The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team controls its own Western Collegiate Hockey Association fate this weekend in Bemidji, Minn. when the Bulldogs face Bemidji State University. With a UMD sweep, the Bulldogs would secure fourth place in the league and home ice in the first round of the WCHA Playoffs on Feb. 28-March 2. The Friday-Saturday series will get underway at the Sanford Center Friday night at 7:07 p.m. and conclude Saturday afternoon at 4:07 p.m.
UMD NOTES VS BEMIDJI STATE, FULL PDF
THE SERIES: All-time, the Bulldogs are 57-4-2 against the Beavers. The Bulldogs split with Bemidji State back on Nov. 22-23 at AMSOIL Arena by scores of 3-0 and 1-0.
On Nov. 22 UMD recorded a goal in each period, including a power-play goal by Ashleigh Bryaliuk in the first period and a short-handed goal by Emma Stauber, her first score of the year, in the second period. Sophomore center Hannah Bramm added a third goal with 1:52 remaining in the game. Kayla Black earned her second-consecutive and seventh career shutout with 17 saves and the Bulldogs outshot the Beavers handily 42-17.
UMD again put up shots against BSU the following night of Nov. 23rd, owning a 18-6 shot advantage in the game alone. Despite outshooting the Beavers 38-16 in the skate, BSU snuck in a power-play goal with 15 seconds remaining to upset the Bulldogs 1-0.
UMD outshot the Beavers 80-33 in the series but only outscored BSU 3-1. The Nov. 23rd loss to BSU snapped a four-game unbeaten streak, as well as a 215:11 shutout streak the Bulldogs had dating back to Nov. 2. The setback also brought to an end the Bulldogs five-game winning streak against the Beavers.
ABOUT BEMIDJI STATE: The Beavers are led by sophomore forwards Kaitlyn Tougas and Hanna Moher. Tougas leads BSU with 15 points on five goals and 10 assists, while Moher has netted the most goals with seven to accompany three assists. Freshman netminder Brittni Mowat has recorded 1369:01 of time between the pipes and has played in 24 of 26 games with a 2.15 goals against average. Fifth-place BSU tied then No. 3 North Dakota in Grand Forks last weekend before suffering a 2-1 loss to UND last Saturday.
LAST TIME OUT: UMD was swept over the weekend by No. 2 Wisconsin by scores of 3-1 and 2-0 in Madison, Wisc.
Saturday UMD allowed two power-play goals and met the competence of Badger net minder Alex Rigsby. The Bulldogs fell behind by three goals before Jamie Kenyon netted her 12th of the season at 15:32 of the third period. UMD was outshot 37-21.
Sunday the Bulldogs had the game within reach despite another UW power-play goal with 1:17 remaining in the first period. Both squads put 10 shots on frame in the second period but UMD surrendered a goal with 5:03 left in the game to ice the result for Wisconsin. Sophomore Kayla Black was outstanding in net, turning away 36 Badger shots.
Leading scorer junior Jenna McParland and sophomore center Hannah Bramm took over defensive duties for the Bulldogs in the wake of Olympians Lara Stalder and Tea VIllila's departure last week. Stalder and Villila are not only UMD's top two defensemen but also the leaders of UMD's power-play and penalty kill units.
NOTES FROM THE WISCONSIN SERIES: UMD is now 29-31-11 all-time against the Badgers and 0-3-1 this season.
--Bulldog Leading scorer junior Jenna McParland and sophomore center Hannah Bramm took over defensive duties for the Bulldogs in the wake of Olympians Lara Stalder and Tea VIllila's departure last week. Stalder and Villila are not only UMD's top two defensemen but also the leaders of UMD's power-play and penalty kill units.
--Sophomore netminder Kayla Black made 70 saves against the Badgers, 34 Saturday and 36 saves Sunday, respectively. Black has turned in 10, 30 or more save games so far this season, including five games with 35 or more saves in a skate.
--UMD spent 26 minutes in the penalty box over the UW series, including 14 minutes on Sunday. Three of the Badgers five goals on the weekend came with the extra skater.
--The loss Saturday broke UMD's six-game unbeaten streak dating back to Dec. 13. Until this weekend the Bulldogs had only one WCHA loss on the road this season. The Bulldogs are now 29-31-11 against Wisconsin all-time.
--Sunday's shutout against UMD was the second in four games and fifth this season. The Bulldogs as a program have been shutout no more than five games in a season now three times, and all four years with five shutouts against have happened in the past three years.
MISSING BULLDOGS: Besides Olympians Lara Stalder and Tea Villila off to Sochi for the Olympics, it should be noted UMD is still without senior center Brienna Gillanders, who has missed the season due to injury and Brigette Lacquette, who will not rejoin the Bulldogs until August because of a medical situation. Lacquette was centralized with Team Canada for the first half of the current season.
BULLDOG NOTES: UMD sits in fourth place in Western Collegiate Hockey Association conference race. The Bulldogs own 35 points and a 9-8-5 (3 shootout wins) record in the WCHA.
--Rookie defenseman Lara Stalder has now netted 21 points (4g, 17a) in 24 skates, the most points by a rookie defenseman since Jocelyne Larocque contributed 26 points (4g, 22a) during the 2007-08 season.
--With five ties so far this season, the Bulldogs set a program record, surpassing the previous high of four. UMD's fifth WCHA shootout of the season, also a program record. The Bulldogs have won three of their five shootouts this year.
--Jenna McParland and Jamie Kenyon continues to lead the Bulldogs in scoring with 25 points in 26 games. McParland sits at nine goals and 16 assists and Kenyon owns a team-high 12 goals and 13 assists Stalder third with 21. Stalder ranks third with 21 points in 24 games (4g, 17a) is slotted fifth in the NCAA among all rookies and defenseman with a 0.88 points per game avereage. Ashleigh Brykaliuk and Kenyon both have five power-play goals, tying them for third in the NCAA.
--Kayla Black is securely in the fourth slot for career saves and now owns 1,426 in 56 games. Black settled into the seventh spot for most saves in a season with 651 stops in 25 games so far this year. Black sits also owns the sixth slot after making 775 in 2012-13 as a freshman.
THE BULLDOG OLYMPICS: 11 current and former UMD players and one former assistant coach will suit up in Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympics. The Bulldogs have players on six of the eight teams competing and have UMD connections on the ice for seven of the eight teams.
Two alums, Caroline Ouellette (Canada) and Kim Martin (Sweden) will be making their fourth Olympic appearances. Ouellette is a three-time gold medalist, while Martin owns a silver and bronze medal.
Eight of UMD's 11 current or fomer players in the Olympics will be making at least their second appearance in the Games. Four of those players have earned medals -- Ouellette (three gold), Haley Irwin (Canada, gold), Martin (silver and bronze) and Pernilla Winberg (Sweden, silver).
Notably, UMD two-time All-American Ouellette will captain team Canada. In addition to Ouellette, the Bulldogs have two other former All-Americans in Sochi -- Canada defenseman Jocelyne Larocque (2010-11, 2008-09) and Swedish netminder Martin (2007-08).
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