University of Minnesota Duluth goaltender Emma Soderberg has been one of the top goaltenders in the nation all season, and Friday, she officially became a top-eight finalist to cement it.

The junior netminder was named a National Top-8 Finalist for the 2020-21 Women's Hockey Goalie of the Year Award by the Women's Hockey Commissioners Association.  This award will be presented for the first time this year, joining the Assocation's Women's National Rookie of the Year Award, which has been presented since 2014.

Nationally, Soderberg ranks second in goals against (1.10) and third in saves percentage (.957), and her five shutouts rank her in a tie for second.  In the WCHA, Soderberg leads all goaltenders in almost every category, and has allowed a league-low 15 goals in 14 games. Soderberg is also currently slotted up in the UMD record books, and her stats right now in GAA (1.10) and saves percentage (.957) would rank her first in a single-season among all UMD goaltenders. With 23 career games played, Soderberg sits first with a .948 saves percentage and a 1.32 GAA.  In addition to a pair of WCHA Goaltender of the Week honors this season, the Jarved, Sweden, native was named the league's Goaltender of the Month for December and January.

The winner will be announced in March during the NCAA Frozen Four.

Soderberg and the rest of the 7/6 Bulldogs host the No. 1 University of Wisconsin at AMSOIL Arena this weekend to decided the WCHA's regular season title.  The puck will drop Friday night at 5:00 p.m.

To see the Top-8 Goalie of Year Candidates, click here.