WHAT'S ON TAP: The University of North Dakota women's hockey team now has three weeks off from conference action as it is idle this weekend, hosts the Manitoba Maple Leafs the following weekend (Nov. 21) and a non-conference series with the Maine Black Bears Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 27-28).
MEDIA INFORMATION: Most Fighting Sioux regular season home hockey games can be heard on 1440 AM ("The Fan") and on stations across the Fighting Sioux Radio Network (excluding Oct. 18 against Minnesota State, Nov. 21 against Manitoba Maple Leafs and Dec. 13 against Minnesota) with broadcaster Darrin Looker calling the action. A webcast and live stats will be available at FightingSioux.com
LAST ACTION: The Fighting Sioux skated to a series split against the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Ralph Englestad Arena in a series where two contrasting styles met. The Buckeyes came into the series with the second most goals scored but had also given up the most goals against in the league, while the Sioux had not scored a lot of goals or given up many.
Friday's game got off to a quick start and looked like it would suit the Buckeyes playing style, but eight different Sioux collected points and they edged OSU 5-4. Sara Dagenais, Alyssa Wiebe (2), Kelsey Ketcher and Ashley Furia scored the Sioux goals with Ketcher's being her first collegiate goal and the game-winner.
Defenses showed up on Saturday as neither team would earn 20 shots on goal in the game. The Buckeyes although were better able to take advantage of limited scoring chances as they answered back with a 3-1 win and series split. Ashley Furia scored the lone goal for the Sioux and her second in as many nights.
GAME TIME CHANGE: The University of North Dakota athletics department announced a time change for the November 27-28 women's hockey games versus Maine. The originally scheduled game times of 2:07 p.m. have been moved up to 1:07 p.m. at the Ralph Engelstad Arena. Games are being held in the olympic rink.
WONDERFUL TONIGHT: Alyssa Wiebe set a new program record as she scored five points against the Huskies in their overtime winner. She notched two goals and three assists picking up a point on every Sioux goal in the game.
Wiebe, along with Meagan Gilbert and Mary Loken, all had three assists in the game which ties the record for assists in a game that had only happened nine times before.
PERFECT START: Redshirt freshman Jorid Dagfinrud's regular-season opener shutout against defending national champion and then top-ranked Wisconsin was the first time a Sioux goaltender has opened their collegiate career with a shutout. It is also the first time in the programs history that the Sioux have won by shutout in its opening game.
CONFERENCE VS. COUNTRY: Junior Kelly Lewis and sophomore Alyssa Wiebe were chosen to WCHA All-Star Team that faced the U.S. Women's National Team including UND's Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. The U.S. National Team defeated the WCHA All-Stars 6-1 with M. Lamoureux scoring a goal and an assist in the game. The Sioux faced off against the U.S. Olympic team Oct. 10 in Warroad, Minn.
EXPERIENCE IS THE BEST TEACHER: Goaltender Brittany Kirkham tied the record of games played by a Sioux goaltender against St. Cloud State held by Amber Hasbargen (2002-06) playing in 86 games.
MY GOAL IS TO DENY YOURS: Kirkham tied Margaret-Ann Hinkley's (2003-04) school record of six career shutouts against Union Oct. 24, 2009. Her next shutout will give her sole possession of the record. Kirkham had four shutouts in her sophomore season which tied the season record of Hinkley's.
YOUNG BLOOD: There are a lot of new faces on the 2009-10 Sioux bench, a year after rewriting the record books and finishing tied for fifth place in the WCHA standings, its highest finish ever. UND will have 10 freshman and one redshirt freshmen looking to add depth to the Sioux lineup. This group replaces the loss of four graduating Sioux (Melissa Jaques, Randi Motsko, Casie Hanson and Kelsey Fletcher).A NEW LOOK, BUT THE SAME TEAM: The Sioux will be sporting new jerseys this season for the first time in program history.
BRANCHING OUT: Head coach Brian Idalski has been adamant about stating that he and his staff will recruit kids locally but also from where ever the top players are at. This year's team is starting to show evidence to that with a roster made up of players from four different countries (United States, 15; Canada, 8; Germany, 1; and Norway, 1), five different states (Alaska, 2; Colorado, 2; Michigan, 1; Minnesota, 7; and North Dakota, 4) and six different provinces (Alberta, 2; British Columbia, 1; Manitoba, 1; New Brunswick, 1; Ontario, 1; Quebec, 1; and Saskatchewan, 2).
POLL POSITION: The Sioux are currently not ranked or receiving votes.
