USAToday's 10/30 Women's Poll

The new USA Today poll is out, UMD is 5th in this one as well (tied for 4th in the USCHO.com poll of course.) Click the link to view the poll page, the link works each week for the update Tuesday afternoons.

1. Wisconsin 183 (15)
2. New Hampshire 168 (3)
3. Mercyhurst 153 (1)
4. St. Lawrence 117
5. Minnesota Duluth 106
6. Harvard 96
7. Minnesota 87
8. Connecticut 61
9. Boston College 47
10. Ohio State 14


Others receiving votes: Dartmouth, 9; St. Cloud St., 2; Princeton, 1; Rensselaer Polytechnic, 1.

UMD 4th in New USCHO Poll, 10-29-07

The poll for this week, after Minnesota swept the Bulldogs down at Ridder Arena.

1. Wisconsin (13 1st votes)
2. New Hampshire (1)
3. Mercyhurst (1)
4. UMD (Minnesota Duluth)
4. St. Lawrence
6. Minnesota
7. Harvard
8. Connecticut
9. Boston College
10. Ohio State University

Other receiving votes: Dartmouth 10, St. Cloud State 3, Princeton 2

The USA Today poll comes out on Tuesdays each week so I'll get that when it's released tomorrow afternoon.

Duluth News Tribune Gophers sweep ’Dogs

Gophers sweep ’Dogs
Andy Greder Duluth News Tribune
Published Sunday, October 28, 2007
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota forwards Erica McKenzie and Bobbi Ross gave Minnesota Duluthplenty of headaches this weekend.

The tandem propelled Minnesota to a 5-1 win Saturday over UMD to sweep the Western Collegiate Hockey Association series at Ridder Arena. On Friday, the 10th-ranked Gophers beat the top-ranked and then-unbeaten Bulldogs3-1 behind two goals from Ross and two assists from McKenzie.

On Saturday, McKenzie scored two first-period goals off assists from Ross as the Gophers jumped out to a3-0 lead over the Bulldogs. In the second period, theseniors on the first line traded roles with McKenzie assisting on Ross’ goal.

On the first goal Saturday, Ross found McKenzie behind the UMD defense for a short-handed breakaway goal.

“They both stay on in penalty kill,” Minnesota coach Brad Frost said. “Bobbi reads the puck very well, and when Erica gets the puck on her stick it usually ends up in the other net. They were dialed in this weekend.”

McKenzie is tied for the WCHA scoring lead with nine goals and five assists, while Ross is fifth in the league with five goals and six assists.

“We were put together at the beginning of the year and we’ve been finding each other, and it showed on the scoreboard,” McKenzie said. “To have the No. 1 team here and we sweep them and beat them by a couple of goals each game is huge.”

It was the first time UMD (5-2-1 overall, 4-2 WCHA) was swept since Dec. 2, 2006, against Harvard.

“[Minnesota] wanted it so bad,” UMD coach Shannon Miller said. “We were horrible, especially on defense, and defense is all commitment and work ethic.”

Minnesota, which is the only team the Bulldogs have a losing record against, owns a 21-15-4 series lead over UMD.

“They worked harder than us,” Karine Demeule, UMD’s senior captain, said. “I think we were overexcited after the Mercyhurst [win and tie on Oct. 20-21] and the [U.S. College Hockey Online] ranking. That is a reason why we were swept, but there were many of them.”

Miller thought Minnesota’s offensive style of play was better than UMD’s. Minnesota (5-2-1, 3-2-1) outshot the Bulldogs 35-26. Kelli Blankenship and Brittany Francis scored the other Minnesota goals.

“We had some good [shots], but we are too fancy, too pretty.” Miller said. “Sometimes you have to just shoot and crash the net, and that is what Minnesota did.”

Freshman center Haley Irwin led the Bulldogs with nine shots, and Miller put her, Saara Tuominen and Iya Gavrilova together on the same line to generate offense with UMD trailing 4-0 in the second period.

The Bulldogs entered the game as the most penalized team in the WCHA with an average of 18 minutes a game. They killed six minutes of penalties on Saturday.

“[Penalty kill] was the only positive,” Miller said. “It was nice to generate something there.”

Freshman defender Joss Lerocque scored her first career goal and the only one for the Bulldogs on Saturday.

UMD down 4-0 middle of the second period

UMD's losing 4-0 so far in the second period of the Saturday game.. this is a BAD weekend .. players are standing around and not doing their jobs on the ice... I'll post the News Tribune article tomorrow morning of course but I stopped watching it online for this game, I might post the final score tonight sometime tonight of course

News Tribune Friday Game Article

Women's hockey: Bulldogs’ view from the top is short-sighted
Andy Greder Duluth News Tribune

Published Saturday, October 27, 2007

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey coach Shannon Miller let her team enjoy its No. 1 ranking on Monday and Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Miller asked her team to forget the U.S. College Hockey Online poll position and the win and tie against then second-ranked Mercyhurst on Oct. 20-21. She needed the Bulldogs to focus on their upcoming Western Collegiate Hockey Association series against Minnesota.

“We began the season making strides,” said Miller, whose team moved from No. 5 to No. 1 Monday after a 5-0-1 start. “We had a big high last weekend against Mercyhurst and the high of being No. 1, but we had a hangover.”

Minnesota forward Bobbi Ross took advantage of that hangover by scoring two goals as the Gophers upset Minnesota Duluth 3-1 Friday night at Ridder Arena.

“When you’re ranked No. 1, you have to play with confidence and play harder,” said UMD goalie Kim Martin, who had a career-high 40 saves. “We didn’t do that.”

The 10th-ranked Gophers (4-2-1 overall, 2-2-1 WCHA) outshot UMD 43-20, including 16-5 in the third period while UMD killed 11 minutes of penalties.

“We took some really disappointing penalties,” Miller said. “We were on penalty kill a lot, and when we weren’t on penalty kill we were tired from being on it. It was the worst game we’ve played this year.”

The Bulldogs (5-1-1, 4-1) trailed 2-1 through two periods after Minnesota goals from Ross and Rachael Drazen.

“We got chances on penalty kill and took advantages of opportunities,” said Ross of her two short-handed goals. “Erica McKenzie made two [saves] and made a great pass to me [on the first goal].”

UMD’s lone goal came from Emmanuelle Blais on a power play in the second period. In the final minute of the first period, UMD forward Elin Holmlov had a one-on-one opportunity, but her shot hit the pads of Minnesota goalie Jenny Lura. Iya Gavrilova’s ensuing rebound attempt also hit Lura’s pads.

“We certainly knew the danger of their team,” Minnesota coach Brad Frost said. “We tried to take away their time and space [with the puck]. It was the best we’ve played all year.”

In the third period, UMD had five meager shots and were without Gavrilova, who received a game misconduct penalty for checking from behind at 10:02.

“When one team is on penalty kill all night, they are not going to win,” said Miller, whose team had eight penalties and tied a season low for goals. “It’s pretty simple.”

The series concludes at 3 p.m. today at Ridder Arena.

“You learn way more when you lose,” Miller said. “Now, I have the team’s attention.”

Gophers down UMD 3-1

UMD lost 3-1, without giving up a 5 on 5/even strength goal. Bobby Ross scored 2 shorthanded goals (the last one with 31 seconds left in the 3rd period to seal the victory for Minnesota.)

Former Bulldog Rachel Drazan scored the game winning goal on the powerplay.

UMD was outshot huge, 43-20 for the game, keeping UMD below 10 shots per game.

Since I only watched the game via Minnesota's online video feed through 'Gold Zone'...I can't really give any mention on the flow of the game or anything like that.

UMDBulldogs.com Gopher Series Preview

Click the title to see the entire .pdf preview

some highlights:

With five of the seven NCAA national championships split between them (3 for the Bulldogs, 2 for the Gophers), the historic rivalry between the unbeaten No. 1 University of Minnesota Duluth and the No. 10 University of Minnesota continues this weekend in Ridder Arena, in Minneapolis, Minn. The puck will drop in Friday's contest at 6:07 p.m., and again Saturday at 3:07 p.m.

THE SERIES: The Bulldogs have played only one other team as many times as they have hit the ice against the Gophers (Ohio State is the other). UMD and Minnesota have faced-off 38 times, with the Gophers having a 15-19-4 all-time edge. Last season, each team exchanged home series sweeps, knotting at 2-2 in regular WCHA play.

After Minnesota swept UMD 5-3 and 1-0 in Ridder in early November, the Bulldogs bounced back in a preview of what was to come when they smoked the Gophers 7-1 and 5-1 in Mars Lakeview Arena Feb. 17 and 18. Minnesota upended UMD in overtime 3-2 at Ridder on March 3 in the second round of the WCHA playoffs, but it was the Bulldogs that would get a call from the NCAA to join the playoffs despite the loss a week later enroute to their fourth NCAA Final Four championship game appearance.

LAST WEEK: Unbeaten UMD (5-0-1, 4-0) knocked off No. 2 Mercyhurst College last Sunday 3-1, and tied the Lakers Saturday, 1-1. Sophomore goaltender Kim Martin made a career-tying 34 saves in the 1-1 draw, and turned away another 28 shots in the Bulldogs Sunday win for 62 saves overall on the weekend. Sophomore forward Elin Holmlov scored two goals and two assists in the series, and the Bulldogs, who came from behind in both contests, scored two power play goals on the weekend to double their season total (4).

Minnesota (3-2-1. 1-2-1) earned its fifth-straight split against Ohio State last weekend in Columbus, Ohio, winning 7-4 on Oct. 19, but falling 4-1 on Oct. 20 for the split. Seven different players scored for the Gophers in Friday's win over the Buckeyes.

BULLDOG BITS: The Bulldogs are 0-5 against the Gophers in Minneapolis since Oct. 29, 2005, when they trashed Minnesota 6-0...UMD last held the No. 1 spot in the national polls on Dec. 6, 2005...Netminder Kim Martin, who tied her career-best in saves last Saturday against Mercyhurst, reached the 34 save mark previously last Nov. 3 against Minnesota in the Bulldogs 5-3 loss....Saara Tuominen and Laura Fridfinnson are No. 2 and No.3 in the WCHA in point scoring with six points each...Martin is second in the nation and first in the WCHA in save percentage (.986) and goals against average (0.39).

GOPHER NOTES: Senior forward Erica McKenzie ranks third in the nation in goals per game, averaging 1.17 with seven goals in six games...Goaltender Kim Hanlon faced a career-high 34 shots against UMD last Feb. 17 in the Bulldogs 7-1 win over the Gophers...The seven goals was the most goals Hanlon has allowed in her career...Minnesota features former UMD defensemen Rachel Drazan, who is in her first full season of elgiblity with the Gophers.

Elin Holmlov WCHA Offensive Player of the week!

Click on the title to view the entire WCHA.COM weekly release :)

WCHA PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

WCHA Offensive player of the week

Elin Holmlov, So., F, Minnesota Duluth
Elin Holmlov, a sophomore forward from Knivista, Sweden, had two goals and two assists for four scoring points this past weekend to help the University of Minnesota Duluth knock off No. 2-ranked Mercyhurst College on Sunday (Oct. 21) and force a draw last Saturday (Oct. 20).

Both of Holmlov's goals pulled the No. 5-ranked Bulldogs even with the Lakers. She played a part in every goal the unbeaten Bulldogs had on the weekend.

So far this season, Holmlov is tied for fourth in overall scoring amon g WCHA players with nine points in six games, including three goals and six assists.

Also nominated this week were: Lindsay Macy, F, Minnesota State; Melissa Jacques, F, North Dakota; Erin Keys, F, Ohio State; Felicia Nelson, F, St. Cloud State; and Jinelle Zaugg, F, Wisconsin; and

WCHA Defensive Player of the Week

Brittany Kirkham, So., G, North Dakota
Brittany Kirkham, a sophomore goaltender from Nepean, Ontario, made 23 saves last Friday (Oct. 20) to shutout Bemidji State, 1-0, for her second career shutout and then followed it up with 31 saves last Saturday (Oct. 21) in another shutout of BSU, this time 3-0, to lead the University of North Dakota to its first-ever Western Collegiate Hockey Association two-game sweep and the Fighting Sioux's first-ever back-to-back shutouts.

On the 2007-08 season, Kirkham ranks third among WCHA goaltenders for all games in goals-against average (1.73) and saves percentage (.945, 172 saves). She has played a total of 347:43 minutes and owns a 2-2-2 record.

Also nominated this week were: Kim Martin, G, Minnesota Duluth; Holly Snyder, F, Minnesota State; Tessa Bonhomme, D, Ohio State; and Kendall Newell, G, St. Cloud State.

WCHA Rookie of the Week

Mallory Deluce, Fr., F, Wisconsin
Mallory Deluce, a freshman forward from London, Ontario, helped the University of Wisconsin Badgers respond to their first loss in nearly 11 months with a four-point performance against St. Cloud State last Saturday (Oct. 21).

After being held without a point last Friday, Deluce recorded her first career three-goal hat trick and added an assist on Saturday. Deluce scored her second game-winning goal of the season and her team-leading third power-play goal.

For the season, Deluce leads the nation in goals scored with eight and shares the national point lead at 11 points with two other players, including her linemate and fellow UW rookie Hilary Knight.

Also nominated this week were: Emily West, F, Minnesota; Haley Irwin, F, Minnesota Duluth; Nina Tikkinen, F, Minnesota State; and Shannon Reilly, D, Ohio State.

UMD #1 in USA Today Poll Also

Click the link to visit the new poll's page.. UMD is indeed ranked #1 in this poll as well!

1. Minnesota Duluth (12)
2. Wisconsin (6)
3. Mercyhurst
4. New Hampshire
5. Harvard (1)
6. St. Lawrence
7. Boston College
8. Connecticut
9. Dartmouth
10. Minnesota

Others receiving votes: Ohio State 17, St. Cloud State 3, Clarkson 1.

UMD RANKED #1 IN COUNTRY, USCHO.COM POLL!

After a tie and win over former #2 ranked Mercyhurst, and with St. Lawrence and Wisconsin both having losses now.. UMD Women have jumped to the #1 ranking in the USCHO.COM poll!

The rest of the poll and points by vote...

1. Minnesota-Duluth 136
2. Wisconsin 130
3. New Hampshire 121
4. Mercyhurst 110
5. St. Lawrence 83
6. Harvard 79
7. Boston College 46
8. Connecticut 44
9. Dartmouth 31
10. Minnesota 19

Others receiving: Ohio State 17, St. Cloud State 8, Clarkson 1

DNT's Sunday Game Story

As always, click the link and visit the News Tribune site if you want.

Dogs show Mercy
Andy Greder Duluth News Tribune
Published Monday, October 22, 2007

Minnesota Duluth forwards Emmanuelle Blais and Haley Irwin went from injured observers to major contributors Sunday against Mercyhurst.

Blais, who missed the first four games of the season with a high ankle sprain, scored the game-winning goal in the second period as the fifth-ranked Bulldogs beat the second-ranked Lakers 3-1 in a nonconference game before427 fans at the DECC.

“It’s good to be back,” said Blais, a sophomore from LaSalle, Quebec, who scored35 points in 39 games last season. “It’s fun to be in there, especially against a good team. … It was hard to be out.”

Irwin, who sat out the Bemidji State series Oct. 13-14 with a concussion, assisted on Blais’ goal and scored her own in the third period.

“It’s really important to have your best players when you’re playing the No. 2 team [in the U.S. College Hockey Online poll],” UMD coach Shannon Miller said. “They stepped up and played great.”

Miller believed Irwin, a freshman from Thunder Bay, Ontario, also played exceptionally well in 1-1 tie with Mercyhurst on Saturday.

“[Irwin] couldn’t even ride a [stationary] bike earlier this week without dizziness,” Miller said. “I thought she dominated [Saturday and Sunday].”

UMD (5-0-1) scored in each period Sunday and received three points from sophomore winger Elin Holmlov.

“I thought we played three spectacular periods as a team,” Miller said. “It was different [Saturday]. We were individual and not disciplined. [Sunday] we were disciplined and together.”

The Bulldogs allowed 35 shots, while attempting zero in the second period of Saturday’s game, but on Sunday, limited Mercyhurst (5-1-1) to 28 shots on goal and held a 10-6 shot edge in the second and a 14-10 lead in the third.

“Our defense has played effectively,” Miller said. “We have had four shutouts and held Mercyhurst to two goals. ... This series was extremely important for the NCAA [tournament]. [The Mercyhurst series], the Wisconsin and St. Lawrence [games] are the three most important [matchups] this season.”

Mercyhurst of Erie, Pa., and College Hockey America took a 1-0 lead off a Meghan Agosta breakaway goal at 9:28 in the first period, but Holmlov countered with a breakaway goal with six seconds left in the period.

UMD will play a Western Collegiate Hockey Association series at Minnesota (3-2-1) at 6:07 p.m. Friday and 2:07 p.m. Saturday.

--
I'm checking the article's listing of game times for the Goofer series.. It's been listed as 7:07 and 3:07 everywhere until this newspaper article was posted...

UMD Beats Mercyhurst 3-1

Welcome back Emmanuelle Blais! Her presence on the ice gives opponents something more to worry about.. she can blow by defenders when she turns it up.

Meghan Agosta scored the first goal of the game, and had another go off BOTH corners of the net.. sorta ringed the crossbar if it were round ;)

Greg Shepherd (supervisor of officials) was in the arena today.. which seems always to make the officials let a lot more physical play go..at least in the women's games it does.

UMD played 60 minutes today for sure.. rather than take the second period off like Saturday's game.

Erin Olson's doing a great job with Tawni Mattila out, winning most of the faceoffs she takes, especially in the UMD zone. The faceoffs are one of Mattila's specialties..so to speak. Her and Tuominen won probably 80% OF the faceoffs they took today. Olson's also had a lot of good scoring opportunities, but hasn't 'lit the lamp' yet.

And of course, Kim Martin.... she did a great job, especially in the third when Mercyhurst players were crashing into her every time the puck was near her. (Mercyhurst did take one penalty for roughing one a scrum in front of Martin.)

GO DOGS!

DNT Saturday Story

I figured I could get this done before the game rather than after...

College Women’s Hockey
Andy Greder Duluth News Tribune
Published Sunday, October 21, 2007
The Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey team set a school record for futility in the second period Saturday against Mercyhurst: zero shots on goal.

Mercyhurst, meanwhile, shot 13 times and took a 1-0 lead off a goal from Stephanie Jones before UMD came back. The Bulldogs’ Elin Holmlov scored off a Saara Tuominen assist in the third period as UMD skated to a 1-1 tie in a nonconference game in front of608 spectators at the DECC.

“[Holmlov’s] goal was huge,” said UMD coach Shannon Miller, whose team’s previous low for shots on goal in a period was one against Wisconsin on Feb. 2. “We created a lot of opportunities. There was [Iya Gavrilova’s] breakaway, and we kept working and believing. That goal was perseverance.”

UMD (4-0-1) went over13 periods — over 262 minutes — without giving up a goal this season until Jones got one past goalie Kim Martin at 2:40 in the second period.

“[Mercyhurst] took over in the second,” said Martin, who tied a career high with 34 saves. “They had us on our heels. We tried to play offense individually and it’s impossible to do it by yourself. After the second period, we are happy with the finish.”

Mercyhurst (5-0-1), of Erie, Pa., held a 35-24 edge in shots for the game and a 27-8 lead after two periods.

“I thought we did the little things right in the second period,” saidMercyhurst coach Michael Sisti. “We broke up plays and jumped on the puck in open ice, but [Martin] made huge saves. We couldn’t get the second goal to give us some space.”

UMD, the fifth-ranked team in the U.S. College Hockey Online poll, gave up their first shorthanded goal after killing the first 32 penalties of the season.

In the first meeting between the teams on March 9, 2007, the Lakers put 46 shots on goalie Riitta Schaublin, but UMD found enough offense to beat Mercyhurst 3-2 in overtime to advance to the Frozen Four.

“Last year, it was an offensive barrage against us. [But] then it was us on them,” Miller said. “[Saturday] was the same. We knew they were talented, deep and tough. It was dead on with what we expected.”

The second-ranked Lakers missed two significant scoring chances Saturday — one early, one late.

In the first period, Kim Martin left the net to clear the puck, but Mercyhurst’s leading scorer, Meghan Agosta, intercepted it and Martin had to dive to make the save.

In overtime, Mercyhurst forward Geena Prough had a shot hit the pipe with less than two minutes remaining.

“We played really bad in the second,” Miller said. “They owned us, but I thought we started and finished strong, and we can be proud of that.”

*******WISCONSIN’s Unbeaten streak ends*******

Wisconsin’s NCAA women’s record 32-game unbeaten streak ended Friday with a 2-1 loss to St. Cloud State.

The Badgers, the top-ranked team in the USCHO.com poll, went 28-0-4 after a 2-0 loss to UMD on Nov. 24, 2006.

UMD & Mercyhurst tie 1-1

The UMD/Mercyhurst game really did play out like a tie. The first period was sort of even, with chances on both sides of the ice. The *SECOND* period UMD really didn't look like came out of the break ready to skate with Mercyhurst, and didn't get any shots for the period.

The third period was the complete opposite.. with most of the play in the Mercyhurst zone. Gavrilova's only a freshman, so she'll learn.. but man.. she got behind the defense twice for breakaways and didn't put a move on the goaltender either time.

Agosta is scary good.. twice in the second period she herself got open breaks with chances to put UMD down 2-0.

Not to get on the referee's *EVERY* week.. but it was weird... for whatever reason in the second period, they allowed Mercyhurst twice to glove the puck in their zone.. skate with it in their hand then put it down and play it. In the third period they got it right the one time it happened. It wasn't like a split second thing putting the puck down either, maybe it would have changed the second period a little but Mercyhurst was that much better in the second, where UMD was in the third.

Really looking forward to game two.... if UMD plays 60 minutes they can get a couple goals and pull out a win, especially the way Kim Martin's playing in net right now.

I'll post Sunday's News Tribune article after the game tomorrow, and if I forget, after the Vikings/Cowboys game.

College women's hockey: Mercyhurst series brings back memories for UMD

Andy Greder Duluth News Tribune
Published Saturday, October 20, 2007
Many Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey players cite the win over Mercyhurst in last season’s NCAA quarterfinals as one of their most memorable games.

The 3-2 win propelled the Bulldogs to the Frozen Four, but it was the come-from-behind overtime performance before a packed and hostile arena that instilled it in their memories.

“Everyone remembers that game,” said Jessica Koizumi, who scored the game-tying and winning goals as a senior forward. “We were down 2-0, and coach [Shannon Miller] was a big believer in the seniors. She told us not to quit.”

UMD’s Michaela Lanzl scored to narrow the deficit to 2-1 in the second period. Koizumi, now a UMD administrative assistant, then tied the game at 18:16 in the third period. Later, her overtime goal ended the Erie, Pa., school’s season in front of its home fans. The Bulldogs beat Boston College 4-3 in the semifinals and lost to Wisconsin 4-1 in the national championship game.

“[Mercyhurst] had a big crowd with [1,350] fans to our five and had very loud noisemakers,” Miller said. “It intimidated our goalie and a few of our players. At 2-0, it was gut-check time. I asked them, ‘Do we have what it takes?’ Last year’s team had what it took.”

UMD (4-0) will play Mercyhurst of College Hockey America for the first time in the regular season at 3:07 p.m. today and 1:07 p.m. Sunday.

“They start with [forward Meghan] Agosta,” Miller said. “They have six players on the Canadian national team with Agosta on the Olympic team. They are loaded with talent.”

Mercyhurst (5-0) is off to its best start in school history with Agosta leading the scoring list with nine points.

“She has unbelievable speed,” said Caroline Ouellette, a UMD assistant coach and Agosta’s teammate on the Canadian Olympic team. “She is one of the fastest players in the world. She is really skilled with the puck, and to do that with speed is dangerous.”

The Lakers, the second-ranked team in the U.S. College Hockey Online poll, have outscored their opponents 22-6 in five games this season, while UMD, the fifth-ranked team, has four shutout wins for a 16-0 scoring advantage.

Four Nations teams named

Koizumi and Jenny Potter, former UMD players, and UMD assistant coach Julie Chu were named to the U.S. women’s select team for the Women’s Four Nations Cup being held in Leksand, Sweden, from Nov. 7-11.

Other UMD players competing in the event are Saara Tuominen and Heidi Pelttari for Finland, Elin Holmlov and Kim Martin for Sweden, and assistant coach Ouellette for Canada.

The Bulldogs will play North Dakota on Nov. 3-4 without those players and coaches, who will be preparing for the tournament.

ANDY GREDER covers UMD women’s hockey for the News Tribune. He can be reached at (218) 723-5315 or by e-mail at agreder@duluthnews.com

UMDBulldogs.com Mercyhurst Preview

NO. 5 BULLDOGS TO CLASH WITH NO. 2 MERCYHURST IN NCAA QUARTERFINAL REMATCH AT THE DECC

Last Updated: Thursday, October 18, 2007 3:21 PM

Get ready to see some of the best hockey the college women's game has to offer. The No. 5 University of Minnesota Duluth and No. 2 Mercyhurst College will collide this weekend at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center on Saturday at 3:07 p.m. and Sunday at 1:07 p.m. The highly anticipated rematch of last season's NCAA Quarterfinal game will no question feature two teams who will be playing deep into March of 2008.

THE SERIES: The one and only time the Bulldogs and Lakers have ever met was last season, when the two collided in Erie, Penn. in the NCAA Quarterfinals. On March 9, 2007, UMD bounced back from a 2-0 deficit in the second period to edge No. 2 Mercyhurst in overtime, 3-2. Then senior Jessica Koizumi scored the final two goals for the Bulldogs, including the game-winner, securing UMD’s fourth trip to an NCAA Final Four in program history.

LAST WEEK: UMD has now gone 36 games without a loss to Bemidji State after sweeping the Beavers 4-0 and 1-0 last weekend in the DECC. Karin Demeule scored three goals in two games to help lift the Bulldogs, who have yet to allow a goal this season. Sophomore Kim Martin and junior transfer Johanna Ellison split the series between the pipes, holding would-be scorers at bay for yet another week, and helping tie UMD’s all-time consecutive shutout record. The Bulldogs are 4-0 in the WCHA and overall, with 16 goals scored by the Maroon and Gold in those four wins.

The Lakers are off to the best start in the history of their program after sweeping Boston University last weekend in Erie, Penn. 6-5 Friday night and 4-1 Saturday night. Junior forward Valerie Choulnard scored the game-winner with three minutes left in regulation Friday night to hold off BU, while sophomore forward Meghan Agosta had a four-point game Saturday to lead Mercyhurst over the Terriers.

THE COACHES: Shannon Miller, who currently is the only coach in the WCHA to have racked-up 204 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 204-57-24 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.

Lakers head coach Michael Sisti is in his eighth season, and last Saturday night against Boston University earned his 200th career win. Sisti overall coaching mark at Mercyhurst is 200-61-20.

DANGEROUS DEMEULE: Senior Karine Demeule was rewarded for her goal-scoring handiwork last weekend against Bemidji State when she was named this week’s WCHA Offensive Player of the Week. The native of Montreal, Quebec netted two goals on Saturday and her second game -winner of the series Sunday to help lead UMD over BSU. Demeule is averaging one goal per game, and just last season flexed her scoring muscle against the Beavers when she scored two goals on Oct. 20, 2006, to help beat Bemidji.

ON A ROLL: The Bulldogs are through the first four games of their season without allowing a goal for the first time in program history.

LEADING LINE: UMD's first line, which consists of sophomores Saara Tuominen, Elin Holmlov and freshman Iya Gavrilova, has accounted for 16 of the Bulldogs 41 points. The three have tallied five goals and 11 assists between them.

BEST OF THE REST: UMD freshmen Laura Fridfinnson and Iya Gavrilova are two of the top three rookies in the nation in points per game average. Fridfinnson is tied for first (1.50 PPG), while Gavrilova slides in at third with a 1.25 PPG average. Netminding sophomore Kim Martin leads the nation in goals against average (0.00 through 178:53 minutes played), and save percentage (78 saves for 1.00).

SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE: The Bulldogs are ranked No. 5 in scoring offense in the country, averaging 4.00 goals per game through four outings. The Lakers stand in at No. 4 in the same category, averaging 4.40 goals per game. However, UMD has yet to allow a goal so far this season, while Mercyhurst has allowed six in five games.

DOWN BUT NOT OUT: The Bulldogs will be without the services of junior forward Tawni Mattila and junior Samantha Hough this weekend due to injury. Freshman Haley Irwin is listed as day-to-day for the weekend series.

BULLDOG BITS: UMD is carrying a six game winning streak at the DECC into this weekend’s series...the Bulldogs may lead the nation in penalty minutes (82), but they also lead it in penalty kill, amassing a perfect 31-of-31 so far this season...the Bulldogs power play has somehwat struggled early on, connecting on only 2 of 22 man advantages...sophomore forward Saara Tuominen and freshman forward Laura Fridfinnson lead UMD in scoring with six points a piece through the first four games (3-3=6)...thirteen rostered players have registered at least on point through the first four games...the Bulldogs four-game clean sheet streak ties a UMD record set during the 2002-2003 season when the Maroon and Gold held up opponents for four blank scoresheets from Nov. 1-9, 2002...UMD has five players who are averaging at least a point or more a contest...this weekend’s series against Mercyhurst will be one of only two non-WCHA teams the Bulldogs will play, with St. Lawerence the other...UMD went 1-2-1 last winter in regular season games against non-conference opponents, but were 2-0 against non-WCHA foes in the NCAA Playoffs.

REMEMBER THE NAME: Sophomore Meghan Agosta, a current Canadian National Team member with UMD assistant coach Caroline Ouellette), leads Mercyhurst with nine points through its first five games (4-5=9). Agosta burst on the college scene a year ago, and has scored 42 goals and 41 assists (83 points) in just 40 games as a Laker.

LAKER NOTES: Head coach Michael Sisti earned his 200 win Saturday against BU...Mercyhurst was 6-for-12 on the power play last weekend against Boston University but did give up five power-play goals against the Terriers in Friday’s 6-5 win.

LAB RINK RATS: If it looks like there is an extra offical on the ice this weekend, you are not seeing things. The WCHA will use an experimental 2-and-2 system in approximately 60 games in both the women’s and men’s leagues this season.

Mercyhurst's series preview

Click the blog title to go view all four pages OF Mercyhurst's series preview!

Below are some highlights of their preview release:

Scouting Mercyhurst

Mercyhurst, 5-0, is off to its best start in the program’s history and has outscored the opposition 22-6. All six goals were scored by Boston University
last weekend. The Lakers began the 2002-03 season 4-0 before losing at St. Lawrence. Head coach Michael Sisti recorded his 200th career win in Saturday’s game. Mercyhurst allowed four power play goals to BU, the most given up in any one game in program history, in a wild 6-5 win last Friday. The Lakers finished 6-for-12 with the skater advantage in the two-game sweep.

Sophomore Meghan Agosta’s four-point game Saturday was the fifth in her career and first since a 5-2 win at Robert Morris in the conference playoffs last March. Junior Valerie Chouinard recorded her third career hat trick Friday. Freshmen Geena Prough (Friday) and Cassea Schols (Saturday) recorded their first collegiate goals. Sophomore defender Johanna Malmstrom recorded her first career point (an assist) in Friday’s 6-5 win. She was blanked last year in 28 games. Junior goalie Courtney Drennen picked up Friday’s win in relief and improved to 16-0-2 lifetime. The games against the Terriers were the first ever.

The Lakers have allowed only a combined 82 shots in their first five games, 16.4 per game. Senior goaltender Laura Hosier has 56 career wins and trails only Desi Clark’s 63. Sixteen different skaters have scored at least one point so far. The power play has proven to be lethal: 9-of-29 (.310).

Fun Facts
• Mercyhurst and Minnesota Duluth are meeting for the second and third times ever and first during the regular season. UMD defeated Mercyhurst 3-2 in overtime last March in Erie in the NCAA Quarterfinals. The loss was the lone setback at the Ice Center last season (17-1-2).

• Mercyhurst is ranked No. 2 in both USCHO.com and USA Today Polls; UMD is fifth in both.

• Head coach Michael Sisti picked up wins 199 and 200 last weekend. UMD coach Shannon Miller reached the 200-win plateau during the NCAA playoffs last March.

• Mercyhurst finished last season +42 in special teams’ play. The Lakers are +8 after five games this season.

• Senior forward Stephanie Jones is four points shy of 100. Sophomore Meghan Agosta now has 83 points in just 40 career games.

• Junior Hayley McMeekin is the first transfer to suit for the blue and green since Teresa Marchese came in 2003-04. She played in her 50th career game last Friday.

• Freshman Jesse Scanzano is the tallest player for the women’s program. At 6-0, she passed former Laker standout Seanna Murphy, who was 5-11.

• On the flip side, freshman Vicki Bendus (5-1) is the smallest player since Erin Finnerty (5-0) from the 1999-00 season.

• Mercyhurst has outscored its first five opponents 9-1 in the last 20 minutes.

Karine Demeule WCHA Offensive Player of the Week!

DEMEULE HARD TO MISS AS WCHA OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Last Updated: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 12:23 PM

Karine Demeule didn't miss too many chances on the goal step this past weekend, and now she is going to be even harder to miss on the ice.

The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey senior captain was named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's Offensive Player of the Week for her three-goal performance against Bemidji State last Saturday and Sunday. Demeule netted two goals on Saturday to help lift UMD over the Beavers 4-0, and scored her second game winner of the series Sunday afternoon to elevate the Bulldogs 1-0 and extend their winning streak to four games.

A native of Montreal, Quebec, and the lone UMD senior, Demeule pushed her season goal-total to four, averaging one goal per game for the unbeaten Bulldogs. Just one season ago, Demeule flexed her scoring muscle against Bemidji by scoring two goals against the Beavers on Oct. 20, 2006.

The No. 5 Bulldogs return to the DECC ice this weekend for a clash with non-conference opponent No. 2 Mercyhurst. The first rematch of last season's overtime NCAA Quarterfinal game with start at 3:07 p.m. Saturday, while the second puck will drop at 1:07 p.m.

Incidentally, Emily Brookshaw, who stopped 81 of 86 UMD shots during the UMD sweep, was named the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week.

New USCHO Poll October 15

1 Wisconsin (11) 5-0-1 143 1
2 Mercyhurst ( 4) 5-0-0 134 2
3 St. Lawrence 1-1-0 110 3
4 New Hampshire 2-1-0 108 3
5 Minnesota-Duluth 4-0-0 99 5
6 Harvard 0-0-0 75 6
7 Boston College 3-0-0 57 8
8 Dartmouth 0-0-0 33 9
9 Ohio State 1-2-1 21 10
10 Minnesota 2-1-1 19 7
Others Receiving Votes: Connecticut 17, St. Cloud State 4, Clarkson 2, Princeton 2, Colgate 1

I'm not sure how the formatting will look on here.. may tinker with it a bit again, taking out records and stuff to clean it up.

News Tribune Sunday Game Story

Click the blog title to view the DNT's page.

UMD 1, Bemidji 0
Andy Greder Duluth News Tribune
Published Monday, October 15, 2007

Minnesota Duluth goalie Johanna Ellison of Cloquet had a delightful homecoming in net Sunday against Bemidji State, but coach Shannon Miller had a somber postgame message.

“I told the team, ‘I hope you learn your lesson. You can’t take anyone for granted,’ ” she said.

Miller thought the Bulldogs came out flat in a1-0 win Sunday over Bemidji State in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association game before 586 fans at the DECC.

“We didn’t come out on our toes or ready to compete,” Miller said. “We had half a tank, half-enthusiasm.”

Ellison, a junior transfer from Boston College, didn’t lack zeal in stopping 16 shots for a shutout in her first game as a Bulldog.

“I was nervous and excited to be back, definitely more excited,” Ellison said. “I’m glad it went well. It will be in my memory bank for a long time.”

Yet UMD’s offensive start wasn’t memorable after only eight shots and no goals in a slow first period.

Forward Karine Demeule scored the Bulldogs’ lone goal at 6:48 of the second period.

In the third, Bemidji State goalie Emily Brookshaw stopped all 16 UMD shots to finish with 34 saves in the game and 81 in the series.

“[Brookshaw] was really good [Saturday] and better [Sunday],” Beavers coach Steve Sertich said. “She saw the puck really well and was right on it all night.”

The fifth-ranked Bulldogs (4-0, 4-0 WCHA) beat Bemidji State 4-0 Saturday, and UMD sophomore center Saara Tuominen believes they were nearly caught looking ahead to the series against second-ranked Mercyhurst of Erie, Pa., next Saturday and Sunday at the DECC.

“We didn’t show up,” Tuominen said. “You have to give credit to [Brookshaw], but [the upcoming Mercyhurst series] was part of the letdown.”

Miller tried to mix up the lines to rejuvenate the offense in the third period.

“Things didn’t click,” Miller said. “The first line [of Tuominen, Elin Holmlov and Iya Gavrilova] haven’t had the chemistry I’d seen in the last week, so I stirred up the lines.”

UMD suited up nine forwards for the second straight game after Haley Irwin encountered post-concussion dizziness during pregame warm-ups Sunday.

“We practiced all week with nine and you could tell that effected us,” Miller said. “Demeule blew out a skate and we were down to eight for a while.”

Ellison’s first game wasn’t UMD’s best game, but she believes in the caliber of their program.

“UMD was my first choice when I was looking at other schools,” Ellison said. “We have a great program and I’m glad to be part of it.”