Jan. 18, 2006

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GAME STORYLINES
The Wayne State University women's hockey team (6-12-4 overall, 0-1-1 CHA) welcomes Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (13-1-2) for the first-ever series between the two squads this weekend, Jan. 20-21. The series is the first of two doubleheaders with the WSU men's hockey team at the Michigan State Fairgrounds this season.

Both Friday's and Saturday's games are scheduled for 4:00 p.m., with the men's games to follow at 7:00 p.m.

Wayne State is coming off its third straight series against a ranked opponent, as the Warriors traveled to Erie, Pa., to take on CHA-rival and fifth-ranked Mercyhurst Lakers. Last Friday, WSU skated to a 2-2 overtime tie, breaking a 24-game all-time losing streak against MC. The Lakers came back to take the second game, however, by a score of 4-2 on Saturday.

The Engineers have lost just once in 16 games this season and have won five straight. Just two games into its current nine-game road trip, RPI secured victories at Connecticut (2-1) last Thursday and at Northeastern (3-1) the following night.

The Warriors will inaugurate another series next weekend, as they travel to Robert Morris to take on the upstart Colonials.

BEHIND THE BENCH
Jim Fetter is in his third season as Wayne State's head coach. He has a career record of 34-44-11 with the Warriors.

Head coach John Burke is in his third season with the Engineers and has a career record of 53-12-5.

SERIES HISTORY
These two squads have never met prior to this weekend's series.

IN THE POLLS
Wayne State and Niagara were ranked in a tie for second in the preseason CHA coaches' poll. Rensselaer, in its first season at the Division I level, currently plays as an independent.

ON THIS DATE
WSU earned a 9-0 shutout victory against Connecticut on Jan. 20, 2001. The score remains the team record for largest margin of victory in a single game.

In Wayne State's inaugural season, the Warriors suffered a 4-1 defeat at Mercyhurst College on Jan. 21, 2000.

SCOUTING RENSSELAER
After playing for 10 years at the Division III level, the Engineers are enjoying early success in their first season in Division I. They were unbeaten in their first 11 games (10-0-1) before suffering a 4-1 setback at Maine on Nov. 19, the only blemish on their otherwise stellar record.

Junior captain Sarah Daniel is the top returning scorer from the 2004-05 team that set the school record for wins in a season (21-6-0). She and freshman Nicole McDonald are tied for the team lead with 12 goals in the 2005-06 campaign.

Freshman blueliner Melanie Guillemette is third in the nation among defensemen with an average of 1.13 points per game (4-13--17).

All three RPI goaltenders have seen ice time this season, with senior Rosina Schiff, a two-time all-league selection and last year's ECAC East Goaltender of the Year, leading the way with a 5-1-1 record in seven games.

Freshmen Ashley Mayr and Emily Ford have shared the rest of the games, with Mayr boasting a 1.32 goals-against average that ranks fourth in the nation and a .939 save percentage that ranks third, along with an undefeated record of 5-0-1. Ford has won each of her three starts and has an .891 save percentage.

WARRIOR CAPTAIN
Jessica Snelgrove

WARRIOR ASSISTANT CAPTAINS
Ashley King, Peyton Patterson, Kristi Thome

NOTES
Sophomore goaltender Tiffany Thompson was named the CHA Defensive Player of the Week following an impressive series at Mercyhurst this past weekend. Thompson matched her career high on Friday with 42 saves, a mark she first achieved in the final regular-season game of the 2004-05 season, in her first career start.

Friday's game resulted in a 2-2 tie, breaking WSU's 24-game losing streak against Mercyhurst.

Despite dropping a 4-2 decision on Saturday, Thompson made 35 saves (a total of 77 for the series), including 16 in the final period.

Freshman Melissa Boal continues to hold her third-place spot in the CHA with 25 points, behind Mercyhurst's Valerie Chouinard and Julia Colizza. She also ranks first in shots on goal (112), sixth in goals (9) and third in assists (16).

Sam Poyton has tallied at least one goal in WSU's last eight series. She leads the CHA with 15 on the season.

WSU's freshmen are still producing the majority of the offense, as four rookies (Boal, Poyton, Lindsay DiPietro, and Tina Vanderhoeven) account for 37 of the Warriors' 45 goals (82.2 percent) and 77 of the 117 points (65.8 percent).

Senior Jessica Haydahl's goal last Friday was her first since scoring in a season-opening 1-1 tie at Bemidji State on Oct. 7.

Freshman Amanda Hungle has won 51.9 percent of her faceoffs (167 of 322), which is a team best among regular centers.

Rachael Benninger earned an assist in Friday's game, her first point since Dec. 29, 2004, when she recorded an assist in Wayne State's 6-0 win at Union.

The Warriors, having faced three straight ranked opponents, are winless in their last six games (0-4-2). It is their longest such stretch since opening the season with an 0-5-2 record.