The No. 9 University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will look to lock down home Western Collegiate Hockey Association playoff ice this weekend when the Bulldogs host Ohio State University.  The Friday-Sunday series will mark the final regular season action for UMD, with Friday's contest set to start at 6:07 p.m., while Sunday's will get underway at 12:07 p.m.  Friday is both UMD's Faculty Favorite Night and Organ Donation/PSC Awareness Night.  

Organ Donation/PSC Awareness Night was the brainchild of former All-American and current UMD equipment manager and strength and conditioning coach Julianne "Montana" Vasichek.  Vasichek suffers from ulcerative colitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), and is passionate about bringing awareness to a very rare disease.

Sunday the seven Bulldog seniors will be honored immediately following the game.

USCHO RANKING:  UMD-- 9th, Ohio State--- Rec. Votes
USA TODAY/USA HOCKEY MAG: UMD-- 9th, Ohio State-- Rec. Votes
PAIRWISE RANKING:  UMD-- 9th, Ohio State-- 12th

THE SERIES:  The Bulldogs own an all-time record of 59-12-3 against Ohio State, and are unbeaten in their last three outings against the Buckeyes.  In the last 10 skates against OSU, UMD is 5-2-3, and eight of the last 10 meetings between the two programs have happened within the confines of AMSOIL Arena.

UMD grabbed a 2-2 tie and shootout win Friday, Dec. 5 followed by a 4-1 triumph over the Buckeyes on Saturday, Dec. 6 in Columbus that last time the two teams hit the ice.

On Dec. 5, UMD trailed OSU twice, finding the equalizers on goals from Ashleigh Brykaliuk and Katerina Mrázovå to force the game in extra time after a 2-2 regulation.  After a scoreless overtime, Jenna McParland kept the Bulldogs perfect in shootouts this season with the lone goal, while goaltender Kayla Black held OSU scoreless on three attempts.  The Buckeyes outshot UMD 33-30 in the game.

Dec. 6, OSU again got on the board first with an early second period goal, but UMD scored three unanswered second period goals, including a shorthanded game-winner by Meghan Huertas 13:04 into the stanza to bury the Buckeyes.  Zoe Hickel, Mrázovå, and McParland had the games goals, while Brykaliuk had two assists.  UMD outshot OSU 29-21, but was held scoreless in six power play attempts.

WHERE THEY STAND:  The Bulldogs are currently in fourth place (the last home playoff spot) with 42 points on a 12-10-4-2 WCHA record, and one point ahead of Bemidji State.  Ohio State is in fifth place with 40 points and a record of 12-11-3-1, just two points behind UMD.

Possible scenarios for UMD are as follows:
Seeded #3 with 6 points and 0 points for North Dakota.
Seeded #4 with 6 points and 1 point or more for North Dakota.
Seeded #4 with 5 points and 5 points or less for Bemidji State.
Seeded #4 with 4 points and 4 points or less for Bemidji State.
Seeded #4 with 3 points and 3 points or less for Bemidji State.
Seeded #4 with two shootout losses, and 2 points or less for Bemidji State.
Seeded #5 with 5 points and 6 points for Bemidji State.
Seeded #5 with 4 points and 5 points or more for Bemidji State.
Seeded #5 with 3 points and 4 points or more for Bemidji State.
Seeded #5 with one loss and one shootout win, and 2 points or less for Bemidji State.
Seeded #5 with two shootout losses, and 4 points or more for Bemidji State.
Seeded #5 with 1 point and 1 point or less for Bemidji State.
Seeded #5 with 0 points and 0 points for Bemidji State.
Seeded #6 with 2 points and 3 points for Bemidji State.
Seeded #6 with one loss and one shootout win, and 4 points or more for Bemidji State.
Seeded #6 with 1 point and 2 points or more for Bemidji State.
Seeded #6 with 0 points and 1 point or more for Bemidji State.  

LAST TIME OUT:  UMD was swept on the road by No. 2 Minnesota over the weekend by scores of 2-0 and 7-1 at Ridder Arena.

On Friday night, the Bulldogs broke their two-game, 82 minute scoreless streak (that included a 0-0 tie against Wisconsin on Feb. 6.)  Senior Megan Huertas' goal at 8:18 brought UMD within a single goal, but two more goals -- four by the Gophers in the opening 13 minutes, put the Bulldogs in a 4-1 hole after the opening stanza, and UMD would not recover.

Junior goaltender Kayla Black had 34 saves in 42:42 of action, while Karissa Grapp made six in 17:18 of work on Friday night.

Saturday night was entirely different story for the Bulldogs, who played the Gophers scoreless through the first two periods of play before Minnesota got on the board at 2:15 of the third period.  The Gophers added a empty-net goal with 1:26 remaining in the game and outshot UMD 27-19 despite the Bulldogs outshooting Minnesota 12-6 in the opening stanza.

Black had 25 saves Saturday night and both defenseman Bridgette Lacquette (who had a near goal off the pipe in the first period) and forward Ashleigh Brykaliuk had a team-high three shots for UMD.

NOTES FROM THE MINNESOTA SERIES:  With the sweep, UMD falls to 0-3-1 against the Gophers this season and 24-43-7 all-time.  In the 29 games UMD has played at Ridder Arena since it opened it on Oct. 19, 2002, the Bulldogs are just 5-21-3.  By contrast,  UMD is 15-16-3 all-time in Duluth, Minn. against the Gophers.

--In their last six games, UMD has gone just 0-4-2 with two overtime games and has scored just three goals.

SENIOR SALUTE:  The Bulldogs will honor their seven seniors after the game Sunday.  Those seniors include Zoe Hickel, Emma Stauber, Brigette Lacquette, Brienna Gillanders, Tea Villila, Meghan Huertas and Jenna McParland.  A closer look at the 2014-2015 senior class.

Emma Stauber - Duluth, Minn. - Defense  The Duluth native and two-year captain is currently four games away from cracking into the all-time games played column at UMD.  Stauber will enter this weekend having played 138 consecutive career games, already a Bulldog record for consecutive games played.  In those 138 games, Stauber has scored three goals and recorded 19 assists for 22 points over her four years.  She is a two-time member of the WCHA's All-Academic Team. Stauber is one of only two Duluth natives ever to wear the "C".

JENNA MCPARLAND - Schreiber, Ontario - Forward  Currently tied for 14th all-time in career scoring at UMD, McParland has amassed 50 goals, 61 assists for 111 points in 136 games.  The current alternative captain has landed on three WCHA teams, including the 2013-14 All-WCHA Third Team, the 2012-13 All-WCHA Second Team and the 2011-12 WCHA All-Rookie Team.  

MEGHAN HUERTAS - Boynton Beach, Fla. - Forward Transferred from the University of Vermont in time for her junior season. Has compiled 19 goals and 17 assists for 36 points in 67 skates.  Huertas has compiled two or more points on eight occassions as a Bulldog.

ZOE HICKEL - Anchorage, Alaska - Forward
The two-year captain has increased her offensive output every season of her four-year career, and currently leads UMD with 28 points on a team-high 16 goals and 12 assists.  Hickel has rolled up 89 career points on 43 goals and 46 assists in 133 games.  A 2013-14 WCHA All-Academic Team member, she is currently a top-five finalist for the BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian Award, presented annually to college hockey's finest citizen.

TEA VILLILA - Hyvinkaa, Finland - Defense
A 2010 Olympian, she played in 113 games as a Bulldog, and has scored five goals and dished out 30 assists for 35 points over her career.  A two-time WCHA All-Academic Team member, she missed seven games this season due to an injury she is currently still courageously battling.    

BRIGETTE LACQUETTE - Mallard, Manitoba - Defense  In just three seasons, Lacquette has imposed herself on the record books.  Currently tied for 4th in career goals by a defenseman with 19, she also sits 8th for blueliner assists with 44 and seventh for career points with 63.  She was named to the 2012-13 All-USCHO.com Third Team, and also selected to the 2012-13 All-WCHA Second Team and 2011-12 All-WCHA Rookie Team.   

BRIENNA GILLANDERS - Kyle, SASKATCHEWAN - Forward The fifth-year senior was granted another season after losing the 2013-14 season to a knee injury, and has currently played in 138 game -- four shy of cracking into the top-10 at UMD for games played.  With 26 goals and 22 assists, she has registered at total of 48 points, which includes 15 power play tallies.  The alternate captain is a three-time WCHA All-Academic Team performer off the ice, and was named a prestgious WCHA Scholar Athlete in 2013-14.

HICKEL HAVING CAREER YEAR:  It will come to the surprise of no one, but senior winger Zoe Hickel is having the best season of her four-year career.  

The Anchorage, Alaska product skated past her previous season high for goals two weeks ago (13) and currently sits with 16 goals in 31 games this year.  WIth a goal and an assist last weekend against North Dakota, Hickel jumped past her previous season-high point total of 27 (13g, 14a) and currently owns 16 goals and 12 assists for 28 points -- over just 27 outings.

Hickel -- who has increased her point output every season she has been a Bulldog (12 points as a rookie, 22 as a sophomore and 27 a a junior)  -- has 89 career points on 43 goals and 46 helpers.  Those 89 points now puts Hickel in the crosshairs of the 100 point club.  

Her teammate and fellow senior Jenna  McParland became the 19th member of the 100 point club earlier this season on Oct. 26.

BLACK'S (RECORD) BOOK:  Junior goaltender Kayla Black is wreaking havoc on the UMD goaltending record books.

Black earned her the 18th shutout of her three-year career on a 41 save performance against Wisconsin on Feb. 6.  That 18th shutout makes Black UMD's all-time career shutout leader and new record holder, surpassing former Bulldog All-American Riitta Schaublin.  

With a 4-0 shutout on Jan. 24, junior goaltender Kayla Black took over sole possession of the single-season shutout record at UMD, but added to it last Friday night to give her No. 9 of the season.  Black now sits No. 9th all-time in the UMD record books with her 676 current single-season saves.  WIth 2516 career saves at UMD in 95 games, Black has the fourth most career stops by a netminder in program history.

Black is quickly approaching yet another record, having manned the pipes for 95 games in her three year career.  Schaublin owns the Bulldog record for most games played by a UMD goaltender with 104, while her All-American cohort Kim Martin played in 99 over her storied career.

Black is ranked third in the nation with her nine shutouts, ninth with a saves percentage of .938 and 13th with a GAA of 1.62.  Of players ranked in the top-20 for saves percentage, Black ranks second with 676 total saves.

WIth 16 wins this season, Black jumped into a tie for the 8th most wins in a season by a UMD netminder.  It is also a career season-high for Black.

BULLDOG NOTES: Zoe Hickel is in a tie with Ashleigh Brykaliuk as the current point leaders of the Bulldogs with 28 each.  Hickel owns a team-high 16 goals to go with 12 assists, while Brykaliuk has 14 goals and 14 assists.  Hickel has recorded five goals and seven assists in her last nine outings.

Lara Stalder is right on Brykaliuk and Hickel's heels with 27 points on nine goals and 18 assists.  With 15 goals, Hickel has surpassed a career-high set last year and has tied her career-best season output of 27 points.  

--Bridgette Lacquette ranks 20th among all blueline scorers in the NCAA with 19 points (6g, 13a), and is tied with Brykaliuk with the 13th most power play goals.  Brykaliuk also sits No. 5 with two shorthanded goals.

--UMD has yet to lose with a lead after the first period of play (8-0-2) and has suffered just one setback when holding on to a lead after two periods (15-1-1).  Ironically enough, the Bulldogs have scored just 19 goals in the first period, while now having netted 33 second and 33 third period goals.

HICKEL NAMED TO U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER FOR IIHF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: UMD senior forward Zoe Hickel has been selected to the roster for the U.S. Women's National Team that will compete in the 2015 International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championship, March 28 through April 4 at Malmo Isstadion in Malmo, Sweden.

Hickel, currently tied for the scoring lead at UMD with 28 points on a Bulldog-best 14 goals and 14 assists, had a successful USA Hockey Winter Training Camp back in late Dec. in Blaine, Minn.  The current U.S. hockey IIHF team will mark the first senior national team Hickel has participated over her hockey career.

U.S. Hockey's 23-player roster features 13 members of the silver medal-winning 2014 U.S. Women's Olympic hockey team.

HICKEL ONE OF FIVE FINALISTS FOR 2015 HOCKEY HUMANITARIAN AWARD: The BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian Award announced last Friday that University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey senior Zoe Hickel has been named oned of five finalists for the 2015 award.  The award is presented annually to college hockey's finest citizen.

The forward from Anchorage, Alaska and two-time co-captian helped create, organize and direct the "Great Alaska Girls Hockey Showcase", beginning in 2012 for Alaskan girls who are unable or can't afford to do the showcase circuit.  Hickel continues to volunteer with SPYDER non-profit (Sports Programs for Youth Development, Education and Recreation) with running fundraisers, coaching soccer and downhill ski racing and initiaiting and directing the Falls Festival youth hockey camps.  An assistant volunteer coach for Alaska's All-Star Girls Hockey program, Hickel is also the creator, organizer and administrator of the SHARK Kids healthy lifestyle program, which will reach up to 20,000 Duluth, Minn. elementary school students and has a focurs on eating healthy and being active every day.

Hickel, along with University of Wisconsin senior forward Brittany Ammerman and Katelyn Scott of Robert Morris represent the women named finalists. Mark MacMillan of North Dakota, Jamie Murray of Babson College round out the top five and were the only two men selected in the final five.

The recipient will be announced Friday, April 10th as part of the 2015 NCAA Men's Frozen Four in Boston, Mass.  Additionally, the Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation will make a donation to the charity most important to each finalist.

For a full PDF version of this release, click here.

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