Badgers Travel to Grand Forks
November 19, 2004 | Women's Hockey
Fifth-ranked Wisconsin women's hockey (7-3-0, 5-3-0 WCHA) continues its November road swing with a trip to Grand Forks, N.D. to take on first-year WCHA member, North Dakota. The Fighting Sioux have a 3-8-1 overall record and a 3-7-0 mark in conference play heading into the first-ever match up between the programs. The puck will drop at 2:05 p.m. Saturday and Sunday afternoon in Ralph Engelstad Arena.
Third-year North Dakota head coach Shantel Rivard is the only head coach the fledgling Fighting Sioux women's hockey program has known. Rivard earned a 26-28-4 overall record over the team's first two seasons. Eight of those wins have come against WCHA schools: four against Bemidji State and two against both Minnesota State and St. Cloud State.
Heading into the weekend, Wisconsin stands tied for third in the WCHA standings with Ohio State after being swept by fourth-ranked Minnesota-Duluth 4-3 and 2-1. North Dakota is sixth, two points behind Minnesota State. Last weekend, the Fighting Sioux earned a tie at the University of Connecticut after a 2-2 decision on Friday but were defeated 5-2 in the rematch.
Wisconsin endured a pair of losses at No. 4 Minnesota Duluth, despite out-shooting the Bulldogs 67-48 over the weekend. UMD's first sweep of UW in nearly four years was the first consecutive losses for the Badgers since Oct. 25-Nov. 11, 2003.
Junior Meghan Horras started in net both games, the first UW goaltender to do so this season. Horras made 25 saves Friday and 17 Saturday yet took her first two losses of the year. In six appearances, Horras has a .917 save percentage with 100 saves during well over 350 minutes of action this season including shutouts at Ohio State on Oct. 22 and at St. Cloud State on Oct. 29.
Sophomore backup Christine Dufour has started four games with a 3-1 record. Dufour enjoys a .962 save percentage this season including two shutouts against Wayne State and Bemidji State.
A pair of parallel statistics forecast an offensive explosion during the first meeting between the schools. Through 10 games, the Badgers are scoring 5.2 goals per game while the Fighting Sioux have allowed 5.1 goals per game in the season's first 11 games.
The Fighting Sioux have yielded goals on 29% of its opponents ' power play opportunities. Wisconsin has converted 29.3% of its 58 power play chances.
Sara Bauer is at the forefront of the Badger attack. With 22 points off 12 goals and 10 assists. She was named USCHO.com Player of the Week, Oct. 11, thanks to seven points, including a hat trick in the season's first game against Wayne State.
North Dakota's leading scorer Liz Funk, sister to Badger forward John Funk, has accumulated 13 points this season including a hat trick on Oct. 29 against Ohio State. Funk added an assist on the game's first goal for her fourth point good for the school record for most points in a single game.
Head coach Mark Johnson looks for his 55th and 56th career wins this weekend, with a current 54-14-8 record boasting a .710 winning percentage.
Follow all the fast-paced action from Grand Forks' Ralph Engelstad Arena at uwbadgers.com.
