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WCHA.COM:
Tara Gray – Jr., D, Minnesota Duluth
University of Minnesota Duluth junior defenseman Tara Gray recorded more points over the Jan. 30-31 weekend in Grand Forks than she did all last season, helping the visiting Bulldogs to a WCHA sweep over North Dakota.
A product of Toronto, Ont., Gray scored two goals and added two assists for four points in the series against the Sioux, including the first three-point performance of her collegiate career last Sunday.
Gray dished an assist on a goal that tied the game at 2-2 in the second period in last Saturday’s 4-3 overtime comeback win for the Bulldogs. She was also a +1.
Then on Sunday, Gray had a hand in three of Minnesota Duluth’s last four goals in a 5-0 shutout victory over UND. She netted her first goal at 15:34 of the second period to push UMD to a 2-0 lead, before assisting on a power-play goal at 19:43 of the second period, a blast from Gray that was redirected in front of the net by teammate Laura Fridfinnson. Gray then scored a PPG of her own with less than 4:00 remaining in the third, giving her the first two-goal game of her career and highest point count in a single game during her three-seasons at UMD. Besides her points, Gray was +3 and helped UMD grab it’s fourth shutout of the season.
Overall, Gray, who had four shots Sunday, was +4 on the weekend. She now has eight points this season (4g, 4a), just two shy of her career season-high of 10 (1g, 9a) set during her freshman season. Her four goals this season already is a career single-season best.
Also nominated for the award this week were: Alana McElhinney, G, BSU; Alyssa Grogan, G, UM; and Kelly Wild, D, OSU.
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WCHA Rookie of the Week
Jessica Wong - Fr., F, Minnesota Duluth
University of Minnesota Duluth freshman right winger Jessica Wong scored two goals and added an assist this past weekend, helping the host Bulldogs take two WCHA victories from Wisconsin.
The product of Baddeck, Nova Scotia netted the Bulldogs' second goal of the game last Saturday (Jan. 16), just 1:35 into the second period. She then iced the Badgers chances of a late comeback when she skated the length of the ice and managed to sneak the puck past Wisconsin's goaltender with 1:30 remaining in the contest, giving Minnesota Duluth a 5-3 lead. Wong also had five shots and was +2 on the night, as well as helping the Bulldogs' power-play go 2-of-4.
Then last Sunday (Jan. 17), Wong dished a game-winning assist to teammate Katie Wilson, 3:13 into the second stanza. Wong was +1 in UMD's 2-1 victory over the defending national champion Badgers to make her +3 in the series.
On the 2009-10 season, Wong has 14 points (7g, 7a) for the Bulldogs.
Also nominated for the award this week were: Erika Wheelhouse, D, BSU; Megan Bozek, D, UM; Chelsea Knapp, G, OSU; and Lisa Martinson, D, SCSU.
Wong scores one of her goals, Saturday
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WCHA.COM:
WCHA Defensive Players of the Week
Jennifer Harss, Fr., G, Minnesota Duluth
Noora Räty, Fr., G, Minnesota
University of Minnesota Duluth freshman goaltender Jennifer Harss made 73 saves on 77 shots for a .948 saves percentage in a two-game WCHA series at No. 7-ranked Wiconsin last weekend, including both shootout shots she faced on Sunday.
Harss, a native of Rieden, Germany, made her first appearance in the Kohl Center last Friday (Dec. 4), making 40 saves on 42 shots on goal in a 3-1 loss to Wisconsin (the third goal was an empty-netter with :04 seconds remaining). Harss then made 33 saves last Sunday (Dec. 6) afternoon in UMD’s 2-2 overtime tie with the host Badgers. After keeping the Bulldogs in the contest for 65 minutes, Harss came up with two shootout stops to help UMD earn two league points from the outing.
The rookie goaltender leads not only the WCHA but also the nation in minutes played (1178:18) and saves (559), and ranks 10th in the NCAA with a .927 saves percentage.
Noora Räty, the University of Minnesota’s freshman goaltender from Espoo, Finland, allowed just one goal in two road games against No. 9-ranked Harvard on Dec. 4-5. This marks her third Defensive Player of the Week honor this season (also on Oct. 21 and Dec. 2).
Over 123:35 minutes played in the series, Räty allowed one goal at the :33 mark of the third period in last Friday’s 1-0 loss to the host Crimson. Prior to that goal, Räty had held her opponents scoreless for 217:29 consecutive minutes played.
Last Saturday, she held Harvard scoreless en route to her fifth career shutout and third in two weeks. Räty kept the Gophers in the game early with 14 saves in the first, 12 in the second, 11 in the third and two in overtime for a career-best 39 stops. She had a series total of 59 saves on 60 shots for a .983 saves percentage.
Also nominated this week were: Zuzana Tomcikova, G, BSU; Alli Altmann, G, MSU; Ashley Nixon, G, SCSU; and Geena Prough, D, UW.
UMD Goaltender Jenny Harss
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WCHA.COM: WCHA Rookie of the Week
Katie Wilson Fr., F, Minnesota Duluth
Freshman forward Katie Wilson turned in a five-point weekend – including her first collegiate three-goal hat trick – while helping No. 5-ranked University of Minnesota Duluth to a two-game sweep of Boston College in Chesnut Hill, Mass.
The native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, scored the game-winning goal for UMD in last Friday (Nov. 27) afternoon’s contest – just :52 seconds into play. Wilson, who was +2 on the outing, also added an assist on Laura Fridfinnson’s third period goal in the Bulldogs’ 3-0 win.
Then last Saturday (Nov. 28), Wilson netted the first hat trick of her Minnesota Duluth career by scoring a goal in each period as the Bulldogs skated to a 5-1 win over the host Eagles. The goals, all at even-strength, opened up scoring in each stanza. With a +2 rating in last Saturday’s game as well, Wilson was a +4 in the series overall.
Currently the No. 2 rookie scorer in NCAA Div. 1 ranks, Wilson is averaging 1.11 points per game, and has 20 points (9g, 11a) in 18 games. She is UMD’s third leading scorer and ranks ninth in the WCHA in scoring with 12 points (5g, 7a) in 12 league outings.
Also nominated this week were: Mira Jalosuo, D, UM; Mary Loken, F, UND; and Brianna Decker, F, UW.
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Per the WCHA Release:
WCHA Rookie of the Week
Katherine Wilson Fr., F, Minnesota Duluth
Katherine Wilson scored two goals and added two assists to
help No. 6-ranked Minnesota Duluth sweep WCHA rival and
visiting St. Cloud State last weekend.
The NCAA’s leading rookie scorer, with an average of 1.50
points per game in her first four games, Wilson tallied her first goal
as a Bulldog in last Saturday’s (Oct. 11) 5-3 win over the Huskies. The
native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, had an assist on her team’s first
goal in the first period, scored the second tally of the contest at 6:52
of the opening stanza, and then picked up an assist on UMD’s third
goal in the third period.
Wilson then came back to score the game-winning score last
Sunday (Oct. 11) in the second period in Minnesota Duluth’s 2-0
triumph over St. Cloud State. The freshman Wilson is tied at
the top as the Bulldogs’ leading scorer so far this season with six
points (2g, 4a) in four games and has a four-game point-scoring
streak.
Also nominated for the award
this week were: Keirsten Visser, D,
BSU; and Lauren Smith, F, MSU.
