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The Wayne State University women's hockey team begins an eight-game road trip this weekend in the state of Minnesota, taking on St. Cloud State University on Friday night and the fourth-ranked University of Minnesota on Saturday afternoon. The puck drops at 8:07 p.m. ET on Friday at the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn., and 3:07 p.m. ET on Saturday at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis.

Wayne State University head women's hockey coach Jim Fetter previews the Minnesota trip in an Oct. 6 podcast on wsuathletics.com.

In their regular-season and home opener, the Warriors lost 3-0 to Bemidji State before defeating the Beavers 4-2 on Saturday to split the series. The Huskies were swept decisively by Mercyhurst last weekend, while the Golden Gophers twice shut out Clarkson on the road.

Wayne State's next two series are out east as the Warriors travel to Boston University (Oct. 15-16) and Colgate (Oct. 22-23) before opening conference play Nov. 12-13 at Robert Morris.


BEHIND THE BENCH
Jim Fetter is 110-103-22 in his eighth season at the helm of the WSU women's hockey program. He is a three-time College Hockey America (CHA) Coach of the Year and was named Women's Division I Coach of the Year by the American Hockey Coaches Association in 2008.

SCSU head coach Jeff Giesen has a career record of 60-67-24 in his fifth season at his alma mater. In his fourth season at Minnesota, Brad Frost has a career mark of 87-21-12.


THROUGH THE YEARS
Wayne State holds a narrow 5-4-0 edge in the all-time series with St. Cloud State dating back to November 2000. The Warriors defeated the Huskies, 3-2, in the 2009 SCSU Easton Showcase, which was the first meeting between the two teams since 2005. WSU carries a four-game winning streak against SCSU into Friday's matchup.

The Warriors and Golden Gophers have only met twice before, as Minnesota visited Detroit in January 2008. The Gophers won the first game of that series, 6-3, but tied the Warriors in the second game, 3-3.


IN THE POLLS
Wayne State was predicted to finish in fifth place by the CHA head coaches in the 2010-11 preseason poll. Minnesota and St. Cloud State were picked second and seventh, respectively, in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association preseason poll.


SCOUTING ST. CLOUD STATE
The Huskies have scored just one goal in each of their three games this season, including a 1-1 tie against Manitoba in the Sept. 25 exhibition opener. SCSU hosts Wayne State in its home opener after being outscored, 15-2, at third-ranked Mercyhurst a week ago.

St. Cloud State will need to rebuild its offense in 2010-11, as its top five scorers from a year ago - who combined to account for 76 percent of SCSU's points - have graduated. The program's top returning scorer is sophomore Alex Nelson, who had six goals and six assists in her rookie campaign. Classmates Kylie Lane and Callie Dahl each scored a goal in the series against the Lakers last weekend.

Junior Tayler VanDenakker and senior Ashley Nixon will share time between the pipes. Nixon set school records in saves (1,020) and save percentage (.926) last year.


SCOUTING MINNESOTA
The Golden Gophers have played in back-to-back Frozen Fours and returned five of their top six scorers from last year as well as two All-Americans in goalie Noora Räty and defenseman Anne Schleper.

Räty was in the net for the first of Minnesota's two shutout victories over then-seventh ranked Clarkson. Rookie forward Amanda Kessel collected six points including three goals in the series. Eleven (11) different Gophers had at least one point on the weekend.


LAST TIME OUT
In the first game of the regular season, Wayne State came out on the losing end of a 3-0 result against Bemidji State Friday night at the City Sports Center.

The Warriors, who gave up a pair of goals in the first period, were unable to solve BSU junior netminder Zuzana Tomcikova, who totaled 27 saves for her ninth career shutout.

Sadie Lundquist, Emily Erickson and Erin Cody finished with a goal and an assist each as Wayne State fell to 0-2-1 in its last three home openers.

With just one second left in a BSU power play, Lundquist beat Delayne Brian from the right wing with a quick wrist shot at 12:50 of the first period. Erickson's tally came less than four minutes later.

After being out-shot 15-6 in the opening period, the Warriors turned the tide with a 21-18 advantage over the next two frames. Tomcikova held the Warriors off the board including an 0-for-6 mark on power plays.

Cody's goal from Erickson and Lundquist midway through the third sealed the win for Bemidji State.

Julie Ingratta led WSU with seven shots on goal, including five in the second period.

Wayne State salvaged a split following Saturday afternoon's 4-2 victory. Ingratta scored two power-play goals as WSU went 3-for-5 overall with a skater advantage.

Veronique Laramee-Paquette also netted a power-play tally in the opening period.

The Beavers, despite a 33-13 advantage in shots on goal, only managed to score twice in the second period against Brian, who made 12 of her 31 saves in the third and held BSU to 0-for-6 on power plays in the game.

Just over three minutes into the game, Ingratta redirected a shot from Cari Coen for her first power-play tally of the game. Coen earned her first career point, and Micheline Frappier also assisted on the play.

Laramee-Paquette made it a 2-0 game at 9:30 with an assist from Alyssa Baldin, but BSU's Erin Johnson cut the deficit in half at 1:55 of the second.

Near the midway point of the second period, Ingratta capitalized on a costly turnover, stealing the puck from a BSU defenseman and flipping in a quick wrist shot to make it a 3-1 game.

Baldin's first of the year came at 9:52 from Lauren Ragen and Rachel Hardwick, earning her first career point. Less than five minutes later Erickson's goal made it 4-2, which it would remain for the duration of the game.


WARRIORS MOVING UP THE RANKS
Laramee-Paquette's power-play goal was the sixth of her career, putting her in a four-way tie for ninth all-time at WSU.

Baldin's assist Saturday was her 17th power-play point, moving her into the top 10 all-time. She also ranks 13th in career points (40) and 11th in goals (19), and is the top active player in both categories.


INGRATTA ACHIEVES RARE FEAT
Ingratta's two power-play goals Saturday was only the 15th such occurence in a game in program history. The last Warrior to accomplish the feat was Katrina Protopapas on Oct. 21, 2009 against the Beavers. Saturday was also Ingratta's first career multiple-goal game.


ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Wayne State will begin an eight-game road trip this weekend in the state of Minnesota. It is the longest road swing for the Warriors since taking an eight-game trip in the second half of the 2006-07 season. Wayne State went 6-10-2 away from Detroit a year ago.


WESTERN WOES
The Warriors have a 12-40-5 (.254) all-time record against WCHA teams. Seven of those victories have come since 2005, including three each against SCSU and Bemidji State, and one versus Minnesota State in 2006.


TOP 10 TROUBLE
Wayne State will take a 13-game winless streak against nationally-ranked teams into Saturday's matchup with No. 4 Minnesota. The Warriors' last victory over a ranked team was on the back end of a sweep Nov. 14-15, 2008 against then-10th ranked Northeastern. Since then, Wayne State has tied No. 9 Boston University, 4-4, on Oct. 19, 2009, and No. 6 Wisconsin (on the road), 2-2, on Nov. 12, 2009.