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Hockey - Women's - BULLDOG 2010 WINTER OLYMPIC UPDATES AND RECAPS

February 25, 2010 -- GOLD MEDAL GAME

Haley Irwin celebrates her gold medal Thursday night.

IT'S GOLD FOR IRWIN AND OUELLETTE (AGAIN)

Former Bulldog and Team Canada assistant captain Caroline Ouellette helped Canada hold off Team USA Thursday 2-0 in the gold medal game in Vancouver, B.C., in a showdown for women's hockey post prize possession.

The medal is Ouellette's third, but the gold is the first of its kind for current UMD redshirt forward Haley Irwin, who becomes the third player in Bulldog history to earn the Olympics highest honor. (Ouellette and Team USA stallwart Jenny Potter are the others).

Irwin will join current UMD players Saara Tuominen and Mariia Posa, who will each be awarded the bronze medal prior to Team Canada's collection of gold. In all, seven current or former Bulldog players and coaches picked up hardware Thursday night. Potter's silver is her fourth Olympic medal (gold in 1998, silver in 2002 and 2010, and bronze in 2006), making her the most decorated UMD Olympic medalist in program history. Ouellette's third gold (2010, 2006, 2002) gives her a stranglehold on the most gold medals by any Bulldog, past or present.

February 25, 2010 -- BRONZE MEDAL GAME

Saara Tuominen celebrates Finland's first Olympic medal Thursday.

TUOMINEN HELPS FINLAND TO FIRST OLYMPIC BRONZE

Team Finland has been in the Olympic bronze medal game four times in the past four Olympics, but on Thursday, Finland finally came away with a medal.

Lead by Finland assistant captain and UMD senior captain Saara Tuominen, Finland overtook Team Sweden 3-2 in overtime, with Tuominen aiding on the game-winning goal just 2:33 into extra time. Tuominen, who was credited with the goal before the it was determined the puck went off former Bulldog Erika Holst's stick, rushed the net on a cross-rink pass to force Sweden's misplay and seal the game for the medal-hungry Finns.

In a game that featured two currently rostered UMD players (Tuominen and Mariia Posa for Finland), four currently redshirted Bulldogs (Elin Holmlov, Pernilla Winberg, Jenni Asserholt and Kim Martin for Sweden) and three UMD alums (Heidit Pelttari, Finland, Maria Rooth and Holst for Sweden), the Bulldogs were featured all over the scoresheet. Pelttari netted Finlands first goal of the game (and her first of the Olympics) 24:24 to give Finland the 1-0 lead, while Rooth's power-play goal at 32:24 of the second period knotted the game at one apiece.

The end of regulation saw a still knotted up score of 2-2, but Finland needed just 2:23 to undo the game and their medal-less past. Skating in her second Olympic games, Tuominen's rush to the net created the game-winning goal, and the celebration was on after that, as Tuominen, one of the hardest working players in all of women's hockey found herself right in the midst of Finland's sudden joy.

Tuominen and Finland will received their first Olympic medal during the ceremony that will follow the Canada-USA game for the gold medal. That game is set for 5:30 p.m. CST.

February 22, 2010 -- Semi-final Games

Haley Irwin celebrates one of her two goals against Finland Monday.

IRWIN, OUELLETTE LEAD CANADA INTO GOLD MEDAL GAME

Haley Irwin may be making her first Olympic appearance, but the Bulldog redshirt junior forward is picking up her game right when it counts.

Irwin scored two goals and former UMD alum (and Irwin's coach during the Bulldogs 2007-08 NCAA title run)Caroline Ouellette added a tally of her own to lift Canada over Finland 5-0 and into the 2010 Winter Olympics gold medal game. Irwin and Ouellette will face Ouellette's former teammate Jenny Potter and Irwin's other assistant coach during the 2007-08 season, Julie Chu, when Canada takes on Team USA on Thursday for gold medal bragging rights. Regardless, Potter is assured her fourth Olympic medal and Ouellette her third.

Ouellette, who already owns two gold medals and has never tasted defeat in a gold medal game, is in her third Olympics and will try and upstage Potter, who has two silver medals and one gold in her fourth Olympics. Potter has more Olympics medals than any UMD player in program history, but Ouellette, with her two top-podium appearances, has more golds.

In the first game semifinal game of the day, Team USA got two two assists from Potter and a helper from former Bulldog assistant coach Chu, to help set back Team Sweden 9-1 in Vancouver Monday.

UMD redshirt sophomore Pernilla Winberg netted the only goal for Sweden on the power-play in the second period, her fifth goal of the 2010 Olympic Games. Redshirt senior goaltender Kim Martin -- named the best goaltender of the 2006 Olympics -- made 37 saves on 46 shots in the contest. Sweden had 10 returning Olympians off the team that upset the U.S. in 2006, with five of them current or former Bulldogs.

Finland, with current Bulldogs Saara Tuominen and Mariia Posa will face Sweden (with Elin Holmlov, Jenni Asserholt, Martin and Winberg) Thursday in the bronze medal game set for 1:00 p.m. CDT. Martin, Winberg and Asserholt own silver medals from the 2006 Olympics, while Holmlov, Tuominen and Posa will be looking for their first piece of metal. The gold medal game will get underway at 5:30 p.m. CDT.

February 17, 2010 --Premliminary Pool Play

Bulldog defenseman Jenni Asserholt looks on as her current UMD teammate Haley Irwin celebrates a Canada goal Wednesday.

OUELLETTE AND CANADA TOO MUCH FOR SWEDEN WEDNESDAY

There were five current University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey players, as well as three alums on the ice Wednesday in Canada and Sweden's final game of the premilinary round, but it was all Canada in the 13-1 rout.

Former player and assistant coach Caroline Ouellette dished out three assists, while current redshirt junior Haley Irwin recorded a goal and added an assist to help Team Canada go 3-0 in Group A at UBC Thunderbird Arena. Canada peppered UMD senior redshirt netminder Kim Martin with 33 shots in the first 40 mintues, forcing the goaltender to the bench in the third period. Former Bulldog Maria Rooth had an assist for Sweden in the setback.

Ouellette, who now has 10 points (1g, 9a), and Irwin who has four (3g, 1a) in three games, will now await the the losing team in tomorrow's USA-Finland game. Sweden will meet the winner of that contest on Feb. 22.

February 16, 2010 --Premliminary Pool Play

Jenny Potter netted her second hat-trick in as many games Tuesday against Russia.

POTTER POWERS USA OVER RUSSIA IN FOURTH DAY OF OLYMPIC HOCKEY

It may be Jenny Potter's fourth Olympic games, but the former University of Minnesota Duluth standout is showing no signs of cooling off.

Potter logged her second-straight three-goal game for the United States, making her the first woman ever to record two three-goal games in a single Olympic Winter Games, and in the process helped Team USA to knock off Russia 13-0 Tuesday. Potter is sizzling in her fourth Olympics, with a tournament-leading nine points in two games. She has picked up both of her hat-tricks within the first 32 minutes of one-sided wins over Russia and China before leading the Americans' gradual slowdowns later in the game.

"It's not about running up the score," said Potter, the oldest player on a team featuring 15 Olympic rookies. "It's about treating your opponent with respect and still working on what we need to be successful against Finland (on Thursday)."

The United States will face Finland Thursday, after Finland outlasted China 2-1 Tuesday night. Former Bulldog Heidi Pelttari dished the game-tying assist for Finland after China got out to an early 1-0 lead. The win secures a semifinal berth for Finland and current UMD captain Saara Tuominen and rookie blueliner Mariia Posa.

February 15, 2010 --Preliminary Pool Play

Bulldog sophomore and Sweden forward Pernilla Winberg celebrates one of her four goals Monday

DAY THREE IS ANOTHER BULLDOG AFFAIR ON THE OLYMPIC ICE

Four current University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey players are currently skating for Sweden in the 2010 Olympics, and two of them netted goals Monday night in a 6-2 win over Slovakia in Vancouver in the confines of the UBC Thunderbird Arena.

The Bulldog redshirt Swedes netted four goals -- including four from sophomore Pernilla Winberg -- to secure a spot in the semifinals of the Olympic tournament with Monday's win. Along with Winberg's two tallies, senior forward Elin Holmlov picked up two assists, and sophomore blueliner Jenni Asserholt also netted a goal. Former UMD player Erika Holst registered three assists in the contest, while UMD goaltender Kim Martin had the night off after holding Switzerland scoreless Saturday evening.

"We knew it would be a hard game because we've never played them before, and we didn't know what to expect at all," said Winberg, who made the Swedish team in Turin as a 16-year-old.

Sweden got nearly all of its offense from Winberg's line alongside Holmlov and captain Holst, an all UMD offensive threat.

"I love playing with them, because we're really good (together)," Winberg said.

In the earlier game of the preliminary round Group A game, Canada defeated Switzerland 10-1. Canada got two assists from former Bulldog player and coach Caroline Ouellette, bring her current Olympic scoring haul to seven points in just two skates.

Current 2009-10 Bulldogs Saara Tuominen and Mariia Posa will hit the ice again tomorrow as Finland faces China at 9:00 p.m. CDT, while Team USA -- with Jenny Potter and Julie Chu -- will suit up against Russia and former UMD's alums Iya Gavrilova and Kristina Petrovskaya at 4:30 p.m. in the UBC Thunderbird Arena.

February 14, 2010 --Preliminary Pool Play

UMD alum Jenny Potter celebrates one of her three goals Sunday against China.

POTTER'S FIVE POINTS LEADS USA ON DAY TWO OF OLYMPIC ACTION

Jenny Potter was one of four Bulldog alums and two current University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey players that hit the Olympic ice Sunday, but Potter's five points for the United States stole the show.

February 13, 2010 --Preliminary Pool Play

Haley Irwin scored two goals for Canada Saturday night in her Olympic debut.

CURRENT AND FORMER BULLDOGS HELP OLYMPICS OPEN WITH BANG

The University of Minnesota Duluth was well represented on the first day of competition in the 2010 Winter Olympics, with five current redshirt Bulldogs taking to the ice between Team Canada and Team Sweden In Vancouver.

In the first game, Sweden shutout Switzerland 3-0, courtesy of UMD goaltender and redshirt senior Kim Martin, making her second-straight appearance in the Winter Olympic games and making 19 saves in the process. Martin, joined by three other current UMD redshirts, which includes first-time Olympian Elin Holmlov, Pernilla Winberg and Jenni Asserholt, is also representing Sweden with two other Bulldog alums -- Maria Rooth and Erika Holst. UMD even had a former alum as a referee, as Leah Wrazidlo suited up to officiate the contest.

In the night game, Canada faced Slovakia, in what was junior redshirt Haley Irwin's first skate in an Olympic game. Irwin's debut was a success, with the Thunder Bay native scoring the first goal of the game, and then adding a second in the third period, as Canada went on to rout Slovika 18-0. Former UMD player and coach Caroline Ouellette scored a goal of her own, and also added four assists in the big win.

''From being on the other side of it, on a team that got beat badly, I'd rather the other team tried to do the right things rather than just move the puck around us like we're pylons,'' said Ouellette, after the game. ''It's tough to play in a game like that, but we wanted to keep good work habits and play well.''

UMD will be well represented again tomorrow (Sunday) as both Team USA -- with alumJenny Potter and and former coach Julie Chu -- faces China, and Finland -- with current Bulldogs Saara Tuominen and Mariia Posa, along with alum Heidi Pelttari drops the puck against Russia (which has two UMD alums in Iya Gavrilova and Kristina Petrovskaia).