2008-09 Season Outlook
- Brian Idalski is in his second season as UND head coach after leading the Sioux to a four-win WCHA turnaround last season. In Idalski's first year behind the bench, the Sioux also increased their offensive output by half a goal a game while lowering their goals against average by nearly the same margin.
- UND finished in seventh place in the WCHA standings last season, the first time since 2004-05 (and second time in program history) the Sioux avoided last place in the conference.
- UND returns its entire coaching staff from last season - head coach Idalski and assistant coaches Grant Kimball and Maria Lewis. The only change to the staff is first-year directory of operations Kevin Vaughan.
- After playing the 2007-08 season without a senior and the 2006-07 season with just two, UND returns four seniors this year, the second-most in program history. UND's 2005-06 lineup boasted nine seniors, eight of whom were a part of team's inaugural signing class.
- UND returns 10 of its top 12 scorers from last season, including team leader Melissa Jaques, who registered career highs in goals (11), assists (11) and points (22) as a junior.
- The Sioux also return senior forward Casie Hanson, who became the first UND player to win a WCHA women's individual award last season when she was named the league's outstanding student-athlete of the year. Hanson, who scored seven goals and six assists in 36 games, was also a Division II softball All-American last season.
- Of the 18 skaters listed on last year's Sioux roster, 16 of them played in all 36 games, including 11 players returning this year.
- Junior G Brittany Kirkham returns after appearing in 31 games, four shy of her own team record. Kirkham also tied a school record with four shutouts last season, which she shares with Margaret-Ann Hinkley (2003-04).
- Kirkham's next shutout will be the sixth of her career and would tie Hinkley's school record in that category as well.
- Kirkham has played in 66 career games in just two seasons, just 20 shy of the school record of 86 set by Amber Hasbargen from 2002-06.
- Returning seniors Randi Motsko (108 games played), Casie Hanson (104) and Melissa Jaques (104) are all on pace to eclipse Devon Fingland's school record 129 career games played.
- Jaques needs 24 points to become the school's all-time leading point scorer. Liz Funk (2002-06) currently holds the record with 67.
- Jaques can also become the school's all-time leading goal scorer. She enters the season with 22, 13 shy of Stasia Bakhit's (2002-04) school record.
- In 2006-07, UND failed to have a single player reach 10 points. Last season, the Sioux boasted eight players who scored at least 10 points. Six of those players return this season: Jaques (22), Motsko (14), Hanson (13), Ashley Paulson (12), Stephanie Roy (10) and Kelsey Fletcher (10).
- UND's eight 10-point scorers were the most in program history.
