November 1, 2011

St. Cloud State hosts North Dakota this weekend

MADISON, Wis. – A full round of league series will be featured in the women's Western Collegiate Hockey Association this weekend, Nov. 4-5, as the race for the 2011-12 league title became a little more focused during Halloween weekend.

Minnesota has the league lead with 18 points, one better than Ohio State and three better than defending WCHA and national champion Wisconsin, but those top two teams have played two more games than the Badgers and fourth place Bemidji State, which has 10 points. North Dakota is currently fifth with seven points while Minnesota Duluth has five points but four games in hand over UM and OSU and two over UW, BSU and UND. Minnesota State and St. Cloud State have yet to record a point.

The No. 4-ranked Bulldogs (4-3-1, 1-2-1-1 WCHA) now get a chance to face the No. 3-ranked Golden Gophers (8-2-0, 6-2-0-0 WCHA) in the league's marquee matchup this Friday (6:07 pm CT) and Saturday (4:07 pm CT) at Ridder Arena (3,400).

Also on the WCHA schedule this Friday and Saturday are two-game conference sets featuring No. 10-ranked Bemidji State (6-2-0, 3-2-1-0 WCHA) at Minnesota State (4-6-0, 0-4-0-0 WCHA) at All Seasons Arena (750), No. 7-ranked North Dakota (5-4-1, 2-3-1-1 WCHA) visiting St. Cloud State (1-8-1, 0-6-0-0 WCHA) and the National Hockey Center (5,371), and No. 1-ranked Wisconsin (9-1-0, 5-1-0-0 WCHA) traveling to Ohio State (5-2-1, 5-2-1 WCHA) and the OSU Ice Rink (800) in another matchup of current title contenders. The Beavers and Mavericks will face-off at 7:07 pm CT on Nov. 4 and 3:07 pm CT on Nov. 5. The Sioux and host SCSU Huskies will engage in a pair of 2:07 pm CT matinees. And the visiting Badgers and Buckeyes will get underway at 7:07 pm ET both Friday and Saturday.

Ohio State will have great momentum after sweeping two conference road games at Minnesota State last weekend. Ally Tarr had the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory last Friday (Oct. 28) and goaltender Lisa Steffes recorded her first career shutout and Hokey Langan had the lone goal in the 1-0 series finale last Saturday (Oct. 29). Steffes made 44 total saves over two days, including 21 stops Friday and 23 Saturday. With the wins, she improved to 4-1-0 on the season.

Minnesota, meanwhile, split two WCHA games at Bemidji State. Jen Schoullis scored three goals last Friday to lead the Golden Gophers to a 4-1 victory over the host Beavers, but BSU goaltender Zuzana Tomcikova had 41 saves last Saturday to help the Beavers take a close-checking 2-1 victory from UM, gain a series split, and vault into this week's USCHO's.com top 10.

Minnesota Duluth also rose in the national polls after defeating league rival North Dakota 6-1 last Saturday (Oct. 29) and then tying the Sioux 2-2 (ot) last Sunday (Oct. 30) at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth. Katie Wilson had three goals and Audrey Cournoyer a pair of assists in the series opener for UMD. In game two, North Dakota rookie forward Michelle Karvinen scored with :17 seconds left in regulation to give the visiting Sioux a 2-2 tie, but after a scoreless overtime the Bulldogs' Pernilla Winberg scored in a shootout to give UMD the extra point in the standings.

In non-conference play last weekend, Wisconsin beat Boston University twice in a rematch of last season's NCAA title game at the Kohl Center in Madison. Wisconsin claimed 3-0 and 6-1 victories over the Terriers to conclude a 7-1 month of October that consisted of four series against four top-10 foes. Goaltender Alex Rigsby had a 20-save shutout and Brittany Ammerman had two goals in the series opener and Brianna Decker, currently on a 20-game point-scoring streak, had three goals and an assist in the final last Saturday.

In another non-league series contested Oct. 28-29, St. Cloud State opener its home schedule with a 2-2 (ot) tie with Robert Morris as Amanda Arbogast and Molli Mott had goals and then won the shootout 2-0 behind goalie Tayler VanDenaker. Senior forward Brittany Toor had a power-play goal but St. Cloud State was defeated by Robert Morris, 3-1, in the series finale at National Hockey Center.

The results convinced pollsters in this week's (Oct. 31) USCHO.com Div. 1 Women's College Hockey Poll to rank five WCHA-member teams among the nation's top 10. Defending national champion Wisconsin is ranked first, Minnesota is ranked third, Minnesota Duluth is fourth, North Dakota is at No. 7 and Bemidji State is tied for No. 10. Ohio State also collected points in the poll meaning six of the 13 teams mentioned by pollsters are from the WCHA.

In this week's (Nov. 1) USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Div. 1 Women's College Hockey Poll, Wisconsin is No. 1, Minnesota is No. 3, Minnesota Duluth is No. 4 and North Dakota is No. 7. Also receiving votes was Bemidji State.

Games for Friday, November 4: North Dakota at St. Cloud State (WCHA), 2:07 pm CT; Minnesota Duluth at Minnesota (WCHA), 6:07 pm CT; Wisconsin at Ohio State (WCHA), 7:07 pm ET; Bemidji State at Minnesota State (WCHA), 7:07 pm CT.

Games for Saturday, November 5: North Dakota at St. Cloud State (WCHA), 2:07 pm CT; Bemidji State at Minnesota State (WCHA), 3:07 pm CT; Minnesota Duluth at Minnesota (WCHA), 4:07 pm CT; Wisconsin at Ohio State (WCHA), 7:07 pm ET.

Results of Friday, October 28
Boston University 0 at Wisconsin 3 (NC)
Minnesota 4 at Bemidji State 1 (WCHA)
Ohio State 2 at Minnesota State 1 (WCHA)
Robert Morris 2 at St. Cloud State 2 ot (NC)

Results of Saturday, October 29
Boston University 1 at Wisconsin 6 (NC)
Robert Morris 3 at St. Cloud State 1 (NC)
North Dakota 1 at Minnesota Duluth 6 (WCHA)
Ohio State 1 at Minnesota State 0 (WCHA)
Minnesota 1 at Bemidji State 2 (WCHA)

Results of Sunday, October 30
North Dakota 2 at Minnesota Duluth 2 ot (WCHA)