After a weekend off of outside competition, the University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will travel to Columbus, Ohio to face Ohio State University this Friday and Saturday afternoon. Both Western Collegiate Hockey Association contests will begin at 2:07 p.m. CDT in the Schottenstein Center.
UMD NOTES VS OHIO STATE -- FULL PDF VERSION
THE SERIES: The Bulldogs are 50-11-4 all-time against the Buckeyes, but went 2-4 against OSU in in 2012-13, including a pair of first round WCHA Playoff losses back on March 1 and 2. UMD also went 0-4 at AMSOIL against the Buckeyes but won both games in Columbus last season.
The Bulldogs last series with OSU was March 1 and 2 at AMSOIL, the first game a 4-2 loss for UMD. With three power-play tallies in the game, OSU tied a opponent record for most power play goals against. Both Bridgette Lacquette and Vanessa Thibault recorded scores in the contest and both squads put 23 pucks on net.
The following night an injury-riddled Bulldog squad suffered a 3-0 setback, giving up two goals in the first period. OSU shelled UMD 34-21 in shots.
It was UMD's first exit out of WCHA Playoff quarterfinal play in the program's history.
All told, the Bulldogs outshot OSU 109-99 during the regular portion of the 2012-13 season and had a shot advantage in three of the four games the two skated. Despite that, both teams netted 13 goals against the other.
LAST TIME OUT: The Bulldogs managed just two points two weekends ago, back on Nov. 1-2, suffering a loss and tie at AMSOIL Arena to St. Cloud State. UMD surrendered a 13-game winning streak on Nov. 1 in a 4-1 defeat of the Huskies before picking up a tie and the shootout win Saturday night by a score of 1-1.
The Bulldogs put 53 shots on net in the 4-1 loss, including a program-high of 31 in the third period of play but could not find the twine. Lara Stalder had the lone UMD goal in the third period and three players had six or more shots in the contest (Jamie Kenyon and Zoe Hickel with seven, Sidney Morin with six).
Jenna McParland had UMD's lone goal on Nov. 2, a power-play tally in the second period, as well as the second goal in the shootout. In the series, the Bulldogs were without junior defenseman Tea Villila both games due to Team Finland commitments and are also without senior center Brienna Gillanders who is out indefinitely due to injury. UMD played with five defenseman on Saturday, Nov. 2 and just three complete lines.
NOTES FROM THE ST. CLOUD ST. SERIES: UMD is 48-10-4 all-time now against the Huskies and prior to Friday's loss had not been defeated by SCSU since Nov. 9, 2009.
-- Overall in the series, UMD outshot SCSU 93-51, but was outscored 5-2.
FOUR NATIONS RECAP: Current Bulldog junior defenseman Tea Vilillia met current redshirted UMD blueliner Brigette Lacquette last Saturday in the Four Nations Final in Lake Placid, NY.
Villila, playing with Team Finland, is expected to become an Olympian with Finland this February, while Lacquette is centralized with the Canadian Olympic team. Villila joined not only Lacquette, but also Caroline Ouellette, Haley Irwin, and Jocelyne Larocque as current and former UMD players on the ice in the final.
VIllila had one goal in the tournament, while Lacquette dished out two assists.
Two other former Bulldogs skated for Sweden in the tournament -- Pernilla Winberg and Jenni Asserholt.
OFFENSE TAKEN: The Bulldogs rank tenth in the NCAA with a 3.30 goals per game scoring offense.
Jenna McParland leads UMD in scoring with with 13 points on a team-high six goals and seven helpers. Jamie Kenyon continues to lead the NCAA with four power-play goals in 10 skates. Rookie blueliner Lara Stalder is ranked No. 5 among scoring defensemen with a 1.10 points per game average on 11 points (3g, 11a). Stalder also ranks fourth in rookie scoring with those same 1.10 ppg. McParland and Stalder each have had three games with two or more points and has twice recorded three points in an outing.
13 different UMD players have helped net 33 goals for the Bulldogs in their first 10 skates. Nine of the 33 tallies have come against teams ranked in the top-six or higher.
BULLDOG NOTES: Kayla Black now owns the fifth most career saves in UMD program history with 1,024 saves in 40 games played...UMD owns the nation's sixth most potent power-play, with a 23.7 success rate on 9-of-38 attempts...The Bulldogs also rank sixth in combined specials teams...UMD has scored 12 of its 33 goals in the third period of play but has allowed 11 goals scored against (out of 26 total) in the third period.
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