Jaques, Sioux Say 'Ney' to UMD for Biggest Victory
Melissa Jaques and the Fighting Sioux had Their Biggest Win vs UMD on Nov. 23 |
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Nov. 28, 2008
Melissa Jaques scored the first two goals of North Dakota's stunning 4-0 upset over Minnesota Duluth on Nov. 23, then she tried to make it sound like it was just another game for the fast-improving Fighting Sioux.
Coach Brian Idalski, who has a better grasp on historical significance, because the victory made the Fighting Sioux 5-4-1 in the WCHA, for one more victory than all of last season. So he was less concerned about being diplomatic.
"Since I've been here, this is definitely our biggest win," said Idalski, who is only in his second year in rebuilding the Sioux, but who also knows the program was 1-21 against UMD after the first-game 6-2 UMD romp.
"The `zero' was really important for us, because one thing I always have admired about their team is that if they get one, the goals can come in a hurry."
That's where Stephanie Ney, a freshman from the colorful town of 100 Mile House, British Columbia, stepped into the spotlight. The Bulldogs outshot North Dakota 45-28 in the game, but Ney simply said "Nay" to every UMD attempt.
One day earlier, North Dakota also displayed its new, more dynamic style. While the Sioux had a mere four victories all of last season (4-20-4 in the WCHA, and 4-26-6 overall), Idalski's recruiting has placed freshmen Margot Miller, Sara Dagenais on the first line, Alyssa Wiebe on the third line, Ashley Holmes on defense, and Ney as an alternate with Brittany Kirkham in goal.
Kirkham faced 42 shots in the Friday game, and did right well except for the presence of Elin Holmlov. The slim junior from Sweden has been troubled, and sidelined, with back problems all season, but she was a pain in other parts of the collective North Dakota student body on Friday, by scoring the first four goals of the game.
Miller scored on a deflection midway through the first period of the first game, staking North Dakota to a 1-0 lead. Holmlov scored to tie it 1-1. Early in the second period, Holmlov scored another power-play goal, rebounding a point shot for a 2-1 lead. In the last minute of the second period, Holmlov crossed the blue line, made a neat little stickhandling move and snapped a deadly wrist shot into the upper right corner, making it 3-1. Holmlov then shoveled in a rebound at 4:01 of the third to make the score Holmlov 4, North Dakota 1. Pernilla Winberg and Emmanuelle Blais added later goals, sandwiching one by Sioux winger Stephanie Roy for the 6-2 final.
Without Holmlov's output, UMD wouldn't have had much to show for its 42-26 shot advantage in Game 1.
The Sioux quickness, that was evident in the first game, became dominant in the second when UMD's star goaltender Kim Martin was a bit off her game. Jaques again staked the Sioux to an early lead with a goal that surprised even her. The senior from Cooks Creek, Manitoba, skated up the middle, crossed the blue line, and cut loose. Martin reached for what appeared to be a routine glove save, but the puck hit her in the glove, popped over it, and went into the net at 10:31.
"I was really just trying to dump the puck in and get off the ice," said Jaques. "I couldn't believe that it went in."
Late in the first period, Jaques rushed again, and shot from about the same spot, 35 feet out. This time Martin blocked the shot, but the rebound landed just to the right of the goal. Jaques spotted it, flew past the defenseman, and dived after the puck, swatting the loose puck in while sprawling to the ice.
"The second one, I saw the puck come loose and went for it," said Jaques, who now has eight goals for the season.
UMD outshot North Dakota 18-5 in the second period, but the Bulldogs played as though they had turned the DECC ice sheet into their own private "no passing" zone. On rush after rush, Bulldog skaters passed up the opportunity to pass, making the Sioux job easier to defend. And when they did pass, the puck was fed in a soft, delicate manner that was easily picked off by the alert Sioux.
The only goal of the second period came at 3:26, when Stephanie Roy scored. At 9:17 of the middle period, UMD coach Shannon Miller called a time out. But it was her assistants who talked to the players; Miller talked only to Kim Martin, who, despite a dazzling 1.66 goals-against mark and .932 save percentage, had yielded three goals on just 16 shots, and may have been shaken up when Jaques hurtled over her for her second goal.
Miller immediately turned and sent freshman Lana Steck into the nets for Martin. Steck faced only one shot over the last 11 minutes of the second period, but she stopped 10 more in the third, yielding only Randi Motsko's power-play goal with 19 seconds left.
At the other end, Ney continued to deny - de-Ney? - the Bulldogs, making 17 more saves to secure the 4-0 shutout.
"I thought we competed really well in the first game," said Idalski. "We've been alternating goaltenders, and the other kid (Kirkham) played well yesterday, too. From a confidence standpoint, this is really nice for our kids.
"This was only the second time we ever beat them, so I hope it can be a springboard for us. Our schedule shows us playing Wisconsin, Duluth and Minnesota right in a row here, and I knew if we got no points against any of them, it would be pretty tough. We've changed some things, because I quickly learned last year the importance of having everybody sag back to help defensively."
Indeed. The Sioux attacked with quickness, but in their zone, they sagged back to form a five-skater barrier between Ney and the Bulldogs. Penetrating the slot was a lot like trying to fight through congestion at Macy's day-after-Thanksgiving sale.
Jaques, who pronounces it "Jakes," as evidence that she's from Manitoba, not Montreal, said it was a big victory, but not anything like an end-all.
"We also beat Ohio State and Mankato," she said. "And we had good games with Wisconsin last week. We're hoping we can carry this on against Minnesota."
As for Ney, back in the nets, Jaques said: "Every time they shot, she was there."
Simple game, when the goaltender allows nothing. Simple maybe, but still nowhere near a routine victory.
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