Western Collegiate Hockey Association
MSU's Britni Kehler is the WCHA Defensive Player of the Week |
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Streaking Minnesota Duluth, Wisconsin Meet in Crucial WCHA Series; UMD's Irwin, MSU's Kehler, UW's Knight Named WCHA Players of the Week
Feb. 5, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
MADISON, Wis. - The top three teams in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association kept streaking down the stretch over the Feb. 1-2 weekend with a pair of victories and two of those teams, league-leading and No. 3-ranked Minnesota Duluth and two-time defending national champion and No. 5-ranked Wisconsin, collide this weekend (Friday and Saturday, Feb. 8-9) at the DECC in Duluth, Minn., in the marquee series in women's hockey. Face-offs are set for 7:07 pm CT each evening.
The Bulldogs overcame injuries and Ohio State and collected two victories over the Buckeyes in Columbus last weekend. The victories extended UMD's winning streak to 16 games and kept them seven points ahead of second place Minnesota. Rookie Haley Irwin had a goal and three assists in the series opening 6-2 victory and with the 'Dogs first line of Iya Gavrilova, Elin Holmlov and Saara Tuominen out with illness or injury, Irwin had two goals in the Bulldogs' 3-2 victory in the series finale.
Wisconsin extended its winning streak to 10 games by beating North Dakota twice, 6-1 and 5-2 last Saturday and Sunday at the Kohl Center in Madison. Rookie forward Hillary Knight had three goals and an assist in Saturday's victory while Meghan Duggan scored a hat trick in Sunday's win. The Badgers are eight points behind Duluth, but have two games in hand, heading into the big series at the DECC. UMD won two games earlier this season (Nov. 30-Dec. 1) in Madison by 3-1 and 3-2 (ot) scores.
No. 4-ranked Minnesota, under first-year head coach Brad Frost, remained one point ahead of the Badgers in second place and ran its unbeaten streak to 17 games (15-0-2) overall with 5-1 and 4-1 victories at Bemidji State.
And Minnesota State kept its hopes for a first round home WCHA Playoff berth by beating fourth place St. Cloud State twice on Feb. 1-2. The Mavericks scored a 4-1 victory at St. Cloud last Friday and Maggie Fisher scored twice last Saturday in Mankato to lead the Mavericks to a 3-1 win.
With just three weeks left in the regular season, Minnesota Duluth (24-3-1, 21-3-0 WCHA) continues to lead the league with 42 points, Minnesota (21-4-3, 17-4-1 WCHA) is second with 35 points and Wisconsin (20-6-2, 16-4-2 WCHA) is third with 34 points. Both the Gophers and Badgers have six games remaining while UMD has four games remaining. All three teams have clinched a home playoff spot for the first round of the playoffs while the fourth and final home playoff berth is still up for grabs between St. Cloud, Ohio State and Minnesota State.
St. Cloud State (15-9-4, 10-9-3 WCHA) is in fourth place with 23 points, followed by Ohio State (12-13-3, 7-12-3 WCHA) in fifth with 17 points, Minnesota State (8-17-1, 7-14-1 WCHA) in sixth with 15, North Dakota (4-22-4, 4-18-2 WCHA) in seventh with 10 points and Bemidji State (4-21-3, 1-19-2) is eighth with four points.
There will be another full slate of four Western Collegiate Hockey Association series contested this Friday (Feb. 8) and Saturday (Feb. 9). In additon to the UW at UMD battle, Minnesota entertains Ohio State at Ridder Arena (7:07 pm CT, 7:07 pm CT), St. Cloud State heads to North Dakota and Ralph Engelstad Arena (7:07 pm CT, 4:07 pm CT, and Minnesota State hosts Bemidji State at All Seasons Arena (7:07 pm CT, 3:07 pm CT). The Golden Gophers and Buckeyes split their first series of the season in Columbus, back on Oct. 19-20, with UM winning 7-4 and OSU winning 4-1. St. Cloud State is 1-0-1 vs the Fighting Sioux this season, with a 3-3 (ot) tie on Nov. 9 and a 3-1 triumph on Nov. 10 at the National Hockey Center. And Minnesota State is 1-0-1 vs BSU this season, having won 3-1 on Oct. 5 and tied 2-2 (ot) on Oct. 6 at Bemidji.
The following week (Feb. 15-16), Bemidji State is at Wisconsin, Minnesota State visits Ohio State and Minnesota plays a home and home series with St. Cloud State. On the regular season's final weekend (Feb. 22-24) Minnesota hosts Wisconsin, Ohio State is at Bemidji State, St. Cloud State visits Minnesota Duluth and North Dakota plays at Minnesota State.
In this week's (Feb. 4-10) two women's Div. 1 national polls - the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll and the USCHO.com/CSTV Poll, the WCHA had three of it's member teams ranked among the top 10. Minnesota Duluth is No. 3, Minnesota is No. 4, and Wisconsin is No. 5 in both polls. St. Cloud State also received votes.
This Week in the WCHA
Games for Friday, February 8: Bemidji State at Minnesota State, 7:07 pm CT
Ohio State at Minnesota, 7:07 pm CT
Wisconsin at Minnesota Duluth, 7:07 pm CT
St. Cloud State at North Dakota, 7:07 pm CT.
Games for Saturday, February 9: Bemidji State at Minnesota State, 3:07 pm CT
St. Cloud State at North Dakota, 4:07 pm CT
Ohio State at Minnesota, 7:07 pm CT
Wisconsin at Minnesota Duluth, 7:07 pm CT.
WCHA Offensive Player of the Week
Haley Irwin, Fr., F, University of Minnesota Duluth
Haley Irwin, a freshman from Thunder Bay, Ontario, scored three goals and three assists for six points to help the No. 3-ranked Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs sweep WCHA-rival Ohio State over the weekend.
Irwin scored a goal and dished up three assists in UMD's 6-2 final in Columbus last Friday (Feb. 1) night. Irwin then stepped up in the absence of the Bulldogs' first liners and scored two goals, including the game-tying tally the following evening, in Minnesota Duluth's 3-2 win.
Irwin, who trails only teammate Iya Gavrilova as the leading rookie scorer in the nation and the WCHA, has scored six points in her last two series (4-8-12). Irwin has compiled 36 points (15g, 21a) in 26 outings this season.
Others nominated this week were: Maggie Fisher, F, Minnesota State
Jenelle Philipczyk, F, Minnesota
Casie Hanson, F, North Dakota
Mallory Peckels, F, Ohio State and Meghan Duggan, F, Wisconsin.
WCHA Defensive Player of the Week
Britni Kehler, Sr., G, Minnesota State University
Britni Kehler, a senior goaltender at Minnesota State University from Mitchell, Manitoba, picked-up two wins in the series sweep over 10th-ranked St. Cloud State, winning 4-1 last Friday (Feb. 1) in St. Cloud and 3-1 last Saturday (Feb. 2) in Mankato.
Kehler made 23 saves last Friday against the host Huskies and 28 saves last Saturday at home against SCSU for a total of 51 saves and a .962 series save percentage. By giving-up just two goals, she had a 1.00 goals-against average for the series.
Kehler also raised her season save percentage .005 to .904 and lowered her season goals-against average 0.16 to 2.84 over the weekend.
Others nominated this week were: Jocelyne Larocque, D, Minnesota Duluth
Deidre Facklis, G, Ohio State, and Michelle Maunu, D, Minnesota.
WCHA Rookie of the Week
Hilary Knight, Fr., F, University of Wisconsin
Hilary Knight, a freshman forward from Hanover, N.H., scored four goals, including her first career hat trick, and added an assist to help lead the University of Wisconsin to a pair of WCHA victories over North Dakota in Madison last weekend.
On Saturday, Feb. 2, Knight tallied three of Wisconsin's first four goals in what proved to be a 6-1 UW victory. All three of Knight's goals came on the power-play, including her game-winning goal midway through the first period.
Then on Sunday Feb. 3, Knight added her fourth goal of the weekend as the Badgers completed the series sweep and won their 10th straight game with a 5-2 decision. With the goal, Knight extended her team-leading total to 15 and also maintained her team point lead with 29 this season. She is also tied for third on the team with 14 assists.
Others nominated this week were: Nikki Hebert, F, North Dakota
Ida Clark, F, Minnesota State, and Emily West, F, Minnesota.
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