Despite a program that has been one of the NCAA's most dominant over the past decade, the University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team didn't just assume they would be taking to the ice of Ridder Arena tomorrow night in the semifinal of the 2010 NCAA Frozen Four.
But with just one loss to the 29-8-2 Bulldogs' resume in over three months, UMD has gone from a team ranked No. 7 on Jan. 13, to a team that will be pushing regular tenant the University of Minnesota out of its own home bench tomorrow night as the higher ranked team.
Yet even with the No. 2 seed firmly in hand, head coach Shannon Miller -- the winningest head coach in NCAA Frozen Four history with nine wins in the tournament -- isn't feeling any heat for her young squad in an Olympic year.
"There just isn't, and we're just happy to be here," said Miller Thursday afternoon when asked how it could be possible to not feel pressure. "We're having a good time. We have exceeded everyone's expectations, including mine, with the season that we've had this year. Again, a great deal of the credit goes to the seniors for us having a great season. It's just the truth-I just don't feel any pressure at all. I've also been here a few times; I think that helps."
Those seniors -- newly minted All-American Emmanuelle Blais, three-year captain Saara Tuominen, WCHA First Team selection Jaime Rasmussen, Sarah Murray and returned blueliner Kirsti Hakala, have made all the difference for a squad relying heavily on its youth.
"Like Coach said, I think our whole team meshed really well together this year," said Blais Thursday. "We might not have been the most talented Bulldog team in history, but I think we're a great team, and when we work hard together, we're very good. We don't really feel any pressure. We just have fun, and overall we've been pretty successful doing that, so hopefully we keep going."
Going for this senior class -- which has won 113 out of the 156 games it has played, and who own a Frozen Four record themselves of 3-2, could be where no one dreamed they would be last September -- playing for a chance at a national title come Sunday.
"They've been here four years out of four, so they couldn't be any more prepared to be here, obviously," said Miller about her five seniors. "They understand what it's like, they understand what it takes, and they understand what the freshmen feel like. These guys understand that, and they're trying to help bring that out and help them deal with it. That's what being a team is all about."
A team with apparently a lot of success this season simply by working hard to defy expectations and assuming no pressure.
