Article

Women's Hockey Heads North for Critical Series at Bemidji State

Mavericks look to rebound from disasterous trip to Madison.

by Dan Myers
Issue date: 2/1/07 Section: Womens Sports

Last weekend won't go down as one of the better ones for head coach Jeff Vizenor and the Minnesota State women's hockey team.

But if practices early this week are any indication, the Mavericks (13-13-1 overall, 9-12-1 WCHA) shouldn't have too much of a Wisconsin hangover heading into their critical series this weekend at Bemidji State (10-4-4 overall, 9-12-1 WCHA).

One would think a pair of lopsided shutout losses would bring a team down, especially a team that was coming off perhaps their biggest emotional high of the season.

Not this team, however.

Less than 48 hours later, the Mavericks were back on the ice smiling, laughing and joking as if nothing had gone wrong.

"They have been pretty loose," Vizenor said. "The big thing for us is, though, we can't worry about it. All we can worry about is coming out and playing our best on Friday."

It is Friday, afterall, that MSU can regain a lead over the Beavers in the WCHA standings. Both tied at 19 points, BSU and MSU each have a chance at a top-four spot by season's end.

If either team can gain a four point edge this weekend, it may go a long way toward deciding who is in and who is out in the race for No. 4. But if the series goes the way of recent history - the teams have split each of their last three series - it may be an exciting race to the finish for both teams.

That doesn't mean Vizenor looks at this series as a make or break one for his team.

"To us, the most important game of the year is the one we are playing that day," Vizenor said. "We have to go with that approach. Whatever happens that day, we just have to turn the page."

Friday's face off from John Glas Fieldhouse in Bemidji is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. with a Saturday matinee to begin shortly after 2 p.m.

 

NOTES

• Jodi Helminen and Jenna Hewitt will not play this weekend. Hewitt is suffering from an unknown illness and Helminen is in Michigan attending her grandfather's funeral.

• Fun fact No. 1: Assistant coach Dan Lichterman has never seen a loss at Bemidji State. Lichterman was absent from the bench during last season's MSU loss at John Glas Fieldhouse.

• Fun fact No. 2: 14 of Christina Lee's 22 points this season have come in the 10 games against teams with green uniforms. Lee has played in all 27 games this season.

Dan Myers is the Reporter Sports Editor