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BULLDOGS WILL WELCOME NO. 4 WISCONSIN INTO AMSOIL ARENA THIS WEEKEND

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Katie Wilson leads UMD in scoring with three points (1g, 2a) in two skates.

Credit: Dave Harwig

The University of Minnesota Duluth women’s hockey will face a storied rival in the No. 4 University of Wisconsin this weekend at AMSOIL Arena.  The Bulldogs will be looking for their first Western Collegiate Hockey Association win of the season against the Badgers, who last encountered UMD in the WCHA Final Face-Off last March.  Both games are slated for a 3:07 p.m. start on Saturday and Sunday.  Following Sunday’s game, all UMD fans are invited to skate with the Bulldogs at AMSOIL.

THE SERIES: In 63 all-time meetings, the Bulldogs  edge Wisconsin with an overall record of 27-26-10.  UMD went 1-4 against the Badgers one season ago.

After going winless for the first time in program history during the regular season last year, the Bulldogs won when it mattered most -- knocking then No. 1 Wisconsin out of the WCHA Final-Face-off on March 2 by a score of 3-1 at AMSOIL Arena.  

The Bulldogs scored a goal in each period, beginning with a tally by Audrey Cournoyer 8:10 into the first period, and never released the lead to hold Wisconsin off.  Jenna McParland added a goal at 15:35 of the second period and Brigette Lacquette tagged the scoresheet with just 18 seconds remaining in the contest.

Prior to UMD’s playoff win over Wisconsin, two of the Bulldogs four regular season losses were decided by one goal, including one overtime game in their last regular season skate on Jan. 21, a 4-3 setback for UMD.  Twice last year the Bulldogs outshot the Badgers and lost -- on Jan. 20, a 2-0 slide despite a 36-23 shot advantage, and then back on Oct. 22, 2011, a 6-3 loss that displayed a UMD squad that outshelled UW 49-31.

The Bulldogs are 13-10-5 all-time in Duluth against UW, but have won just a single game (March 3, 2012) against the Badgers in five skates in the confines of AMSOIL, going 1-3-1 since the new rink opened.

LAST WEEK:  UMD suffered just their second sweep of a season opener ever with two losses to Ohio State at AMSOIL last weekend.  The series sweep was also the first ever at the hands of the Buckeyes.  Saturday night’s slide (Oct. 5) was the first loss in a home-opener in program history, a 3-1 loss.  Senior center Katie Wilson had the lone Bulldog goal in the skate -- a skate that featured four Bulldogs out of the line-up (Vanessa Thibault, Zoe Hickel, Tea Villila and Dana Gallop).  The Bulldogs were saddled with their lowest shot output -- 17 -- since UMD was held to 14 against Wisconsin back on Dec. 4, 2009.

Sunday’s contest started off with it’s own historical moment when senior blueliner Jessica Wong became the 16th Bulldog to join the 100 point club with a goal a mere 15 seconds into the skate.  OSU scored two goals in the first period and the game remained a 2-1 deficit for UMD until Pernilla Winberg’s deflected shot equalized the game 3:10 into the final period.  The Buckeyes benefited from their own deflection against the run of play that had been all UMD in the third period when a puck redirected off Minttu Tuominen’s skate and past Bulldog goaltender Kayla Black for the game-winner with 3:46 left in the game.  Black had 18 saves in the setback and 40 in the series combined, while Wilson led all UMD scorers with a goal and two assists.

THE WONDER OF WONG:  Not only did Jessica Wong join the 100 career point club last weekend, she became only the second defensemen ever to do so.  Wong joins former teammate and Team Canada member Jocelyne Larocque as the only two blueliners in a club belonging to forwards.  

Larocque owns 105 career points, which includes 86 assists, and sits as UMD’s all-time leading scorer from the backline.  While Wong now has 100 points (42g, 58a) in 112 games, Wong began her Bulldog career as a forward in the 2009-10 season before head coach Shannon Miller dropped her back to the blueline.  Wong has played in 68 games as a defensman, compiling 27 goals and 42 assists for 69 points from the back, ranking her sixth currently all-time among Bulldog blueliners.

WIth two current players in the 100 point club (Wong and Audrey Cournoyer), two other current UMD skaters are closing in on their 100th point.  Pernilla Winberg is sitting at 98 points with 36 goals and 62 assists, including a goal and an assist last weekend, while Katie Wilson has climbed to 92 career points (34g, 58) after her three point weekend against OSU.

BULLDOG NOTES:  UMD put up just 42 shots on goal in the OSU series and was held to six or fewer shots in four of the total six periods played over the weekend...Both senior center Katie Wilson and Pernilla Winberg have two-game scoring streaks in tow after Wilson recorded three points last weekend (1g, 2a) and Winberg added a goal and an assist in each skate...UMD ranks near the bottom in penalty minutes early in the season among all WCHA teams, sitting in fifth with an average of just seven penalty minutes a game...North Dakota, ranks first with an average of  18.5 in its first league skates, while Minnesota is second with a 13 penalty minutes a game average...Wisconsin is averaging the fewest infractions, with just four an outing...The Bulldogs fell out of both the national top-10 rankings this week for only the second time in program history, now receiving votes in both USCHO.com’s and USA TODAY/USA Hockey national polls.

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