Conference Season Opens this Weekend with Three WCHA Series as UMD Hosts UM, UW Heads to OSU, SCSU Visits UND; Bulldogs to Raise National Championship Banner Friday Night
Minnesota Duluth will raise its 2008 NCAA championship banner on Oct. 10 |
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Oct. 7, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
MADISON, Wis. - Goaltender Liana Bonanno backstopped Ohio State to an upset sweep of Providence, Oct. 3-4 in Providence, R.I., one of four sweeps turned in by Western Collegiate Hockey Association teams in a weekend which saw eight non-conference series. The Buckeyes' senior netminder made a total of 70 saves in the two victories with just three goals allowed to the Friars for a .959 saves percentage. She made 39 saves, just three shy of her career high, in a season-opening 2-1 victory last Friday. Bonanno then made 31 saves in the second game as the Buckeyes rallied for a 3-2 win to complete the sweep over Providence, just the second season-opening road sweep in Ohio State history.
Defending national champion Minnesota Duluth opened its 2008-09 season with a two-game road sweep at Niagara. The top-ranked Bulldogs spotted Niagara two goals in the first 12 minutes in the season opener last Friday (Oct. 3) before roaring back to take a 6-2 road victory and complete the sweep last Saturday (Oct. 4) with a 6-1 decision.
2008 NCAA runner-up and No. 2-ranked Wisconsin ran its early season winning streak to four by beating Syracuse 3-0 and 8-3 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis. Goalie Jessie Vetter stopped 11 shots and recorded her WCHA career record 27th career shutout in the series opener on Oct. 3 while freshman Brooke Ammerman scored four goals in the series finale on Oct. 4.
St. Cloud State went on the road and used two goals and four assists by Megan McCarthy to sweep Quinnipiac, 7-0 and 5-3, in a non-conference set.
Minnesota opened its season with a split at home against Robert Morris. Brianne McLaughlin stopped 63 of 65 shots as Robert Morris scored a 3-2 upset in the Friday, Oct. 3 game, but Gigi Marvin scored twice to lead the seventh-ranked Golden Gophers to a 7-1 victory in the series finale last Saturday.
North Dakota also ran into a hot goaltender, Genevieve Turgeon, who collected 46 saves to backstop host Maine to a 3-2 win over the visiting Fighting Sioux last Friday, but North Dakota erupted for a program-high seven goals on the road to take a 7-3 victory and gain a series split last Saturday. Melissa Jaques had a goal and three assists for the Fighting Sioux.
In other action last weekend, Kaylee Keys scored the game-winner as Bemidji State upset host Wayne State, 3-2, in the season opener in Detroit, but the Beavers fell 2-1 in overtime on Saturday while Minnesota State split two games with Connecticut in Mankato. The visiting Huskies took a 5-2 victory last Friday before Lisa Edman scored a goal and an assist and Minnesota State's Alli Altmann stopped 30 of 32 shots on goal in recording a 4-2 victory in the series finale.
The battle for the 2008-09 WCHA regular season championship opens this weekend for six teams. Each team will again consist of a 28-game schedule for each of the league's eight clubs, with each team playing the other seven four times - twice at home and twice on the road.
The opening weekend of league competition - October 10-11 - will have defending national and WCHA champion and No. 1-ranked Minnesota Duluth hosting 7th-ranked Minnesota, the league runner-up last year, St. Cloud State at North Dakota, and second-ranked Wisconsin at No. 9 Ohio State. Minnesota State opens their WCHA season at North Dakota on Oct. 17-18 and that same weekend Bemidji State opens league play at home against Wisconsin on Oct. 17. The series concludes on Oct. 18 when the Badgers and Beavers will play in the first ever U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame women's game in Eveleth, Minn.
In non-conference play this weekend, Bemidji State hosts Northeastern and Minnesota State entertains Maine.
This Week in the WCHA
Games for Friday, October 10:
Wisconsin at Ohio State, 7:07 pm ET (WCHA); St. Cloud State at North Dakota, 7:07 pm CT (WCHA); Minnesota at Minnesota Duluth, 7:37 pm CT (WCHA); Northeastern at Bemidji State, 7:07 pm CT (nc); Maine at Minnesota State, 7:07 pm CT (nc).
Games for Saturday, October 11:
Wisconsin at Ohio State, 7:07 pm ET (WCHA); St. Cloud State at North Dakota, 4:07 pm CT (WCHA); Minnesota at Minnesota Duluth, 7:07 pm CT (WCHA); Maine at Minnesota State, 3:07 pm CT (nc); Northeastern at Bemidji State, 3:07 pm CT (nc).
Tickets for 2009 WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF at Ridder Arena to Go on Sale Nov. 5
Tickets for the 2009 WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF championship, set for March 7-8 at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, Minn., go on sale Nov. 5, 2008 at 10:00 am CT at the University of Minnesota Ticket Office.
Three-game session tickets for the women's playoff championship will be available at three prices: $20 for a reserved seat, $18 for general admission, and $15 for seniors and youth (age 18 and under). Tickets may be purchased by calling the Gopher Ticket Office at 612-624-8080, or 1-800-U-Gopher, or online at Gophersports.com.
Single session tickets, priced at $15, $12 and $8, will be available on the days of the semifinals and championship game. The two semifinal games will be played on Saturday, March 8 at 1:00 pm CT and 4:00 pm CT. The WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF Championship game is Sunday, March 9 at 1:00 pm CT.
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