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GAME STORYLINES
The Wayne State University women's hockey team (7-11-0, 1-5-0 CHA) will begin 2011 and its six-game homestand with a College Hockey America series against Niagara University (4-12-4, 1-2-1 CHA) at the City Sports Center in Detroit. The puck drops at 7:00 p.m. ET on Friday and 2:00 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Wayne State, looking to put the brakes on a four-game losing skid, was swept Dec. 30-31 at Ohio State by scores of 3-2 and 4-2. Niagara has been idle for over a month, having last played Dec. 10-11 against Robert Morris, which resulted in a 5-2 win and a 1-1 tie.


BEHIND THE BENCH
Jim Fetter is 116-113-22 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.

A former defenseman who played with the Niagara men's program from its inception (1996-2000), Chris MacKenzie is in his second season as the head women's coach at his alma mater and has a career record of 16-26-9.


THROUGH THE YEARS
The all-time series, which dates back to WSU's inaugural 1999-2000 season, is even at 18-18-1. The Warriors went 1-2-1 against the Purple Eagles last season after winning 10 straight meetings since 2007. Niagara's 4-2 victory over Wayne State on Feb. 13 last season was its first win in Detroit in over three years. Wayne State has outscored Niagara, 41-25, over the last three seasons.


IN THE POLLS
Niagara and Wayne State were predicted to finish third and fifth, respectively, by the CHA head coaches in the 2010-11 preseason poll.


SCOUTING NIAGARA
The Purple Eagles' 5-2 win over Robert Morris on Dec. 10, just their fourth win of the year, marked only the third time this season Niagara has scored three or more goals in a game. The team is averaging 1.35 goals per game this season, fourth-lowest in NCAA Division I. Niagara also has the fourth-worst power-play percentage (7.9) in the nation.

A bright spot for Niagara this season has been the play of freshmen Kristen Richards (5-2--7) and Jessica Hitchcock (1-6--7), who are tied for the team lead and tied for fifth among CHA rookies in points.

Senior goaltender Jenni Bauer, an All-CHA First Team selection last year, has started 16 of Niagara's 20 games, and has a 4-10-2 record with a 3.03 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage. She has shared playing time with freshman Sarah Moses (0-2-2, 2.34, .924).


LAST TIME OUT
Wayne State lost its series opener at Ohio State, 3-2, on Dec. 30 in the penultimate game of the 2010 calendar year. Junior goaltender Delayne Brian totaled 39 saves, one shy of her season-high.

Julie Ingratta and Alyssa Baldin scored 25 seconds apart, tying the second-shortest two-goal span in program history, in the second period to give WSU a 2-1 lead. Natalie Spooner knotted the score at 2-2 with 2:50 remaining in the period and put the Buckeyes ahead for good at 15:00 in the third.

Brian accumulated 21 of her 39 saves in the first period, matching her season-high for a single period and coming up three short of the school record.

The Warriors ended 2010 with a 4-2 loss to the Buckeyes on New Year's Eve. OSU scored three times in the final period to hand the Warriors their fourth straight setback despite 40 saves, tying a season-high, by Brian.

Brian also recorded her second career assist, becoming the first goaltender in WSU history with more than one, as the Warriors tried to mount a comeback in the third period.

Micheline Frappier erased a one-goal deficit at 3:50 of the second period with her first goal of the season on a WSU power play.

Ohio State regained the lead at 1:09 of the third on a goal by Paige Semenza, who assisted on Tina Hollowell's game-winner less than two minutes later.

On a 5-on-3 power-play, Gina Buquet gave the Warriors life with her fifth goal of the year at the 6:27 mark, but Hokey Langan's empty-netter at 19:56 sealed the win for the Buckeyes.

Shots on goal favored OSU, 44-11, but Brian and the Warriors held the Buckeyes scoreless on their six power-play chances and 0-for-11 for the series.


CONFERENCE KUDOS
For the sixth time this season, Brian was selected as the CHA Goaltender of the Week (Jan. 3) following her performance at Ohio State. She was also chosen as the Goaltender of the Month for the third time in as many months.

She has accumulated 30 or more saves in 15 games this season including seven straight, and has a conference-best .926 save percentage. She ranks third among all goalies in Division I with 609 saves.


WARRIORS MOVING UP RANKS
With her power-play goal in the second period Dec. 30 at OSU, Baldin took sole possession of fifth place all-time at WSU in career goals (28), passing Emily McGrath-Agg (2002-05). Baldin also moved into ninth all-time in power-play points (21), passing Laura Monk (2004-07).

Jill Szandzik, who had a helper in each game against the Buckeyes, is tied with Tina Vanderhoeven (2005-09) for seventh all-time in assists (37) and second in assists by a defenseman. Szandzik also took sole possession of sixth place in power-play points (25), passing Kelly Zamora (2001-05) and Katrina Protopapas (2006-10).

In addition, Szandzik's 14 assists this season ties her own mark in 2008-09 as well as Sarah Campbell's 2004-05 total for fourth-most by a defenseman in a single season. She is also tied with Chelsea Burnett (2006-07) for fifth place in points by a blueliner in a single year (15).

Brian has the fifth-highest single-season saves total (609) in WSU history. She leapfrogged two former Warriors in the Ohio State series - Tina Thibideau (532; 2001-02) and Anna VanderMarliere (595; 2003-04). Brian has seven wins this season, eighth-most in program history. She is one of three goalies to reach four shutouts in a season, joining VanderMarliere (2002-03) and Valery Turcotte, who did it twice (2005-06, 2007-08). Her eight career shutouts are third-most all-time and two shy of the program record.


LOOKING AHEAD
Wayne State will host Quinnipiac (Jan. 21-22) and Syracuse (Jan. 28-29) as part of its six-game homestand. The Jan. 28 contest against the Orange will be the sixth annual Doc Andrews Alumni Night at the City Sports Center.