No two teams in NCAA women's hockey this season probably exceeded expectations more than the University of Minnesota Duluth and Cornell did this past year.  While the Bulldogs are suiting up Sunday in the program's sixth title tilt, ten of UMD's 21 current players have never taken to the ice of a Division I Frozen Four championship game.  UMD -- carrying the hopes of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's ten-straight NCAA banners on its back -- will again be the home team as the No. 2 seed, while the Big Red enter as the No. 5 seed.  Game-time in Ridder Arena is set for 12:04 p.m.

THE SERIES:  The Bulldogs and Big Red have not only never met in NCAA postseason play, but UMD and Cornell have never met in the Bulldogs' 11-year history.  UMD is 26-10 all-time against ECAC opponents, the league that the Big Red play in, but UMD did not face an ECAC foe during this past season.  

Most recently, UMD hosted ECAC members Darthmouth and Princeton during the 2008-09 season.  While the Bulldogs swept then No. 3 Darthmouth on Nov. 28-29 at the DECC by scores of 2-1 and 4-1, UMD split its series with the Tigers two weeks later.  

Unranked Princeton knocked off UMD on Dec. 13, 2008 at the DECC 4-3, before the Bulldogs pounced on the Tigers 4-0 the following day (Dec. 14, 2008).  

This season, UMD and Cornell have faced just one common opponent in Mercyhurst.  The Big Red, although swept by the Lakers in the regular season, ousted top-ranked Mercyhurst Friday night in the first Frozen Four semifinal 3-2 in overtime.  UMD split its series with the Lakers in Erie, Penn. back on Oct. 30-31 by scores of 4-3, in favor of the Bulldogs, and 5-2, a Laker win the following day.

A RECAP OF FRIDAY'S FROZEN FOUR SEMIFINAL:  UMD (30-8-2)  defeated in state rival Minnesota in the Gophers own rink of Ridder Arena 3-2 before 2, 070 fans, with a start pushed back about 45 minutes due to overtime in the first semifinal contest.  

In a game that Minnesota pushed the tempo early, UMD's experienced upperclassmen helped the Bulldogs get on the board first, despite being outshot 13-to-7 and handcuffed by two bench minors in the first 10 minutes of play.  

Bulldog scoring leader Emmanuelle Blais took a shot to the left of Noora Raty, and Blais' linemate Laura Fridfinnson picked it up behind the net and wrapped the puck around the far post to net her 23rd goal of the season at 5:55.   Fridfinnson's goal – her third tally in an NCAA Frozen Four semifinal contest in three skates – was the only scoreboard action of the first period, and gave the Bulldogs the 1-0 lead into the first intermission.

Enter Blais -- curiously left out of the Patty Kazmaier's Top-3 list despite scoring 61 points prior to Friday's contest – and who has already had 19 multiple-point games so far this season.  Already with an assist, the Lasalle, Quebec native slapped in a cross-crease pass from Fridfinnson at 12:55 to push UMD's lead to 2-0 with over half of the game played.  While Minnesota would respond with a breakaway goal from Sarah Erickson at 17:30 to cut UMD's advantage to 2-1, Blais would net her 31st goal of the season from the left circle on a Fridfinnson extended goal-line dish with 45 seconds remaining in the stanza to regain the Bulldogs' two goal cushion heading into the second intermission.

The score would stay at 3-1 until Minnesota's Emily West would pull the Gophers to within one with just 55 seconds remaining in the contest.  But despite six skaters, UMD's defense protected its goal and even allowed Fridfinnson an open net goal at the buzzer that was later disallowed.

The Bulldogs continued their staunch penalty-killing ways of the last seven games, having now held their opponents scoreless in 28 extra skated attempts.  Minnesota was 0-of-4 on the power-play, while UMD was 0-of-8.

UMD rookie  netminder Jennifer Harss earned her 28th win of the season, making 27 saves on 29 Gopher shots.  Minnesota goaltender Raty had 21 saves on 24 shots as the Gophers end their season at 26-9-5.

NOTES FROM NCAA SEMIFINAL GAME:  UMD is now 10-2 in the NCAA Frozen Four tournament (the best record by any program in the NCAA), and 14-4 overall in NCAA tournament play.  With Friday's win, the Bulldogs are 6-1 in NCAA Frozen Four semifinal action.  

•  By defeating Minnesota Friday night, UMD still remains the only program in NCAA Frozen Four history to both host the tournament and win in its home rink.  The Bulldogs have done that twice -- both in 2003 and 2008.

•  The win -- UMD's fourth-straight over Minnesota this season, gives the Bulldog a 4-2 advantage against the Gophers this season -- only the second time in program history that UMD has earned four wins against Minnesota.  The Bulldogs only other season with four wins against the Gophers was during the 2002-03 season, when UMD clinched its third NCAA title in a row.

•  UMD is now 21-26-5 all-time against Minnesota.  The Gophers are still the only team the Bulldogs are sub .500 against.

•  The Bulldogs are currently on an eight-game winning streak and are 18-1-1 in their last 20 games.  Friday's two goals against was the 15th time during UMD's current success stretch that it has given up two or less tallies in a game.

•  UMD's current win count of 30 is just the third time in program history that the Bulldogs have won 30 or more games in a single season.  Most recently, UMD won 34 in 2007-08 (a program record) and earned 31 in 2002-03.  Both times the Bulldogs concluded those seasons with national championships.

•  UMD junior forward Laura Fridfinnson has now scored three goals and added two assists for five points in three career NCAA Frozen Four semifinal games.

•  Bulldog senior forward Emmanuelle Blais, who recorded two goals and an assist Friday night, now has piled up five goals and six assists for 11 points in her past four games.  Blais has four points in NCAA postseason play this year (two goals, two assists), and is currently on a four-game scoring streak.  Blais has also compiled 20 multiple-point games so far this season after her three points Friday night.

•  Junior blueliner Jocelyne Larocque, who missed the first half of the season centralized with Team Canada, has now recorded a point in both NCAA postseason games she has played this season (1g, 1a).  She is currently in the midst of a career-high seven game scoring streak, in which the defenseman has notched eight points over that span (3g, 5a).

•  Rookie netminder Jennifer Harss went 4-2 against Minnesota this season, and has made 189 stops against the Gophers in six skates.

•  Head coach Shannon Miller  will coach in her 399th game Sunday.  Miller picked up her 290th win Friday night against Minnesota.  Miller currently owns the third highest Division I coach winning percentage (.766) and ranks sixth all-time for wins with her 290 triumphs in just 398 outings in 11 seasons.

THE BULLDOGS IN NCAA FROZEN FOUR PLAY:  Making it's record-tying seventh NCAA Frozen Four appearance, UMD 4-1 all-time in NCAA Frozen Four championship games, losing just once to Wisconsin  4-1 during the 2007 NCAA title game.

UMD is 14-4 in NCAA postseason play, including 10-2 in the Frozen Four.  The Bulldogs are 8-2 in NCAA postseason action the past three seasons, and are 6-1 all-time in NCAA Frozen Four semifinal games.

UMD's ten Frozen Four wins is an NCAA record, and the Bulldogs' .833 winning percentage on college hockey's biggest stage ranks No. 2.  With a record four NCAA titles (2008, 2003, 2002, 2001), including the only program to have ever won three consecutively.  Head coach Shannon Miller is the only coach to have guided her program into seven NCAA Frozen Fours, and her 10 wins there is a NCAA I women's hockey coaching record. 

FAMILIAR WITH THE FROZEN FOUR:  Sunday will mark the third time in four years  the Bulldogs' senior class has played in an NCAA championship game.  UMD's current senior class is 1-1 in NCAA title showdown's, and 4-2 in NCAA Frozen Four play over their careers. 

Eight of UMD's current roster of 21 players were on the Bulldogs' 2008 NCAA national championship team, including junior forward Laura Fridfinnson, who was selected to the 2008 NCAA Frozen Four All-Tournament Team.

Of the eight current players with championship rings, just four of them will be playing in their third national championship game -- seniors Saara Tuominen, Emmanuelle Blais, Jaime Rasmussen, and Sarah Murray.

ROOKIES GOING ROGUE:  Sunday's championship contest will feature the youngest UMD roster to ever take the ice in a championship game.  The Bulldogs will have nine freshmen -- one more than they did in their 2001-2002 title skate.

FEELING RIGHT AT HOME:  UMD has won three of its four NCAA Frozen Four titles in the state of Minnesota (two in Duluth in 2003 and 2008, and one in Minneapolis in 2001).  The Bulldogs are 7-0 in NCAA Frozen Four games played in Minnesota, but UMD did not make the 2006 NCAA Frozen Four held in Minneapolis.

TAKING THE POWER OUT OF THE PLAY:  UMD has been uncharitable with its penalty-kill over the past seven games, having now held opponents scoreless in their last 28 power-play attempts (0-of-28).

A WIN-WIN SITUATION:  UMD -- in the midst of an eight-game winning streak-- has gone 17-1-0 in its last 18 games and 18-1-2 over the last 21 skates.  The Bulldogs currently own the third-best winning percentage in the NCAA this season, and the highest in the WCHA with a .775. Even more impressively, however, is that the Bulldogs are in their 11th-straight season with 20 or more wins.

In fact, UMD has only once posted a mere 20 wins in a season (2003-04), and while the current 2009-10 Bulldog squad has 29 victories so far, UMD has been held to 22 wins in an entire year just one time during the 2005-06 season.  Of the Bulldogs 10 completed seasons as a NCAA program, UMD is averaging 26 wins a year, and owns a .762 winning percentage.

BLAIS NAMED UMD'S 11th ALL-AMERICAN ON THURSDAY:  Emmanuelle Blais became the 11th UMD player in program history to be named a RBK First Team All-American, the first Bulldog forward since Caroline Ouellette earned the honor during the 2004-05 season.  The Lasalle, Quebec native has had a blistering offensive season, having recorded 64 points over 40 games for a 1.60 points per game average.  She is the first Bulldog since Ouellette did it during the 2004-05 season to tally more than 60 points, and also the first UMD player since Ouellette to net 29 goals in a single year.  Blais joins current teammate and junior blueliner Jocelyne Larocque, who was named a RBK First Team All-American just one season ago.

Blais was one of three forwards selected to the six-player RBK All-American First Team, and one of three Western Collegiate Hockey Association players to land on the top-squad.  RBK All-Americans are chosen by members of the American Hockey Coaches Association.

A HISTORY OF HIGH-SCORING BULLDOGS:  UMD, which currently owns a 3.38 goals a game average (the third most in the NCAA), has never averaged fewer than 3.28 goals a game in program history.  UMD -- averaging 4.00 goals per game in its last four skates -- has scored the second-most goals in the NCAA this season with 132.

RAISING THEIR RANKINGS:  Emmanuelle Blais' two goals last night bumps her into the No. 8 spot for goals in a single-season, tying her with Caroline Ouellette and Jenny Potter, who each netted 31 during the 2002-03 season.  Blais also falls into the No. 10 slot with 33 assists this season, tying her with her current teammate Jocelyne Larocque, who had 33 helpers from the blueline last season.

With an assist last night, Blais goes into the No. 8 spot all-time with 72 career assists at UMD (tying her with Navada Russell).  Blais has now scored 72 career goals, the eighth most in Bulldog program history.

Rookie goaltender Jennifer Harss, who now has 28 wins this season, is tied for the No. 2 spot for goaltending wins in a single-season.

BLAIS-ING INTO GOOD COMPANY:  Emmanuelle Blais has scored the most points in a single-season (64) since Caroline Ouellette racked up 80 (32g, 48a) during the 2004-05 season.  UMD's leading scorer all-season long, Blais is just the sixth player to record more than 60 points in a season, joining Bulldog greats such as Ouellette and Jenny Potter (who did it three different seasons), Maria Rooth and Hanne Sikio (who each did it twice) and Erika Holst (who pitched in 64 points during the 2002-03 season).

BULLDOG NOTES:  Emmanuelle Blais joins junior forward Laura Fridfinnson as the only two UMD players ever to have scored a goal in an NCAA Frozen Four contest on the current squad...UMD has won all four of its NCAA titles after clinching WCHA Playoff titles (2008, 2003, 2002, 2001)... Jennifer Harss  continues to build on her UMD single-season record for saves with 1089 to her credit this year...Defenseman Jocelyne Larocque is one point shy of tying former Bulldog Julianne Vasichek's No. 3 career mark of 77 points (11g, 66a) by a blueliner set from 2001-05)...Larocque currently owns the No. 4 spot with 76 points (11g, 65a)...Blueliner Rasmussen's 19 goals over her career ties her with former Bulldogs Myriam Trepanier and Brittny Ralph for the second most career goals by a defenseman...Katie Wilson's 43 points is the seventh-most points tallied by a Bulldog rookie in program history...Wilson (17-26=43) is just one point shy from tying teammate Fridfinnson's mark of 44 points (22-22=44), set during the 2007-08 season...Six Bulldogs have had career offensive seasons, including Fridfinnson, Rasmussen, Emmanuelle Blais, Tara Gray, Sarah Murray and Kacy Ambroz.

WATCH THE GAME ON TV:  The game will be featured on CBS College Sports Network.  A free live video feed will be available online at http://all-access.cbssports.com/player.html?code=ncaa&media=174189 or click here.

ON THE AIR:  Fans can listen to the Bulldogs on WGEE 970 AM Saturday with Tom Hansen, who is in his eleventh season covering play-by-play duties for the Maroon and Gold.  Pre-game will begin 15 minutes before the puck drops.

FOLLOW THE GAMES VIA LIVE BLOG THIS WEEKEND:  UMD fans can follow this weekend's game through a live, interactive blog.  Just click on the link on the right of the UMD women's hockey homepage, and it will take you to the link at game-time.