Oct. 21, 2008

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MADISON, Wis. - Wisconsin, the top-ranked team in women's college hockey, and No. 2-ranked Minnesota set up an early season showdown with a pair of sweeps over the first full weekend of Western Collegiate Hockey Association play, Oct.17-18.

The Badgers blanked Bemidji State twice, defeating the Beavers, 4-0, behind goalie Jessie Vetter's 29th career shutout, on Friday Oct. 17 in Bemidji and then blanking BSU, 9-0, last Saturday in the first-ever U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame women's game at Eveleth, Minn. Kyla Sanders had three goals for the unbeaten Badgers (8-0-0, 4-0-0 WCHA).

The Golden Gophers used two goals and six points from freshman Monique Lamoureux and three goals and two assists from Jen Schoullis to beat Ohio State twice, 8-1 and 8-2, in Minneapolis and set up the Border Battle at the Kohl Center in Madison this Friday and Sunday, Oct. 24 and 26.

Minnesota (5-1-0, 4-0-0 WCHA) has a five-game winning streak with series sweeps over conference rivals Ohio State and defending national champion Minnesota Duluth. and leads the all-time series vs the Badgers, 25-16-5. In just the last three years, however, Wisconsin has a 12-2-2 mark against UM. The last time the two teams met was in the 2008 NCAA tournament and the Badgers pulled out the 3-2 win in overtime.

In other WCHA action last weekend, St. Cloud State took four points from Minnesota Duluth on Homecoming weekend in St. Cloud. The Huskies (3-2-1, 1-2-1 WCHA) took the its first shootout victory after the teams skated through 65 minutes and tied 1-1 last Friday and also scored a 3-2 win last Saturday, making it just the second time in school history that the Huskies have taken four points from the Bulldogs in a series. Sophomore goaltender Ashley Nixon made a career-high 43 saves, including two big stops in the shootout. Last Saturday, Nixon had another spectacular performance, stopping 39 Bulldog shots. UMD has lost three in a row and is 2-3-1 overall and 0-3-1 in the WCHA.

Minnesota State had to go into overtime to take four points at North Dakota last weekend. On Friday (Oct. 17), the visiting Mavericks tied the Fighting Sioux 2-2 in overtime, but won the shootout, 2-1. Then last Saturday, Minnesota State rallied from a 4-2 deficit with 4:13 left in regulation and took a 5-4 overtime victory. Kala Buganski had two goals, including the game-tying score with :11.7 seconds left to play, and an assist for the Mavs (4-1-1, 1-0-1-1 WCHA) and Emilia Andersson scored the game-winner just :59 seconds into overtime. North Dakota has a 3-2-1 overall record and 2-1-1-0 record in the WCHA.

The WCHA again has three teams ranked among the nation's top 10 in this week's two Division 1 women's polls. Wisconsin is No. 1 in both the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll and the USCHO.com poll, Minnesota is No. 2 in both rankings, and Minnesota Duluth is No. 8 in both. Also receiving votes in the polls this week from the WCHA were Minnesota State, St. Cloud State and North Dakota.

On Tuesday night (Oct. 21), St. Cloud State hosts the U.S. Select Team in an exhibition matchup at the National Hockey Center. Then over the weekend, in addition to the Border Battle between Wisconsin and visiting Minnesota in Madison on Friday and Sunday, other league series have Bemidji State at Ohio State and Minnesota State at Minnesota Duluth. Non-conference series have Union College at North Dakota and Brown at St. Cloud State.

Following the series with the Gophers, Wisconsin will then host the defending national champions Minnesota Duluth in Madison on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Other WCHA series over the Halloween weekend have Bemidji State (1-3-2, 0-2-0 WCHA) at Minnesota State (Oct. 31, Nov. 1), St. Cloud State and Minnesota playing a home and home series (@ UM on Oct. 31 and @ SCSU on Nov. 1), and Ohio State traveling to North Dakota (Nov. 1, Nov. 2).

This Week in the WCHA

Games for Tuesday, Oct. 21: Team USA at St. Cloud State, 7:07 pm CT (x)

Games for Friday, Oct. 24: Minnesota at Wisconsin, 2:07 pm CT (WCHA); Bemidji State at Ohio State, 7:07 pm ET (WCHA) Minnesota State at Minnesota Duluth, 7:07 pm CT (WCHA); Union at North Dakota, 7:07 pm CT (nc); Brown at St. Cloud State, 7:07 pm CT (nc).

Games for Saturday, Oct. 25: Bemidji State at Ohio State, 1:07 pm ET (WCHA); Minnesota State at Minnesota Duluth, 7:07 pm CT (WCHA); Brown at St. Cloud State, 7:07 pm CT (nc); Union at North Dakota, 4:07 pm CT (nc).

Games for Sunday, Oct. 26: Minnesota at Wisconsin, 2:07 pm CT (WCHA).

Tickets for 2009 WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF at Ridder Arena Now on Sale

Tickets for the 2009 WCHA FINAL FACE-OFF championship, set for March 7-8 at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, Minn., are on sale now at the University of Minnesota Ticket Office.

Three-game session tickets for the women's playoff championship are 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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