The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team will welcome Penn State University to AMSOIL Arena this weekend to officially drop the puck on the 2017-18 season. The non-conference showdown between two programs that have never before met will get underway Friday at 7:00 p.m., while Saturday's skate will resume the series at 3:00 p.m.
Friday's featured promotion will offer free coffee to fans in concourse as part of "National Coffee Day". Saturday the first 500 fans will a receive 2017-18 schedule poster, as well as the opportunity to get autographs from the team following the game in the Ice Cube.
USCHO RANKING: UMD-- No. 5, Penn State-- N/R
USA TODAY/USA HOCKEY MAG: UMD-- No. 5, Penn State-- N/R
THE SERIES: UMD has never played Penn State in program history.
The Nittany Lions were 9-21-5 last season, their fifth season with a program in the NCAA. Penn State was 8-10-2 in the CHA, a league that the Bulldogs are 9-2-1 against all-time in 12 contests. The Nittany Lions are 2-10 all-time against squads from UMD's conference, the WCHA.
LAST TIME OUT: No. 5 UMD used three, first period goals to push past the Minnesota Whitecaps 4-1 in an exhibition game at AMSOIL Arena last Saturday night.
In all, seven Bulldogs registered a point, with three players picking up two points — seniors Michelle Lowenhielm (1g, 1a), Jessica Healey (1g, 1a) and rookie Ashton Bell (2a). Two UMD netminders split time -- sophomore Catherine Johnson earned the win on 10 saves and one goal in the first half of the game, while senior Jessica Convery stopped 11 pucks in a little over 30 minutes of action.
A LOOK AT THE NITTANY LIONS: Penn State's program started in 2012-13, and over that span, its path has never crossed with UMD's until now. Last season, the Nittany Lions went 9-12-5 overall and 8-10-2 in the CHA. Penn State was 1-6 against teams ranked in the top-10.
The Nittany Lions return all but four players off their 2016-17 squad, but three of those four players lost to graduation ranked in the team's top-four for scoring with 39 of 74 goals. Penn State retained the service of Brooke Madsen, who as a rookie last season compiled seven goals and 14 helpers for 21 points in 35 games.
At the helm of the Nittany Lions is Jeff Kampersal, who is in his first year behind the bench.
2017-18 SEASON PREVIEW
REVAMPING THE ROSTER: While the Bulldogs certainly graduated a senior class that helped bring the program back into the NCAA tournament fold, UMD will look to reload with the second biggest freshman class in program history. Only the inaugural freshman class of the 1999-2000 season had more classfied rookies in its line-up (15) (players that were labeled as freshmen).
The 2016-17 senior class accounted for 81 of UMD's 110 goals a season, averaging as a class 2.19 goals a game, as well as 21 game-winning tallies. The Bulldogs graduated their top four scorers in forwards Lara Stalder (23-33=56), Ashleigh Brykaliuk (17-28=45), Katherine McGovern 17-17=34 and defenseman Sidney Morin (8-16=24).
Left to pick up offensive pace is senior Katerina Mrázová, who recorded nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points in 29 games last year, as well as the youngest captain in program-history, Sydney Brodt, who notched 21 points in 35 skates as a rookie on eight goals and 13 assists. Swedish Olympian Michelle Lowenhielm will also look for a breakout season in her final campaign with the Bulldogs after compiling 11 points (2g, 9a) in 37 games in 2016-17.
University of North Dakota transfer Ryleigh Houston will infuse new offensive life into the Bulldogs after ranking in second in scoring for the Fighting Hawks last season with eight goals and 18 assists for 26 points in 38 games. Freshman Ashton Bell, who spent time at Canada's Development Camp in August, is also expected to make a big impact on the Bulldogs front line, where seven total forwards will be rookies.
UMD lost the WCHA's Defensive Player of the Year for 2016 -17 in Morin, but retains the core of its backline with seniors Jessica Healey, Catherine Daoust (who ranked second among defenseman in scoring for the Bulldogs last season), and Linnea Hedin, as well as sophomore Jalyn Elmes.
Junior redshirt Maddie Rooney is centralized with the U.S National Team for the 2017-18 season, but the Bulldogs picked up senior goaltender Convery from Mercyhurst to help fill the Rooney-sized void. In addition to sophomore returner Johnson, UMD added freshman Hanna Markel to bolster its netminding group.
THE CROWELL ERA TURNS THREE: UMD head coach Maura Crowell will begin her third season at the helm of the Bulldogs, where she is now 40-28-6 overall. After her efforts during the 2016-17 season, Crowell was named the USCHO Division I Women's Coach of the Year, as well as the the CCM/AHCA Division I Women's Ice Hockey Coach of the Year Award for 2017. Crowell was also crowned the 2016-17 Western Collegiate Hockey Coach of the Year after the Bulldogs finished third in the WCHA and went 19-5-4.
PRESEASON PICKED: UMD was picked to finish third in the annual WCHA Preseason Poll by the league's head coaches earlier in the week. The Bulldogs and Ohio State both received 23 points in the poll.
NINE BULLDOGS NAMED AHCA ALL-AMERICAN SCHOLARS: UMD had nine players that were honored as All-American Scholars by the American Hockey Coaches Association for the 2016-17 season.
Current seniors Lynn Astrup (Warroad, Minn.), Daoust (Ile Bizard, PQ), Healey (Edmonton, Alberta), Hedin (Huddinge, Sweden), and Lowenhielm (Sollentuna, Sweden) joined current sophomore Brodt (North Oaks, Minn.), graduate Lara Stalder (Luzern, Switzerland) and former Bulldog Morgan Morse as the nine Bulldog representatives from last year's squad.
The new initiative of the AHCA recognizes varsity ice hockey players who averaged a 3.6 GPA and participated in 40% of their school's game during the 2016-17 season. A total of 220 Division I-II women's players were recognized for this achievement with the new honor.
Live Video: http://www.nchc.tv/umd
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