A big week for the University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey program is about to get a little bigger. The Bulldogs will welcome one of their own -- former defenseman and two-time NCAA champion Sarah Murray, who is currently the bench boss of the Korean National Team that will compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea as the host team.
Murray and Korea will take on UMD Friday night at 7:00 p.m. at AMSOIL Arena. All season ticket holders simply need to go to the Will Call window to receive their free ticket.
The Bulldogs will then continue their exhibition weekend when they host the Minnesota Whitecaps at 4:00 pm at AMSOIL Saturday. UMD will round out their weekend with their annual Skate With the Bulldogs outing that will take place at AMSOIL at from 3:00-5:00 pm. There will be prizes and music provided, and the event, as well as the parking is free and open to the public. Children 10 years and younger must be accompanied by an adult, and helmets are strongly recommended for children 18 and under.
MURRAY'S HOMECOMING: Korea's National Team coach, and soon to be Olympic Team coach, Sarah Murray will return to her UMD roots this weekend. The former Bulldog defenseman won two NCAA titles with UMD -- including one in Duluth in 2008 and then again in 2010. A three-time WCHA Scholar Athlete, Murray and WCHA All-Academic Team member, Murray ranks second all-time in program history in games played (153) and consecutive games played (119). Murray had three goals and 15 assists for 18 points in her four-year career that spanned from 2006-2010, with her last collegiate game ending in thrilling NCAA champion fashion after the Bulldogs upended Cornell in three overtimes with a 3-2 win at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, Minn.
A CLOSER LOOK AT KOREA: The Bulldogs have yet another Olympic connection in Korean head coach Sarah Murray, who will lead Korea into its first-ever Winter Olympic Games in February. Korean was granted automatic entry as the host country by the IIHF, and is one of eight teams that will compete for an Olympic medal. Korea won the 2017 Division IIA World Women's Ice Hockey Championship and was promoted to the Division IB after the win. Currently, Korea is ranked 22nd in the world, its highest-ever ranking and has an all-time international record of 26-44-0. Approximately 20 percent of Korea's roster has roots in North America.
WHITECAP RECAP: The Bulldogs hosted the Minnesota Whitecaps to kick-off the current season back on Sept. 23. UMD scored three first period goals to push past the Whitecaps 4-1 that night at AMSOIL in a exhibition contest. In all, seven Bulldogs registered a point, with three players picking up two points -- seniors Michelle Lowenhielm (1g, 1a), Jessica Healey (1g, 1a) and rookie Ashton Bell (2a).
Two former Bulldogs skated with the Whitecaps back on Sept. 23 -- defenseman Emma Stauber and forward Demi Crossman.
NO HOLIDAY BREAK FOR HEALEY AND BELL: Senior defenseman
Jessica Healey and rookie forward
Ashton Bell are currently with the Canadian Development Team ahead of the Nations Cup in Fussen Germany that will be held Jan. 3-6.. Already an alternative captain for the Bulldogs, Healey will serve in the same capacity for Canada.
OLYMPIC FEVER: Ten current and former Bulldogs will take up with their respective Olympic Teams in the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.
In addition to Korean Olympic coach Sarah Murray, nine other current and former players will represent a total of six nations in PyeongChang. Junior UMD goaltender Maddie Rooney, along with 2017 UMD graduate and WCHA Defensive Player of the Year Sidney Morin will present the United States in their first-ever Olympic debuts.
Canada has three former Bulldogs -- two-time gold medalist and forward Haley Irwin, gold medalist and defenseman Jocelyne Larocque and defenseman Brigette Lacquette, who will make her Olympic debut for Canada.
Forward Lara Stalder will represent defending bronze medalists Switzerland, while Sweden will have two former Bulldogs on its roster -- forwards Pernilla Winberg and Maria Linde. Russia will have one UMD alum in forward Aleksandra Vafina.
In all, UMD has now had 32 former players skate in the WInter Olympics, and 33 former players participate in the Games in all.
LOOKING AHEAD: UMD will host Bemidji State University next weekend (Jan. 12-13) at AMSOIL Arena on Friday night and Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs, who are currently sitting in fifth place in the WCHA and just three points behind the Beavers, have gone 1-2 against BSU so far this season. The two squads last met in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game in Cambridge, Minn. back on Nov. 6, a 2-3 non-conference loss for UMD.
