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NO. 7/8 BULLDOGS WILL HOST WHITECAPS IN EXHIBITION SERIES THIS WEEKEND

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Vanessa Thiabult is one of four players who won't be on the ice for the Bulldogs this weekend.

The University of Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey team will hit the ice against a very familiar preseason opponent Friday -- the Minnesota Whitecaps.  The Bulldogs have opened the past three consecutive seasons against the Whitecaps.  Game-time for Friday, Sept. 28 will begin at 7:07 pm at AMSOIL Arena, while the second game on Saturday the 29 will get underway at 3:07 pm.

UMD notes vs. Whitecaps

--  The Bulldogs will be without the services of blueliners Jessica Wong, Tea Villila, Bridgette Lacquette and forward Vanessa Thibault this weekend.  Wong, Villila and Thibault are recovering from injuries and Lacquette is at Team Canada camp with former UMD alums Jocleyne Larocque, Haley Irwin and Caroline Ouellette.

-- Former Bulldog great and Team USA stallwart Jenny Potter will play in both games for the Whitecaps this weekend.

--  UMD head coach Shannon Miller has been at the Bulldog helm for all of the Maroon and Gold’s previous 13 seasons, and on the eve of her fourteenth year, Miller will lengthen her WCHA-leading tenure on the women’s side.  With a record of 334-101-35, Miller is just 30 games away from coaching her 500th game for UMD.  Owning a NCAA record five NCAA titles, Miller will enter the 2012-13 season having coached a staggering 470 collegiate games.

--  The Bulldogs will show-off easily one of the most diverse rosters in all of college hockey, with players from seven different countries flying under the UMD flag.  Freshmen forward Alivia Del Basso is the first player in the Bulldog program to hail from Australia, while rookie forward Hannah Bramm is the first skater from the state of Florida to wear the Bulldog.  In all, seven countries are represented on UMD’s roster, including Russia, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Canada and the United States.

--  UMD will focus on the offense it retained -- Audrey Cournoyer, Jenna McParland and Jessica Wong and not on what it lost -- prolific scorer Irwin.  The Bulldogs leading goal scorer last season, forward Cournoyer will be back with her career numbers from a year ago, including 22 goals and 26 assists for 48 points.  McParland proved she could power the Bulldog offense of the future in her own right, compiling 32 points in 36 skates, with 21 goals.  In addition to returning two of their top-three scoring forwards, UMD also returns it’s fourth leading scorer in the form of defenseman Wong.  While Wong began her career as an attacker, the senior captain has now played 66 of her 110 games on the backline, compiling 68 points in her improved role.  Wong will start the 2012-13 season at 99 career points (41g, 58a), and is one of three players in striking distance of the 100-point club that Cournoyer joined late last winter.  Senior forward Pernilla Winberg owns 96 career points (35g, 61), while senior center Katie Wilson is sitting at 89 points (33g, 56a).

--  With eight freshmen, returners will be expected to pick up the leadership reigns.  No position was effected more by graduation than the goaltending spot, with three rookies landing roster spots.  Sofia Carlstrom (Team Sweden U-18) and Kayla Black (Team Canada U-18) are expected to compete for a currently wide open netminding role.

-- Bulldog fans can catch the game on the radio over the internet with KUMD here.

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