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Dogs ditch Sioux
BY ZACH GRILL
STATESMAN STAFF WRITER
UMD sophomore forward Emmanuelle Blais looks down the ice for a
teammate as she carries the puck away from a Fighting Sioux defender.
Blais had one assist during the series.
A week after being swept by the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the UMD women's hockey team took out their frustration on the University of North Dakota last weekend during a series in Grand Forks, N.D. The Bulldogs swept the Sioux with a 9-2 victory on Saturday and a 3-2 win on Sunday.
UMD made a strong offensive statement in
Saturday's game, putting up a season-high nine
goals, according to the UMD Web site. Six players scored goals for the Bulldogs, and 11 players had at least one point. Freshman forward Iya Gavrilova led the scoring barrage with her first hat trick as a Bulldog.
"We came out flying and showcased our offensive prowess," head coach Shannon Miller said. The Bulldogs scored four goals in both the first and third periods and also tallied four power-play goals on six chances.
Junior forward Saara Tuominen scored two goals and had two assists, and freshman forward Haley Irwin scored once while assisting on four other goals.
With the game thoroughly in hand in the third
period, the Bulldogs were able to get a lot of
players into the game.
"It was a great game because everybody got to play," Miller said. "Our No. 2 and No. 3 goalies played, because our No. 1 goalie is in Sweden right now."
UMD out-shot the Sioux 50-30 and the Bulldogs' goaltending tandem of juniors Johanna Ellison and Amie Meyer was able to keep North Dakota's offense from getting back into the game. Sunday's game was closer, but the Bulldogs were able to come away with another win to ensure the sweep.
"I think we played down a notch and North Dakota played up a notch," Miller said. "It was a much more interesting and exciting game." UMD gained the lead halfway through the first period when freshman forward Laura Fridfinnson took a pass from fellow freshman Jocelyne Larocque and beat UND goaltender Brittany Kirkham.
A few minutes later, the Bulldogs extended their lead when Irwin scored her second goal of the weekend. "We still created scoring chances, but we weren't able to capitalize on them all," Miller said. "Their goalie was stellar."
The Sioux brought the score to 2-1 with a goal midway into the second period, but UMD regained their two-goal advantage when sophomore defenseman Heidi Pelttari let loose a slap shot that found the back of the net giving the Bulldogs their fifth power-play goal of the weekend, according to the UMD Web site.
UND scored again just minutes after Pelttari, to get within a goal of tying the game at 3-2, but Ellison remained strong the rest of the game to secure the series sweep over a Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) rival. The Bulldogs have a week off before the Minnesota Golden Gophers come to the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center (DECC) for a rematch on Nov. 17-18.
