Although the two teams made it to the 2009 NCAA Frozen Four, both No. 5 University of Minnesota Duluth and No. 2 University of Minnesota have a fraction of their rosters from a season ago. The Bulldogs, who graduated six seniors and have six players centralized ahead of the Olympics, may not receive much sympathy from the Gophers, who graduated six of their own seniors and lost two very notable twins. The two programs, who together have kept the NCAA trophy inside the state of Minnesota six times (UMD four, Minnesota two), will square off Friday night in Ridder Arena at 7:07 p.m., with a Saturday showing set for 4:07 p.m.
UMD NOTES VS. MINNESOTA
THE SERIES: The Bulldogs are 17-24-5 all-time against the Gophers, and Minnesota holds the distinction of the only team in the NCAA that UMD is sub .500 against. The two foes have dropped the puck against each other 46 times, with the Bulldogs coming up short a season ago, posting a record of 1-2-1 against the Gophers.
While Minnesota swept UMD at the DECC last year (Oct. 10-11, 2008) in overtime by a score of 4-3 and then 2-0, the Bulldogs rebounded to earn a win and a tie at Ridder Arena on Jan. 23-24. The Bulldogs, ranked No. 3 at the time, stunned No. 1 Minnesota in the first game, scoring four goals in the second period to bury the Gophers 4-2 on Jan. 23. Then sophomore forward Haley Irwin scored two goals, while then sophomore blueliner Jocelyne Larocque recorded an assistant on all four tallies. Senior goaltender Johanna Ellison made 34 saves in first duty ever between the pipes against Minnesota.
The following night (Jan. 24), the Bulldogs stormed back from a 3-1 third period deficit to earn a 3-3 tie. Ellison was again golden between the pipes, collecting 37 saves for a total of 70 on the weekend.
In four skates last season, Minnesota just barely outscored UMD, tallying 11 goals to the Bulldogs 10.
LAST WEEK: UMD (3-1-0, 2-0-0) is now 36-8-2 all-time against St. Cloud State after sweeping the Huskies over the weekend at the DECC. Five players, including three freshmen, recorded two or more points in Saturday's 5-3 triumph, with rookie forward Katie Wilson turning in a one goal, two assist performance to help lead UMD. The Maroon and Gold helped goaltender Jennifer Harss nab her first shutout as a Bulldog Sunday, blanking the Huskies 2-0. Harss made 24 saves and guarded the pipes through eight St. Cloud power-play attempts to earn her third victory of the season. UMD received goals from Wilson, who tallied the game-winner, and freshman blueliner Mariia Posa, whose goal with just eight seconds remaining in the contest is the first of her Bulldog career.
WILSON'S WCHA ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: If Katie Wilson has been slipping under opposing opponents radar, her luck has just run out.
The rookie forward was named the WCHA's Rookie of the Week Wednesday after her four-point weekend against St. Cloud State at the DECC.
The NCAA's leading rookie scorer, with an average of 1.50 points per game in her first four games, Wilson tallied her first goal as a Bulldog in last Saturday's (Oct. 11) 5-3 win over the Huskies. The native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, had an assist on UMD's first goal in the first period, scored the second tally of the contest at 6:52 of the opening stanza, and then picked up an assist on UMD's third goal in the third period.
Wilson then came back to score the game-winning score last Sunday (Oct. 11) in the second period in UMD's 2-0 triumph over St. Cloud State. The freshman Wilson is tied at the top as the Bulldogs' leading scorer so far this season with six points (2g, 4a) in four games and has a four-game point-scoring streak.
GOLDEN AGAINST THE GOPHERS: The two squads may elict some of the best hockey out of each other, but no current Bulldogs have enjoyed as much success against Minnesota as senior forwards Saara Tuominen and Emmanuelle Blais.
Tuominen leads UMD with five goals and seven assists versus the Gophers for 12 points in 13 outings. Touminen's classmate Blais has scored four goals and added two assists in 13 skates opposite Minnesota.
DIFFERENT SHADES OF MAROON AND GOLD: Besides the fact that both teams wear maroon and gold, there isn't a whole lot the Bulldogs and Gophers have in common through their first four games this season.
UMD which has relied heavily on eight freshmen so far, has two rookies in the Bulldogs top-five scorers, while Minnesota, rostering six freshman, doesn't have any. UMD is averaging 43.2 shots on goal a skate, while the Gophers are averaging 34.5. But while the Bulldogs have the edge on shots per contest, Minnesota is averaging five goals an outing, compared to UMD's 3.25.
One of the Bulldogs strengths has been on their penalty-kill, ranked No. 6 in the NCAA with just one goal allowed in 21 attempts (20-of-21) for a 95.2 success rate. The Gophers are on the other end of the penalty-kill spectrum, ranked 24th with six goals against in 22 attempts (16-of-22, 72.6). Minnesota is 4-of-16 on the power-play, however, which slots them at No. 4 in the nation with a 25.0 percentage. The extra skater has been one of UMD's weakest points, as the Bulldogs are ranked just 23rd in the NCAA with a single tally in 18 attempts with the extra skater (5.6).
Both teams do share a common thread heading into Friday's showdown. This weekend will mark the first nationally ranked opponent for either squad of the 2009-10 season.
SOLVING THE RIDDLE OF RIDDER: Last January's 4-2 win was only the second of it's kind for the Bulldogs in Ridder Arena in six years. In addition to that triumph, UMD has won only one other time (Oct. 29, 2005, 6-0) since going 3-0 in Ridder during its debut season of 2002-03.
FRIDFINNSON AND BLAIS CHASING 100: Both forwards Emmanuelle Blais and Laura Fridfinnson tacked onto their career point totals last weekend against St. Cloud.
After scoring a goal and adding two assists last weekend, senior forward Blais is sitting at 85 career points, (43g, 42a) after suiting up 108 times. Blais is also in the midst of a four-game scoring streak, in which she has compiled two goals and three assists over that span for six points.
Fridfinnson has now tallied 84 career points (44 goals, 40 assists) in just 82 outings, and is on track to break into the 100 point-club early this season. The Arborg, Manitoba product, who owns the sixth most points by a UMD rookie (44) after her 2007-08 freshman season, is the top-returning scorer from the Bulldogs 2008-09 roster.
Fridfinnson also ranks No. 10 all-time for career tallies, with 44 goals in her 82 skates.
Both Fridfinnson and Blais are chasing current teammate Saara Tuominen, who went over the 100-point mark last season on Jan. 11 against Wisconsin at the DECC. Tuominen has 116 points over her 110 game career to date, ranking her the ninth all-time scorer in UMD history, and just two points behind centralized Bulldog Elin Holmlov, who sits in eighth with 118 career points.
RASMUSSEN CLIMBS THE CAREER LADDER: In addtion to Emmanuelle Blais and Laura Fridfinnson chasing the 100-point milestone, senior defenseman Jaime Rasmussen is rewriting some career offensive marks from the blueline of her own.
The Garden Grove, Calf. native, had a breakout season offensively in 2008-09, scoring nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points. Rasmussen is currently tied as the No. 8 all-time career points by a defenseman with 49 (13g, 36a) in 120 outings. She shares the No. 8 slot with Pamela Pachal (1999-01), who recorded 48 in just 66 skates as a Bulldog. Rasmussen also sits in the No. 6 spot for career goals by a blueliner with 13, just three short of the No. 5 marker held by Satu Kiipeli, who netted 16 between 2000-04.
A DOMINANT DECADE: The Bulldogs will celebrate their 10th Anniversary with a special red carpet celebration prior to their game versus Minnesota State, Mankato on Saturday, Nov. 21. The red carpet ceremony will take place prior to the 6:07 p.m. start, and will feature a banner that will be unveiled and raised to the rafters of the DECC.
Since UMD began NCAA play in 1999-00, it has been the most successful program of the past decade, winning an NCAA-best four NCAA titles (2008, 2003, 2002, 2001) and playing in a record-tying six NCAA Frozen Fours. The Bulldogs have won two regular season WCHA titles and four WCHA Playoff titles, and have made nine NCAA Tournament appearances. With 13 All-American nods to UMD's resume, the Bulldogs also have been home to 19 Winter Olympians (and one Summer Olympian), a number that could reach 23 after February's 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.
A GLIMPSE OF GOPHERS: Minnesota is coached by Brad Frost, who is now in his third season with the Gophers, and is 63-12-7 overall. Minnesota -- led by junior forward Emily West, who has eight points in just four skates (4g, 4a) -- is now 4-0-0 and 2-0-0 in the WCHA after sweeping Ohio State last weekend
Sophomore forward Sarah Erickson netted a hat-trick Saturday against Ohio State, and popped in two other goals over the series en route to picking up WCHA Offensive Player of the Week honors.
ON THE AIR: Fans can listen to the Bulldogs on WGEE 970 AM Friday, and KDAL 610 Saturday with Tom Hansen, who is in his tenth season covering play-by-play duties for the Maroon and Gold. Pre-game will begin 15 minutes before the puck drops. Friday night's game at Ridder will also be broadcast for free on USCHO.com as the website's game of the week.
Video: http://www.broadcastmonsters.com/USCHO-Video/uscho101609.asx
Audio: http://www.broadcastmonsters.com/USCHO/uscho101609.asx
