Minnesota Duluth senior forward Jenna McParland said scoring always has been one of her favorite things in hockey. She said it comes naturally to her, and fellow Bulldogs senior forward Zoe Hickel agrees.
“She’s very talented,” Hickel said. “Especially on offense, she’s always at the right place at the right time. She just has a knack for the net.”
McParland showed her knack during her freshman season of 2011-12 by scoring 21 goals, but since has proved she can dish the puck as well, recording more assists than goals as a sophomore and junior before becoming the 19th Bulldog in the 16 seasons of UMD women’s hockey to reach the 100-point plateau for a career.
McParland recorded her 100th point a little over a week ago during a 6-2 victory over Lindenwood at Amsoil Arena. She scored three more goals this past weekend against Minnesota State-Mankato to bring her career total to 103 points and put her 17th all-time at UMD.
Coach Shannon Miller said it was appropriate
McParland reached the milestone by helping out a teammate.
“She is a very good offensive player for us, and what I really like about it is Jenna hit her 100-point milestone with an assist,” Miller said. “We’ve been working with her on
sharing the puck more and so I think it’s really fitting she ended up getting an assist for her 100th point.”
McParland, a member of the 2011-12 WCHA All-Rookie Team, only had 11 assists as a freshman, but the 32 points put her third on the team in scoring and 10th among rookies in the NCAA. Her version of a sophomore slump consisted of 28 points via 11 goals and 17 assists. She posted 11 goals again as a junior, but upped her assist total to 22 for a collegiate-high 33 points.
Through 12 games this season, McParland has scored six goals and four assists, putting her on pace for 31 points by the end of the regular season and 123 for her career.
“She hasn’t had the best supporting cast around her the last couple years,” Miller said. “Now she has a stronger supporting cast this year, so she’ll have a better season. For her to do as well as she has, I think it’s admirable.”
McParland played her freshman season alongside two other members of the century club in Audrey Cournoyer and Haley Irwin. Cournoyer finished her career with 46 goals and 55 assists for 101 points while Irwin, a two-time Olympic gold medalist with Canada, is one of six 200-point club members with 79 goals and 127 assists for 206 points.
This season McParland is matched with sophomores Ashleigh Brykaliuk and Katerina Mrazova, having also played on the same line as Brykaliuk last season. McParland, who tallied the 100th point by assisting Brykaliuk’s goal against Lindenwood, said the linemates always know where each other is at all times.
“Having good linemates is definitely key, not so much skill-wise, but you need to have chemistry,” McParland said. “You need to have chemistry on the ice and off the ice. You have to know where each other is.
“I have to thank a lot of my teammates. I’ve played with a lot of great players. My linemates and teammates have guided me to the 100th point.
“Just to be in the same category as players like Caroline Ouellette and Maria Rooth and Jenny Potter, it’s just a pretty incredible feeling.”
Jenna McParland File Status: Minnesota Duluth senior
Hometown: Schreiber, Ontario
Major: Communications
Family: Mother, Marlene; father, Lawrence; brothers, Nick and Steven; sister, Whitney
Post-graduation plans: Play hockey in Europe or in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League
Five Favorites Road trip: First road trip of the season, no matter where, because the freshmen sing
Professional athletes: Pavel Datsyuk
College course: Intercultural communications
Prized possession: My teddy bear
Movie: “Liar, Liar” or “The Grinch”
Getting to know Jenna Why I chose UMD: History of the program, close to home, coaching staff
Most memorable hockey moment: Scored go-ahead goal against No. 1 Wisconsin in WCHA tournament as a freshman
Hobby: Badminton
First job: Bartending for uncle in hometown
Advice to aspiring young athletes: “Keep working hard and have fun. Even though at the higher level it does get hard, it’s still a lot of fun and a lot of people forget how fun hockey is and they think too much. Have fun.”
