. UMD will head into the series with a nation-best 16-game winning streak, while UW will bring to Duluth a 10-game winning string of its own. In this showdown of WCHA powers, one team will be forced to abandon its winning streak Friday night after the ice has settled.
THE SERIES: The Bulldogs will put a 19-14-6 all-time record on display against the Badgers this weekend, including a 7-7-2 showing at the DECC. UMD has not beaten Wisconsin in Duluth since they won back-to-back games on November 5-6, 2004.
UMD swept the Badgers in Madison back on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. The Bulldogs handed UW a 3-1 loss on Nov. 30 behind three goals from three different freshmen, with UMD stifling Wisconsin's power-play five times. The Maroon and Gold then scored two goals in just 45 seconds to convert a comeback into a 3-2 victory on Dec. 1, thanks to freshman Iya Gavrilova, who scored both tallies.
click the title to go read the rest!
I'm a couple days behind with this but:
University of Minnesota Duluth freshman forward Haley Irwin, who has already earned Western Collegiate Hockey Association Rookie of the Week honors three times this season, was named the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for her effort against Ohio State over the weekend. Irwin tallied three goals and three assists for six points to help the No. 3 Bulldogs sweep the Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio.
The native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, scored a goal and dished up three assists in UMD's 6-2 final in Friday night. Irwin then stepped up in the absence of the Bulldogs' first liners and scored two goals, including the game-tying tally the following evening in UMD's 3-2 late-contest win. The rookie, who trails only teammate Iya Gavrilova as the leading rookie scorer in the nation and the WCHA, has scored six points in her last two series (4-8=12). Irwin has compiled 36 points (15g, 21a) in 26 outings this season.
Irwin and the Bulldogs will host No. 5 Wisconsin at the DECC in a battle for WCHA supremacy Friday and Saturday night. The puck drops on the action at 7:07
College women's hockey: Larocque’s clutch goal helps ’Dogs edge Ohio State
News Tribune, Duluth News Tribune
Published Sunday, February 03, 2008
The freshman class continues to shine for Minnesota Duluth.
Saturday’s star was Joss Larocque.
The defender from Winnipeg, Manitoba, scored the game-winning goal at 18:10 of the third period to boost the Bulldogs past Ohio State 3-2 in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association game at the OSU Ice Rink in Columbus, Ohio.
“Our entire first line was out,” UMD coach Shannon Miller said of the injured or sick absences of Iya Gavrilova, Saara Tuominen and Elin Holmlov. “We just had to get a win3-2, 2-1, whatever, and we did it.”
UMD beat the Buckeyes 6-2 Friday night behind two goals from freshman winger Laura Fridfinnson.
The third-ranked Bulldogs (24-3-1, 21-3 WCHA) have won 16 straight games.
Larocque has been in UMD’s top defensive pair since the start of the season and has registered three goals and 15 assists.
Fellow freshman Haley Irwin scored the other two goals for UMD. The freshman center from Thunder Bay, Ontario, scored on a breakaway at 6:10 of the second period to tie the score at 1.
Mallory Peckels scored a short-handed goal as Ohio State took a 2-1 lead at 9:27 of the third.
Irwin scored her second goal of the game at 10:03 to tie the game at 2 before Larocque won it.
Ohio State (12-13-3, 7-12-3) had a 38-30 shot advantage, with a 14-5 edge and a 1-0 lead after one period.
UMD goalie Kim Martin made 36 saves, and Deidre Facklis had 27 stops for the Buckeyes.
Saturday’s late game-winner was the second time the Bulldogs have staved off defeat in 2008. Senior captain Karine Demeule scored with six seconds left as the Bulldogs edged Minnesota State-Mankato 2-1 on Jan. 11.
As always I'll copy/paste the News Tribune article when its' up, but Laura Fridfinnson socred the game winning goal at 18:10 of the third period to give UMD the sweep over Ohio State.
Haley Irwin tied the game at 2 at 10:03 of the second period, just 36 seconds after UMD gave up a short handed goal to Mallory Peckels.
College women's hockey: Fridfinnson leads UMD to 15th consecutive win
NEWS TRIBUNE
Published Saturday, February 02, 2008
Winger Laura Fridfinnson has been an overlooked player in Minnesota Duluth’s stellar freshman class.
While Iya Gavrilova and Haley Irwin are No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation in freshman scoring, Fridfinnson has been a consistent player on UMD’s second line.
Fridfinnson, from Arborg, Manitoba, scored two goals to lead the third-ranked Bulldogs over Ohio State 6-2 Friday night in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association game at OSU Ice Rink in Columbus, Ohio.
“[Fridfinnson] is a very talented freshman,” UMD coach Shannon Miller said. “It took some time for her to get going, and now she is doing well.”
With the win, UMD improved its school-record winning streak to 15 games.
While Gavrilova leads the team with 40 points and Irwin is second with34 points, Fridfinnson has contributed 10 goals and13 assists for 23 points in27 games.
The WCHA-leading Bulldogs (23-3-1, 20-3 WCHA) scored four straight goals to break a 2-2 second-period tie.
In the first 26 minutes, the Bulldogs scored and the Buckeyes quickly answered.
Fridfinnson scored the game’s first goal in the first period, and Ohio State tiedit in the second period.Irwin gave the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead, and the Buckeyes tied it within three minutes.
The Bulldogs won despite the absence of first-line players Gavrilova, who was out with the flu, and Saara Tuominen, who remains out with a torn knee ligament. Elin Holmlov played sparingly withflu-like symptoms.
UMD held a 44-28shot edge, including a36-17 advantage through two periods.
Kim Martin made26 saves for UMD, while Liana Bonanno had 38 stops for the Buckeyes (12-12-3,7-11-3).
Karine Demeule, Emmanuelle Blais and Sara O’Toole also scored for UMD.
The Bulldogs converted on two of five power plays, and Ohio State was 1-for-6.
WCHA Rookie of the Week
Haley Irwin, Fr., F, University of Minnesota Duluth
Haley Irwin, a freshman from Thunder Bay, Ontario, scored a goal and added five assists for six points in the University of Minnesota Duluth's WCHA sweep over North Dakota over the weekend.
Irwin dished out four assists in last Friday's (Jan. 25) 8-1 scoring spree, and then netted the first goal of the game and another assist in last Saturday's 5-0 UMD victory.
Irwin, who has now recorded two goals and eight assists for 10 points in her last three outings, has scored 31 points, the second highest on the No. 3-ranked Bulldogs squad, making her the second highest scoring rookie in the nation.
Others nominated this week were: Emily West, F, Minnesota
Nina Tikkinen, F, Minnesota State, Nikki Hebert, F, North Dakota
Teal Bishop, D, Ohio State
and Mallory Deluce, F, Wisconsin.
The Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey team is enrolled in mental toughness training.
Coach Shannon Miller conducts the course with the hopes of focusing on teams at the bottom of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. The class includes reading material with quotes on preparation and commitment, and a list of player goals.
“The ability to be disciplined enough to stick to the game plan, no matter what the circumstance,” the reading material says. “And control yourself, rather than being controlled by the situation. The ability to not be distracted, disturbed or knocked off your intended course.”
The first-place Bulldogs weren’t distracted Saturday night against North Dakota in a 5-0 victory to sweep the WCHA series at the DECC. The Bulldogs downed the Sioux 8-1 Friday.
The recipe for a letdown has loomed as the No. 3-rated Bulldogs — winners of 14 straight — played last-place Bemidji State Jan. 18-19 and seventh-place North Dakota (4-20-4 overall, 4-16-2 WCHA). The Bulldogs are 20-1 all-time against the Sioux and 37-0-1 against the Beavers.
“We can’t take any opponent for granted,” said UMD’s Joss Larocque. “We did that with Minnesota and after that we don’t take anyone lightly. We’ve done a great job of that and 14 wins shows it.”
UMD (22-3-1, 19-3) is 1-3 against the Gophers and hasn’t lost since Nov. 18.
“Since we’ve been talking about mental toughness, our team is recognizing situations where they need to be mentally tough,” Miller said. “It is one of the reasons we are having success.”
To preempt a possible letdown, the players’ goals are tailored to focus on each game.
“Personal greatness is not determined by the size of the job, but by the size of the effort one puts into the job,” the goal sheet says.
The Bulldogs have met their goals with a breakout period in each of the past four games.
Against Bemidji State, UMD scored three goals in the second period of a 5-1 win Jan. 18 and four goals in the first period in a 6-1 victory Jan. 19. A four-goal second period opened up Friday’s drubbing.
On Saturday, UMD scored all of its goals in the second period.
Freshman forward Haley Irwin scored a power-play rebound goal at 2:26 for a 1-0 lead. Iya Gavrilova and Karine Demeule scored goals in the 10th minute. Elin Holmlov and Laura Fridfinnson added scores late in the period.
UMD is the highest-scoring team in the country at 4.12 goals per game.
“They understand momentum,” North Dakota head coach Brian Idalski said of UMD. “When they have someone on the ropes, they know how to finish. They are very successful at that.”
The Bulldogs had a 45-15 shot advantage, including an 18-4 edge in the lopsided second period.
“We’ve been able to pop in goals right away,” Irwin said. “We didn’t do it at the start [Saturday], but we got one and they started to come.”
Late in the third period, the Bulldogs and Sioux got into a scrum. Irwin landed a few gloved punches to the helmet of the Sioux’s Ashley Lynch. The fracas sent six players, three from each team, to the penalty box. Players on the two teams also fought Friday.
UMD converted on two of seven power plays, while holding North Dakota scoreless on three player advantages.
UMD plays at Ohio State (12-11-3) at 6:07 p.m. Friday and 3:07 p.m. Saturday. The Bulldogs return home Feb. 8-9 to play second-place Wisconsin.
The News Tribune really didn't have that much in it for Friday's game so I'll skip posting that, other than to say Elin Holmlov was credited with the hat trick in Friday's game.
Today's game was all UMD, winning 5-0 with all of their goals coming in the second period.
North Dakota's women's team is brutal. This of course is my own opinion... They cut Samantha Bowers, who always took a huge number of penalties, before the season, and still managed to take an amazing 23 penalties for 46 minutes on the weekend.
Iya Gavrilova continued her amazing point scoring streak with her 19th goal in tonight's series finale. If she doesn't win the WCHA rookie of the year there's something wrong with the voting for that award.
After a 1-0 first period, UMD took it to the Sioux in the second and third periods to win 8-1. Jessica Hawkins got her first goal of the season, with Erin Olson receiving her first point (an assist) on Hawkins goal.
Elin Holmlov scored twice, Haley Irwin picked up four assists, and Iya Gavrilova continued her torrid scoring pace with one goal and two assists.
View the rest of the scoring over at Collegehockeystats.net. I'll post the News Tribune story tomorrow night.
UMD came out a little slow in the first period, but whatever was said during the first intermission was perfect and the team picked up their play from the opening faceoff of the second period.
With Erin Olson getting an assist on the Jessica Hawkins goal, Libby Guzzo remains the only skater (non-goalie) to get at least an assist.
Click on the blog title to see the page.
The No. 3 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will look to extend its program record of 12 straight wins in the confines of the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center this weekend when the Bulldogs host the University of North Dakota. UMD, which will return to its home ice for the first time since Dec. 9, 2007, will face the Sioux Friday and Saturday night with 7:07 p.m. starts each evening.
THE SERIES: UMD, which currently holds the NCAA's longest winning streak with 12 victories, owns a 18-1-0 advantage over the Sioux (4-18-4, 4-12-2), including a current nine-game winning streak against UND.
The Bulldogs swept the Sioux earlier this season in Grand Forks, N.D., by scores of 9-2 (Nov.3) and 3-2 (Nov. 4). Freshman forward Haley Irwin notched two goals and four assists in the series to earn WCHA Rookie of Week honors the following week, and classmate Iya Gavrilova earned her first career hat trick in the 9-2 rout of UND on Nov. 3.
The one and only time UMD has ever dropped a contest to the Sioux was in the DECC on Feb. 11, 2006 when North Dakota snapped a nine-game winless streak against the Bulldogs, handing them a 2-0 setback.
LAST WEEK: UMD (20-3-1, 17-3-0) kept their grasp on the WCHA lead and stayed seven points ahead of the rest of the field by earning their eighth conference sweep of the season against Bemidji State this past weekend. The Bulldogs bit the Beavers 5-1 Friday night behind Iya Gavrilova’s second career hat trick, and brought out the brooms Saturday afternoon in a 6-1 win in Bemidji, Minn. Sophomore forward Elin Holmlov had two goals and an assist in Saturday’s offensive outburst, while eight UMD players logged a point on the afternoon. The Bulldogs have scored 23 goals in four skates with BSU this season.
Saturday’s win set a new program record of 12-straight wins for the Bulldogs, while Gavrilova tied a UMD record Friday when she scored a goal in her ninth consecutive contest, a feat only Maroon and Gold alums Jenny Potter and Hanne Sikio have reached.
The Sioux hosted No. 4 Minnesota last weekend in Grand Forks, suffering two setbacks in the process. UND was defeated 4-1 Friday night and 2-1 Saturday for its third consecutive loss.
THE COACHES: Shannon Miller, who currently is the only coach in the WCHA to have racked-up 220 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 220-60-25 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.
North Dakota is guided by first year head coach Brian Idalski. Idalski was the head coach at UW-Stevens Point for five years prior to taking over the Sioux.
TWO FOR THE SHOW: 14 weeks, 14 Western Collegiate Hockey Association accolades.
Elin Holmlov and Iya Gavrilova were the latest UMD women's hockey players honored by the conference this past Tuesday, as Holmlov was named the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for second time this season, and Gavrilova reeled in WCHA Rookie of the Week honors, her third conference award this season.
STREAKING GAVRILOVA: Freshman forward Iya Gavrilova currently holds the Bulldogs longest scoring streak, dating back to Nov. 23 against Minnesota State. The Krasnoyarsk, Russia native has notched a point in UMD's last twelve games (13-12=25), games which have all been Bulldog wins, including six goals of which have been game-winning tallies. She ranks first in the WCHA and fourth in the NCAA in that category.
The WCHA's leading-point scorer with 37 (17-20=37), Gavrilova also tied a UMD record last Friday when she scored a goal in her ninth consecutive contest. The record was originally set by two former Bulldog Olympians, Jenny Potter (Dec. 7, 2002 - Jan. 25, 2003) and Hanne Sikio (Oct. 8, 1999 - Nov. 20, 1999), putting Gavrilova, an Olympian herself, in some fairly elite company.
The NCAA's leading rookie scorer by a gap of 12 points, Gavrilova now holds the No. 9 spot of UMD's Top-10 Rookie Scorers with 37 points through 24 outings, just three short of tying injured linemate Saara Tuominen, who racked up 40 points (12-28=40) in 39 games a season ago as a freshman.
NET DETECTORS: As the second highest scoring offense in the nation and first in the WCHA (3.92 goals per game), it's no wonder the Bulldogs boast some of the leading point-getters in the conference and country. Freshman forward Iya Gavrilova 17-20=37, 1.54) ranks No. 1 in the WCHA and eighth nationally, while sidelined sophomore Saara Tuominen (14-18=30, 1.50) still ranks No. 4, respectively, in the WCHA and tenth in the NCAA, despite not having worn a Bulldog jersey since Dec. 9, 2006.
Four Bulldogs have notched more than 20 points, with sophomore forward Elin Holmlov and freshman Haley Irwin rounding out UMD's top scorers with 25 points each. Holmlov and Irwin have identical scoring summaries, having recorded 11g and 14a in 22 games played.
Four of the top eight point scoring leaders in the WCHA are also, impressively enough, Bulldogs.
NET DEFLECTORS: Sophomore goaltender Kim Martin leads the NCAA and the WCHA with a .956 save percentage, having made 517 saves and allowing just 24 goals against. Martin also ranks third in the nation and first in the WCHA in goals against average (1.30 through 1109:31 minutes) and winning percentage (.833, 17-3-1).
The Bulldogs, who are fourth in the NCAA, allowing just 1.42 goals a game, rank second in the country in with their impressive penalty kill. UMD has successfully thwarted 118 of 127 man disadvantages for a 92.9 percentage.
SPREADING THE WEALTH: The Bulldogs, who have eleven players in the points column in double-digits (more than any other WCHA team), remain a team that has shared the offensive burden this season. Three players, Iya Gavrilova, Elin Holmlov and Saara Tuominen, have registered 99 points together, including 39 of UMD's 94 goals.
UMD has gotten some offensive firepower in some unsuspecting places. The Bulldogs boast six skating freshman who have posted 99 points as an underclass unit. The UMD blueliners have also chipped in, having added 54 total points.
MISSING CAPTAIN: UMD will be without the services of sophomore forward Saara Tuominen for a third straight series. Tuominen is recovering from an injury sustained in the European Air Canada Cup three weeks ago against Switzerland. The captain from Ylojarvi, Finland, had played in 59 straight games for the Bulldogs up until her injury, and was one of only two freshman to play every game of her first season a year ago.
A MATTER OF ROAD RECORD: UMD sports the WCHA's best road record, having racked up a 10-2-0 (.833) mark away from the DECC. The Bulldogs have played a conference-most 14 away contests, but still remain faithful to the DECC with a 8-1-1 (.850) standing on home ice heading into this weekends showdown with the Sioux.
BULLDOG NOTES: Along with Iya Gavrilova, two other Bulldogs are managing current scoring streaks...Senior forward Karine Demeule is in the midst of a career-best four-game scoring run, while freshman defenseman Jocelyne Larocque has tied her first-year high of three games with a point scored.
SIOUX NOTES: North Dakota is coming off a home sweep at the hands of Minnesota...Junior forward Melissa Jaques leads the Sioux with 16 points (9-7=16) in 26 skates so far this season...Sophomore Brittany Kirkham has stood between the pipes in all 26 contests for UND, collecting 1510:29 minutes of ice time in the process...Cassandra Flanagan, a sophomore defenseman, has committed 29 infractions for 58 penalty minutes.
DULUTH WELCOMES THE BEST OF WOMEN'S COLLEGE HOCKEY: The DECC will be the site of the 2008 WCHA Final Face-off and 2008 NCAA Frozen Four. The WCHA Final Face-off will be held March 8-9, while the Frozen Four will get underway on March 20, with the Championship game held on March 22. Tickets for both events are now available by calling the UMD Athletic Ticket Office at 218/726-8595.
Published Sunday, January 20, 2008
Amid subzero temperatures, Minnesota Duluth has the hottest winning streak in team history.
UMD won its record 12th straight game behind a four-goal first period in a 6-1 Western Collegiate Hockey Association victory Saturday afternoon over Bemidji State at John S. Glas Fieldhouse in frigid Bemidji, Minn.
The second-ranked Bulldogs (20-3-1, 17-3 WCHA) topped the 11-game winning streak from the 1999-2000 season. UMD hasn’t lost since Nov. 18 to Minnesota. The Bulldogs beat the Beavers5-1 Friday night.
“That is awesome,” said UMD coach Shannon Miller as she first heard about the record-setting streak. “I will have to tell the team. It is mostly due to great goaltending, good team chemistry and work ethic. That is very exciting.”
UMD also has winning streaks of 10 games, nine games and five eight-game runs during its nine-year history. The 1999-2000 run expanded to a 21-gameunbeaten mark.
Sophomore Elin Holmlov, who has centered the first line in the absence of injuredforward Saara Tuominen, scored two goals in the first five minutes as UMD burst to a 3-0 lead.
UMD, which leads the WCHA with 34 points, peppered the Beavers with a44-7 shots advantage, including a21-2 assault in the second period.
“We had tremendous speed in our offensive attack,” Miller said. “We used all of our people in the offensive zone and had a lot of creative attacks.”
UMD freshman standout Iya Gavrilova had her nine-game goal-scoring streak snapped. The streak tied a school record.
Laura Fridfinnson, Haley Irwin, Myriam Trepanier and Tara Gray also scored for UMD.
Julie Rising scored the lone goal for Bemidji State (4-19-3, 1-17-2).
FINALLY, The UMD Women return home this week for two games against North Dakota! They haven't played at the DECC since December 8th/9th's sweep against Ohio State.
Iya Gavrilova put her name beside twoformer Minnesota Duluth greats Friday night against Bemidji State.
The freshman from Krasnoyarsk, Russia, tied Jenny Potter and Hanne Sikio with a school-record, nine-game goal-scoring streak.
Gavrilova had a hat trick as the second-ranked Bulldogs disposed of the Beavers 5-1 in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association game at John S. Glas Fieldhouse in Bemidji, Minn.
With the win, the Bulldogs (19-3-1, 16-3 WCHA) tied aprogram-record 11-game winning streak from the 1999-2000 season.
Potter (1999-2000, 2002-04) and Sikio (1999-2003) each scored more than 200 points in their careers. Gavrilova has a team-high 35 points in 23 games, including a point in 11 straight contests.
“That is in great company,” said UMD coach Shannon Miller on Gavrilova’s accomplishment. “Jenny Potter, from Team USA, is one the best to play at UMD. And Hanne Sikio, from Team Finland, is right up there. Iya is with the best.”
Jaime Rasmussen and Elin Holmlov also scored for WCHA-leading UMD.
“Elin Holmlov has been playing fantastic,” Miller said. “She puts the puck on Iya’s stick a lot. Elin is instrumental in a lot of the goals that Iya scores.”
Goalie Emily Brookshaw stopped 42 shots for last-place Bemidji State (4-18-3, 1-16-2), while Kim Martin had 13 saves in two periods, and Johanna Ellison had eight stops in one period for the Bulldogs.
UMD lost second-line winger Emmanuelle Blais, who suffered a concussion when she crashed into the net.
UMD converted on two power plays and kept Bemidji State scoreless on four player advantages.
Iya Gavrilova was better than the boys.
As a kid forward in her hometown of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, she not only skated on the boys team, but she also played on the first line. Her role in the lineup angered some parents, so the coach appeased their ire and moved her to the lower lines.
Did she deserve to be a starter? “Yeah,” she says proudly.
Iya Gavrilova (pronounced: EE-ah Gov-REE-lowva) has continued to stand out as a freshman for Minnesota Duluth. The 5-foot-7, 20-year-old winger has 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) during UMD’s current 10-game winning streak.
Gavrilova takes an eight-game goal-scoring run and a team-leading 32 points into today’s series opener at Bemidji State.
Playing against the boys in Krasnoyarsk, a Siberian city of 900,000 people about 2,500 miles southeast of Moscow, helped Gavrilova develop her skills.
“The boys play faster and I got stronger playing with them,” said Gavrilova, who stated playing hockey with the guidance of her father, Viktor, at age 8.
Gavrilova is on the Russian national team and played five years of professional hockey in Moscow from age 14-19.
Former UMD player Kristina Petrovskaia (2001-03) plays with Gavrilova on the Russian national team and tipped UMD coach Shannon Miller to Gavrilova’s talent.
Miller went to the 2007 World Championships in Winnipeg to scout Gavrilova.
“What I saw was great game instinct, great hands and natural offensive ability,” Miller said. “I saw she could be a playmaker and a goal-scorer. Basically, she is someone that has a gift, so I got really excited.”
Miller said Gavrilova was one of the fastest verbal commitments and one of the most difficult to get to Duluth.
“It was a nightmare,” Miller said. “I spent all summer on it. First off, we’d FedEx a letter of intent to Moscow and it would get stolen. We’d send it again and it would get stolen. The third time we sent it, she got it. We are talking about two months. It was ridiculous.”
After she signed the letter of intent, Gavrilova needed to get accepted into UMD and apply for a travel visa. Overall, the process took from April to September and Gavrilova missed the first week of school.
Gavrilova didn’t speak English and needed Petrovskaia to translate e-mails from Miller.
“If I didn’t know Kristina Petrovskaia and she didn’t talk to me, I wouldn’t be here,” Gavrilova said. “She was key for me to come here.”
Gavrilova, an exercise science major, has begun to learn English and has loosened up around teammates.
“For the first month, she wouldn’t talk,” Miller said. “She would listen and nod if she understood. She [had] tutors for two classes, but does very well in school.”
Myriam Trepanier, Gavrilova’s roommate, said her fervor rubs off on the Bulldogs.
“She has the most enthusiasm on the team,” said Trepanier, a junior defender. “On the ice, she has so much fun and it reflects on everyone on the team. She has so much fun it is unbelievable.”
Gavrilova’s coming-out moment was Dec. 1 against Wisconsin, the two-time defending national champions. She scored the game-tying goal with 25 seconds left in the third period and netted a breakaway 15 seconds into overtime for a stunning 3-2 win in Madison.
“She is coming up with big goals in big games for us — at the right moment,” Miller said. “She is a big part of our success, no question.”
Gavrilova has six game-winning goals and is the nation’s leading rookie scorer with 14 goals and 18 assists. Her 32 points rank ninth on the school’s all-time rookie scoring list. She is on pace to score 47 points, which would place her fifth in school history.
“She is able to read the ice well and find her linemates,” Trepanier said. “She knows — when she looks at players in front of her — what to do to beat her and she is quick enough to do it.”
The Bulldogs (18-3-1 overall, 15-3 conference) have a seven-point lead in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, but they lost Gavrilova’s linemate, Saara Tuominen, to injury. The sophomore center and captain was tied with Gavrilova with 30 points entering the winter break, but Tuominen tore a knee ligament in the European Air Canada Cup and will be out at least 6-8 weeks.
“With Saara Tuominen out, [Gavrilova] has a bigger role to play,” Trepanier said. “If she keeps going, it will be a big help for us.”
n the midst of its first 10-game winning streak since the 2000-01 season, the No. 2 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will indulge in its second road stand of the new year this weekend. The Western Collegiate Hockey Association-leading Bulldogs swing up to Bemidji, Minn. Friday and Saturday to face local rival Bemidji State University. Friday night's game is set for 7:07 p.m., while Saturday will feature a matinee with a 2:07 p.m. showing.
THE SERIES: UMD, which currently holds the NCAA's longest winning streak with 10 victories, owns a 35-0-1 all-time record over the Beavers. The Bulldogs have won 25 contests in a row against BSU, including a series sweep Oct. 13 and 14 earlier in the season.
The Maroon and Gold defeated Bemidji State 4-0 in their DECC opener on Oct. 13 behind senior forward Karine Demeule's two goals. Demeule then notched her second game-winner of the series on Oct. 14 to help elevate the Bulldogs 1-0. Goaltenders Kim Martin and Johanna Ellison split the series between the pipes, sharing credit for blanking the Beavers.
UMD has allowed only three goals in the past six meetings with BSU, outscoring them 25-3 in those outings. In 36 total skates with the Beavers in program history, the Bulldogs have netted 224 tallies to BSU's 38. Bemidji State remains the only team in the WCHA that UMD has stayed undefeated against all-time.
LAST WEEK: The Bulldogs (18-3-1, 15-3-0) kept their grasp on the WCHA lead and stayed seven points ahead of the rest of the field by earning their seventh conference sweep of the season against Minnesota State this past weekend. UMD beat the Mavericks in Mankato 2-1 last Friday night behind Karine Demeule's goal with six seconds remaining Friday to clinch the win. Emmanuelle Blais scored two goals on Saturday, including one in a four goal spurt in the third period to rally the Bulldogs past MSU 5-2.
The Beavers (4-17-3, 1-15-2) earned their first series split of the WCHA season last weekend when Lisa Kissick had a career-high two goals last Friday to help BSU defeat North Dakota 4-1. The win was the first for Bemidji State this season in conference play, and remains its only one as the Beavers fell 1-0 the next night to the Fighting Sioux in Bemidji, Minn.
THE COACHES: Shannon Miller, who currently is the only coach in the WCHA to have racked-up 218 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 218-60-25 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 Beavers are led by head coach, (and brother of former UMD men's coach Mike), Steve Sertich. Sertich is in his second season behind the BSU bench, and is 15-38-9 overall since taking over the program.
DOORSTEP DEMEULE: Tallying two goals (and an assist) last weekend in typical Karine Demeule fashion, the forward earned her second WCHA Offensive Player of the Week honor this season.
The senior captain from Montreal, Quebec, scored two game-winning goals and added a game-tying assist to help lift UMD to a series road sweep of Minnesota State last weekend.
Demeule netted the game-clincher last Friday night with six seconds remaining to lead the Bulldogs to a 2-1 victory. Just two minutes prior to cashing in the game-winner, she assisted on the goal which drew UMD even with the Mavericks. The captain then notched her fourth game-winner of the season (and ninth goal overall) by registering the go-ahead mark for the Bulldogs in their 5-2 win over MSU Saturday.
The senior forward has been successful against the Beavers over her career, having posted nine goals and an assist (for 10 points) in seven appearances against BSU. Demeule has three times tallied two goals against the Beavers, including a two-tally outing on Oct. 13, and twice last season (Oct. 20, 2006 and Jan. 20, 2007).
STREAKING GAVRILOVA: Freshman forward Iya Gavrilova currently holds the Bulldogs longest scoring streak, dating back to Nov. 23 against Minnesota State. The Krasnoyarsk, Russia native has notched a point in UMD's last ten games (10-10=20), including ten goals in her last eight outings, five of which have been game-winning tallies. She ranks first in the WCHA and fourth in the NCAA in that category.
The WCHA's leading-point scorer with 32 (14-18=32), Gavrilova also holds an eight game goal scoring streak, just one shy of tying UMD's previous record of nine. The current record was set by two former Bulldog Olympians, Jenny Potter (Dec. 7, 2002 - Jan. 25, 2003) and Hanne Sikio (Oct. 8, 1999 - Nov. 20, 1999).
The NCAA's leading rookie scorer by a gap of 10 points, Gavrilova now holds the No. 9 spot of UMD's Top-10 Rookie Scorers with 32 points through 22 outings, just eight short of tying linemate Saara Tuominen, who racked up 40 points (12-28=40) in 39 games a season ago as a freshman.
NET DETECTORS: As the third highest scoring offense in the nation and first in the WCHA (3.77 goals per game), it's no wonder the Bulldogs boast some of the leading point-getters in the conference and country. Freshman forward Iya Gavrilova 14-18=32, 1.45) and sophomore Saara Tuominen (14-18=30, 1.50) rank No. 1 and 3, respectively, in the WCHA (and Tuominen eighth, with Gavrilova tenth in the NCAA) in point scoring. per game
Four Bulldogs have notched more than 20 points, with sophomore forward Elin Holmlov and Haley Irwin rounding out UMD's top scorers. Irwin, a freshman, has picked up 22 points (10-12=22) in just 20 games, while Holmlov has recorded 21 (8-13=21 in her 20 outings.
Four of the top 10-point scoring leaders in the WCHA are also, impressively enough, Bulldogs.
NET DEFLECTORS: Sophomore goaltender Kim Martin leads the NCAA and the WCHA with a .956 save percentage, having made 504 saves and allowing just 23 goals against. Martin also ranks fourth in the nation and first in the WCHA in goals against average (0.93 through 452:10 minutes) and winning percentage (.816, 15-3-1).
The Bulldogs, who are fourth in the NCAA, allowing just 1.45 goals a game, rank second in the country in with their impressive penalty kill. UMD has successfully thwarted 111 of 120 man disadvantages for a 92.5 percentage.
SPREADING THE WEALTH: The Bulldogs, who have ten players in the points column in double-digits, remain a team that has shared the offensive burden this season. UMD's top-producing line of Iya Gavrilova, Saara Tuominen, and Elin Holmlov have tallied 83 of the Bulldogs' 193 points between them (33-50=83).
UMD has also gotten some offensive firepower in some unsuspecting places. The Bulldogs boast six skating freshman who have posted 87 points as an underclass unit. The UMD blueliners have also chipped in, having added 50 total points.
BULLDOG NOTES: UMD will be without the services of sophomore forward Saara Tuominen for a second straight series... Tuominen is recovering from an injury sustained in the European Air Canada Cup two weeks ago against Switzerland...Tuominen had played in 59 straight games for the Bulldogs up until last weekend's series, and was one of only two freshman to play every game of her first season a year ago...UMD owns the WCHA's best road record, having racked up a 10-2-0 (.833) mark away from the DECC.
BEAVER NOTES: BSU is led in scoring by two freshman forwards, Erin Cody and Annie Bauerfeld, who have each compiled 6 points for the Beavers...Junior forward Lisa Kissick and freshman forward Julie Rising each lead Bemidji State with four goals apiece...Beaver Netminder Emily Brookshaw, a member of the U.S. U-22 Team, is three wins shy of setting BSU's all-time record for wins.
DULUTH WELCOMES THE BEST OF WOMEN'S COLLEGE HOCKEY: The DECC will be the site of the 2008 WCHA Final Face-off and 2008 NCAA Frozen Four. The WCHA Final Face-off will be held March 8-9, while the Frozen Four will get underway on March 20, with the Championship game held on March 22. Tickets for both events are now available by calling the UMD Athletic Ticket Office at 218/726-8595.
