The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team has announced that eight players have signed national letters of intent to attend UMD in the fall of 2009, three of whom committed to the Bulldogs during the early signing period in November.

UMD's new signees include forward Jessica Wong (Baddeck, Nova Scotia), goaltender Jennifer Harss (Fussen, Germany), forward Andrea Lanzl (Geretsmed, Germany), defenseman Mariia Posa (Hyvinkaa, Finland) and forward and Duluth native Gina Dodge.  The five signees will join forward Audrey Belanger-Cournoyer (Montreal, Quebec), forward Vanessa Thibault (Lachine, Quebec) and forward Katherine Wilson (Winnipeg, Manitoba) who all inked letters with the Bulldogs last November. 

"Next season is an unusual one in that we are losing 12 players,” said head coach Shannon Miller. “Six will be graduating or will have exhausted their eligibility and six will be centralized with their respective Olympic Programs. The six that are centralizing for one year will be returning to our team the fall of 2010.  Fortunately, we have a talented group of freshman coming in to restock our program of excellence. The incoming group will provide diversified talents, new energy and contribute to a new look for our program  We will have a smaller roster than past Bulldog teams, as we will hold positions for those returning. The newcomers know the tradition of winning in this program and are excited to step up and embrace the challenge."
 
Wong, a 5'7 forward currently on Team Canada's Under-18 roster and a member of the Stoney Creek Sabres of the PWHL, owns tremendous playmaking abilities and puck control.  The Bulldogs have high expectations for Wong, whose smooth skating and head-ups play helped lead the Sabres to a gold medal at the PWHL championship.  Wong competed this January in the U-18 IIHF World Championship for silver-medalist Canada, scoring a game-tying goal that forced overtime against Team USA.

One of two signees who were Olympians in 2006 with Team Germany, Harss will join the Bulldogs as a netminder with big-time international experience.  The 5'8 Harss, who has had at least 50% of Germany's action between the pipes in the past two years, posted a 0.97 GAA in the 2007 IIHF World Championships in three games, and a 3.50 GAA in two skates last year at the 2008 IIHF World Championship.

Most notably recognized by Bulldog fans as the younger sister of former UMD player Michaela Lanzl, Andrea Lanzl was also a 2006 Olympian as a member of Team Germany.  The 5'4 Lanzl had two assists in last year's IIHF World Championships.

Posa, a 5'5 blueliner,  was a member of Finland's U22 National Team for four years prior to her current three-year ride with the Senior Finnish National Team.  She played in all five games for Finland this past April in the IIHF World Championships, helping Finland to a bronze medal. Posa also won a gold medal at the Finnish National Championships this past year with her team Espoo Blues, and a bronze medal in 2007 with IHK.

Following in the footsteps of recently departed Bulldog two-year captain and Duluth native Tawni Mattila, Dodge will join UMD this upcoming season.  Dodge, a 2009 Minnesota AP All-State Honorable Mention, registered 37 points (24 goals, 13 assists) this winter for the Duluth Northern Stars as a high school senior.  She tallied 130 points (69g, 61a) in her six-year varsity career.

One of three future Bulldogs to sign during the early signing period, Counoyer, a 5'3 speedy and gritty forward, is a goal scorer who played for Team Canada's U-18 team last year at the World Championships.  Counoyer, who spent the 2008-09 season with the Dawson College Blues, earned a silver medal with Team Quebec at the Canadian U-18 National Championship last year.

Thibault, a teammate of Counoyer's with Team Quebec who also earned a silver medal at the Canadian U-18 National Championship last year, is a quick, shifty forward.  She piled in 24 goals and 26 assists as the sixth-leading scorer in the league for John Abbott College (CEGEP) this past season.

Wilson, a 5'8 power forward, rounds out the new crop of Bulldogs-to-be.  A member of Team Manitoba while playing at the Canadian Under 18 National Championships last fall, Wilson was named the MVP of the bronze game, earning her second bronze medal in as many seasons with Team Manitoba.