Goaltending was Minnesota Duluth's critical building block for 2009-10. Kim Martin, who led the Bulldogs through the first half of last season, is with Sweden preparing for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Johanna Ellison, who led the Bulldogs the second half of last season on the way to the Frozen Four, has graduated.
Olympian Jennifer Harss of Rieden, Germany, was brought in to make a difference as a freshman.
"Our team has had good energy, a good attitude and good chemistry, but really, a lot of the credit for what we've done so far has to go to Jenny," UMD coach Shannon Miller said. "We wouldn't be where we are in the conference or where we are in the national polls without her.
"We've won some games we shouldn't have because of her and, overall, we've done better than I hoped for."
The No. 5-ranked Bulldogs (12-7-1) are finally home after spending five of the past six weeks on the road. They're 7-3-1 the past 11 games and stand second in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. UMD faces Bemidji State (6-10-2) at 3:07 p.m. today and Sunday at the DECC.
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Harss has played all but 25 minutes of UMD's games this season and ranks third in the WCHA in save percentage for all games at .927 and third in win percentage at .625. Her goals-against average is 2.24 while playing more minutes than any Division I goalie and 300 more minutes than any WCHA goalie. Her 559 saves are already the sixth most in a single UMD season.
Bemidji State and fourth-year coach Steve Sertich are in town after their first WCHA sweep in nearly a year, beating North Dakota 3-0 and 3-2 in overtime in a home-and-home series last weekend. Freshman center Sadie Lundquist of Cloquet had three assists in the overtime victory. The Beavers, 4-3-1 the past eight games, have yet to beat UMD in the history of the rivalry.
