TUNE IN: This weekend's games can be heard online or through smart phones on iHeartRadio's WIBA-AM. A webcast and live stats will be provided through UWBadgers.com.
A live blog will be open for fans during the game at www.UNDSports.com or you can get live updates by following UNDWHockey through twitter.
ABOUT UW: The Badgers enter the series in fourth place in the WCHA standings with 22 points (6-6-2-2) and an overall record of 10-6-2. UW is led by head coach Mark Johnson who is in his 10th season with a career record of 290-52-28.
The 2012 Patty Kazmaier recipient and Badger senior forward Brianna Decker leads the team in goals (17), assists (11) and points (28) while junior netminder Alex Rigsby has started all but one game in net with a 1.56 goals against average and a .938 save percentage.
The Badgers are currently on a seven-game home unbeaten streak with a record of 6-1-1 in LaBahn Arena.
THE ALL-TIME SERIES: Wisconsin leads the all-time series 34-2-1 and is 9-0-1 in the last 10 meetings.
LAST ACTION: North Dakota swept Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) at the Ralph Engelstad Arena by 3-2 and 8-2 scores to set a new program record as it is on a seven-game winning streak.
UND squeaked out a win in the opener as Monique Lamoureux opened the game's scoring on the power play and Michelle Karvinen opened a two-goal lead at 14:45 of the first period. The Tigers cut into the lead before the first intermission and scored the lone goal of the middle stanza to square the game heading into the final 20 minutes. Lamoureux would score her second of the game in the third period to lift UND to the win.
Sandwiched between two key conference series against Minnesota Duluth and Wisconsin, UND may believe it avoided a trap game Friday, but left no doubt in the series finale with one of its most dominating wins in program history. Michelle Karvinen led UND with a five-point game while Josefine Jakobsen and Jocelyne Lamoureux each contributed two-goal games. UND outshot the Tigers 58-15, including 26-4 in the first period that saw the home team open a 4-1 lead. North Dakota tied the program record with four power-play goals in the game.
POLL POSITION: UND is ranked No. 8 in this week's USCHO.com Division I Women's Hockey Poll.
STACHES AND STREAKS: The UND women's hockey staff decided to participate in Movember this year - growing mustaches to help raise money and awareness for prostate cancer - and the team has put the staff in a hairy predicament.
Since opening November with a loss versus Clarkson, UND started its seven-game winning streak and the calendar has been flipped to December, but the staches remain as the streak continues.
TAKE ONE STEP BACK, TWO STEPS FORWARD: Since being moved back from forward to defense this season, Monique Lamoureux has helped spark UND to its seven-game winning streak, exploding for 17 points, including 11 goals, after opening the year with only one goal and nine points in nine games at forward.
SPECIAL (M)K: UND welcomed the reigning WCHA Rookie of the Year back to the lineup in Michelle Karvinen after missing the first 10 games of the season due to an off-season leg injury. She is averaging 2.83 points per game this season (4-13-17) while UND offensive production has jumped from 2.2 goals per game with out her to 5.0 with her on the ice. UND is 6-0 in those games she already ranks tied for 35th in the nation in scoring and is second in points per game.
LOOKING FRESH: UND continues to go with Jorid Dagfinrud in the cage to open its two-game series and return with Shelby-Amsley Benzie in finales. During the past seven wins, the two have combined for a .909 save percentage and a 2.13 goals against average.
MARKS TO REMEMBER: Jocelyne Lamoureux is now in the top-10 all-time for career scoring at ninth with 234 points. Monique Lamoureux is tied for 10th with 226. The only active player that is close is Wisconsin's Brianna Decker who has 217 points. All three have played 126 games in their careers.
HEATING UP: Josefine Jakobsen had a tremendous second half of her freshman season after getting off to a slow start. This season was close to the same, but she is heating up before the Christmas break this year now fourth on the team with 15 points. She has 11 of those points, including five goals, in the last seven-game winning streak.
TROUNCING OF THE TIGERS: In UND's 8-2 win over RIT, North Dakota opened a 4-1 lead during the first period outshooting the Tigers 26-4. The 26 shots and 22 shot differential were both second bests in program history. UND out shot Vermont 27-3 on Jan. 6, 2003, in a 4-1 second period.
NATIONAL GOAL SCORING RACE: Jocelyne Lamoureux is currently tied with Brianna Decker for third in the nation with 17 goals. Minnesota's Amanda Kessel is first (21) and Hannah Brandt is second (18). Monique Lamoureux is tied for ninth (12).
REMEMBER YOUR FIRST: Redshirt freshman Shannon Kaiser tallied her first collegiate goal against RIT. Scoring on a breakaway, Kaiser also scored on her first collegiate shot on goal.
Freshmen Meghan Dufault, Becca Kohler, Leah Jensen and Tanja Eisenschmid have also scored their first collegiate goals this season.
BACK IN BLACK: North Dakota sported its new black jerserys in its 7-3 win over Bemidji State.
