Dog Days
Minnesota Duluth pulled it off, wearing three crowns at once. The Bulldogs finished first in the WCHA in the regular season, and capped that with the WCHA's tournament championship. Now, to top it all off, Duluth's bullish 'Dogs have earned their fourth national title in a 4-0 shutout of the upset-minded but dangerously experienced Wisconsin Badgers. The Badgers — seeking their third straight victory in Frozen Four finales — were denied by the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, UMD sophomore goaltender Kim Martin. Minnesota Duluth's four losses marked its fewest since its last NCAA title in 2002-03, when the Bulldogs finished 31-3-2 and wrapped up their own three-peat. In the D-III world, Plattsburgh successfully defended its title by edging Manhattanville 3-2.
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Two to Tango
Happy trails, Harvard. Nice to know you, New Hampshire. Just like that, the East is done, and the NCAA Finals are down to Minnesota Duluth and Wisconsin. The Badgers advanced with two goals from Jinelle Zaugg and multipoint nights from Meghan Duggan and Erika Lawler; Jessie Vetter stopped 33 of 34 in the win as well. The Red and White seek their third straight NCAA crown despite a third-place finish in the WCHA this season. UMD extinguished the Wildcats' title hopes on the strength of Laura Fridfinnson's pair and Kim Martin's 41 saves. The Bulldogs won four of their five meetings with Wisconsin this year, including UMD's 5-4 victory in the WCHA tournament only two weeks ago. In D-III, Elmira and Plattsburgh duel for a shot at it all, while Wisconsin-Superior and Manhattanville fill out the other half of the bracket.
Women's Feature Stories
The ShowstopperWhen Wisconsin's Jessie Vetter is in net, the puck stops here — with "here" being about three feet in front of the goal line. Mike Scandura profiles the Badgers' record-breaker.- Learning The RopesCourtney Olson didn't expect to end up playing college hockey. Then again, the Clarkson freshman probably didn't anticipate roping cattle in Alberta, either. Mike Scandura reports.
- Puck DreamsA chance meeting between a young Caitlin Cahow and the sport of hockey led to big things, including a berth in the Olympics and a Harvard co-captaincy. Mike Scandura reports.
- Ahead Of ScheduleBig things were expected of Mercyhurst's Meghan Agosta, but the sophomore has risen to a still-unexpected level in just her second year of college. Terese Karmel reports.
- Perfectly UnnoticedIn a few short years, St. Anselm has become a power in the ECAC East — but the Hawks may never know the thrill of playing for postseason glory thanks to NCAA rules. Derek Dunning reports.
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Women's Question of the Week
| Which current U.S. college forward will make the biggest impact in the IIHF World Championship? |
