Besides being the only Esko, Minn., native to ever lace up a pair of skates for the University of Minnesota Duluth, Josh Johnson holds a number of other distinctions as well. They include:

•He's the lone member of the 2006-07 Bulldogs who has suited up in an NCAA Frozen Four game (as a backup goalie, he watched from the bench as UMD fell 5-3 to Denver in the 2004 semifinals)

•He's the last Bulldog to be credited with 40 or more saves. He accomplished that feat by turning aside 43 of 44 shots in a 4-1 home triumph over Minnesota State-Mankato on Oct. 23, 2004).

•He was the first UMD puckstopper to ever post a shut out in Houghton, Mich. -- doing so with a 4-0 blanking of Michigan Tech on Dec. 6, 2003.

Last Friday night, the 6-0, 185-pound senior added one more distinction to the list by becoming the first Bulldog goaltender to post a win in 2007. He did so by making 19 stops in a much-needed 2-1 overtime victory over Michigan Tech at the DECC.



HIS FAVORITES

Opponent: Wisconsin

Opponent Arena: Kohl Center (Wisconsin)

Road Trip: Madison, Wis.

Professional Athlete: Roberto Luongo (Vancouver Canucks) and Brooks Bollinger (Minnesota Vikings)

Professional Team: Edmonton Oilers

College Course: Abnormal Psychology

Pastime: Going to cabins

Prized Possession: My Ford Tempo

Movie: Slapshot

Book: CSI books

Television Show: Family Guy

Singer/Group: Anything country

Food: Seafood

Restaurant: Red Lobster

Vacation Spot: McGregor, Minn.

Web Site: carsoup.com

PERSONALLY SPEAKING

Why I Chose UMD: The school's location and the coaching staff

First Played Competitive Hockey: Age 3

Hockey Strength/Weakness: My anticipation/My size

Game Day Ritual: I take a pregame nap

Most Memorable Hockey Moment: Making it to the 2004 NCAA Frozen Four

Best Player I’ve Ever Played Against: Jeff McFarland

Pet Peeve: Bad/slow drivers

My First Job: Working on a grounds crew when I was 16 year old

Person I'd Most Like to Meet: Johnny Cash

Biggest Fear: Spiders

What Most People Don't Know About Me: I have a dog named, \"Tails\"

Advice to an Aspiring Young Athlete: Keep your head up and always work hard at practice

If I Could Change One Thing About Myself:

I would be a little bit bigger

Influences on My Athletic Career: My family

Something I Never Leave Home Without: My cell phone and wallet

Sport I'd Like to Try But Never Have: Surfing

Post-UMD Plans: Continue my education in some capacity