Jennifer Harss showed a glimpse of what she was capable of Sunday afternoon at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, and it was certainly wasn't something St. Cloud State University wanted to see.
Harss and the No. 6 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team handed the Huskies a 2-0 shutout to improve to 3-1-0 overall and 2-0-0 in Western Collegiate Hockey Association play. The Bulldogs, who are now 36-8-2 all-time against the Huskies, also improve to 20-2-1 against St. Cloud at the DECC. Harss' clean-sheet is the first of the freshman goaltender's young career, and UMD's 13th against the Huskies in program history.
"We had to fight through a lot of things today and we did just that,' said head coach Shannon Miller after the game. "We beat their goaltender and then we closed the door and got it done. It shows a lot about the character of this team."
After a scoreless first period, the Bulldogs would crash the 0-0 party at the 16:42 mark of the second stanza. Rookie Audrey Cournoyer attempted to beat Husky netminder Tayler VanDenakker to VanDenakker's left, but the puck popped out into the crease where a hard-charging Katie Wilson dove to knock the puck into St. Cloud's net, giving UMD the 1-0 lead. Wilson's fourth-straight game with a point was not only her second goal of the series, but her fourth of the weekend, and now ties her with teammate Laura Fridfinnson as the Bulldogs' leading scorer with six points (2g, 4a).
With a 1-0 edge heading into the final period of play, UMD's Harss provided the stubborn difference, making seven saves and with her teammates help, forced St. Cloud into a 0-of-4 power-play count in the third stanza alone. The Bulldogs iced the cake with just eight ticks remaining on the clock as Mariia Posa netted her first collegiate goal from the point, beating VanDenakker through a curious crowd in front of the crease.
UMD, which outshot its opponent for a fourth-straight game, threw 31 pucks on net to the Huskies 24. VanDenakker made 29 saves for St. Cloud, who drops to 0-2-0 in the WCHA and 1-3-1 overall.
Harss turned away 24 shots in her third win in a maroon and white jersey, while her defense stiffled St. Cloud's eight power-play attempts. UMD was 0-of-5 with the extra skater, the third such game the Bulldogs have gone without a goal from their power-play.
UMD will travel down Interstate 35 next weekend to face rival Minnesota in Minneapolis. The puck will drop on Friday's storied clash at Ridder at 7:07 p.m.
BULLDOG NOTES: Katie Wilson and Emmanuelle Blais have now logged a point in four-straight games...Wilson has two goals and four assists, while Blais has two goals and three assists over that span...Jennifer Harss' clean-sheet is the first since Johanna Ellison blanked North Dakota just a season ago, 4-0 at the DECC on Feb. 28...UMD had a season-high nine penalties for 18 minutes served in Sunday's contest...Junior defenseman Tara Gray left the game with an injury to her shoulder late in the second period, while sophomore goaltender Lana Steck is recovering from an injury sustained Saturday prior to the game.
