Goalie Johanna Ellison had several college options close to home after graduating from Cloquet High School in 2005, but the News Tribune girls hockey player of the year chose to go east and attend Boston College.
Ellison played sparingly for the Eagles and missed her family, so she transferred to Minnesota Duluth before last season, even though the Bulldogs had a rising star in net in Kim Martin of Sweden.
But in today's Western Collegiate Hockey Association series opener against St. Cloud State at the DECC, Ellison will make another start for the injured Martin. So far, the senior has performed superbly in relief, with 71 saves last weekend as the Bulldogs earned a win and tie at rival Minnesota -- then ranked No. 1.
Those stats apparently were not impressive enough for the WCHA, which named Wisconsin's Angie Keseley defensive player of the week.
"In our eyes, Johanna was the defensive player of the week, and that really is all that matters," UMD coach Shannon Miller said. "She had a fantastic weekend. We were not sure what we'd get from Johanna because she has not played in any big games for us, but she is a senior and has developed a lot from last year, and that has given me confidence, the team confidence and, most importantly, her confidence. She surprised all of us. It was really a remarkable weekend for her."
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Martin, who suffered a knee injury on Jan. 16 against Minnesota State-Mankato, could be back for the first round of the WCHA tournament on Feb. 27, but in the meantime, the Bulldogs will continue to rely on Ellison and Lana Steck to keep their momentum going. The Bulldogs (16-6-4 overall, 11-5-4-1 WCHA) have a seven-game unbeaten streak and will be looking for a little payback against St. Cloud State (12-12-2, 9-10-1-1).
UMD has dominated the series, but the Huskies earned a tie and dramatic 3-2 victory against the visiting Bulldogs on Oct. 17-18, St. Cloud's first win in the series since Jan. 28, 2006.
"We're really looking forward to having another chance at them," said Ellison, who didn't play in the first series. "We're basically looking to prove ourselves and see where we stand at this point in the season. It will be a good test, but we feel like we've picked it up a lot since then."
Ellison played in eight games at Boston College as a freshman and in five games as a sophomore before transferring. At UMD, she played in 15 games last year in mostly spot duty but went 3-0 as a starter. This year she is 4-0-1 with a .934 save percentage.
Ellison quietly has amassed a 14-3-3 record in her college career but went unnoticed until now. While she wishes Martin a speedy recovery, she is enjoying finally getting a chance to play.
"Boston College just seemed like the best fit for me out of high school," Ellison said. "I kind of looked at is as an adventure and an opportunity to get away from where I grew up, but I missed Minnesota. I like it here, and now that I'm a senior, it's great to help out the team in any way I can.
"I've got no regrets about coming back. None at all."
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