Did UND’s Women’s Hockey Just Turn the Corner
The University of North Dakota’s women’s hockey program has never really taken off. While the teams have improved over the last couple years there hasn’t been a buzz about the team.
That might have all changed.
It’s no joke. UND has landed the Lamoureux twins (Jocelyne and Monique), who grew up in Grand Forks and are coming off of dominant freshman women’s hockey seasons for Minnesota.
The twins were granted a release from their scholarships at Minnesota on Tuesday and already have contacted Sioux women’s coach Brian Idalski. Jocelyn signed her letter of intent Wednesday while Monique is expected to sign hers early next week.
I haven’t followed women’s hockey at all. I was told that when UND played the evil Gophers that the Lamoureux Twins were much than the rest of the women on either team.
The twins (daughter of a former UND goalie and sister to a former goalie and current forward) are supposedly going to be on the US Olympic team next year which means they really wouldn’t be taking a year off because of the transfer. When a player transfers from one D-1 school to another they aren’t eligible for games for a year.
UND has had players go on to the Olympics before, most notably Dave Christian on the 1980 Gold Medal Team. After the Olympics they’ve all moved on to professional hockey.
With the women that’s not an option. The three years of playing time that the Lamoureux twins will give the Twins might make us a perennial contender. The year off they are taking for the Olympics probably helps recruit girls that will come here because we will be a powerhouse when they come back home.
This is exciting.
