Kim Martin

Kim Martin

UMD Bulldogs goalie Kim Martin
Born 28 February 1986 (1986-02-28) (age 25)
Stockholm, Sweden
Position Goaltender
Catches Left
National team  Sweden
Playing career 2001–present
Olympic medal record
Women's ice hockey
Silver 2006 Turin Team competition
Bronze 2002 Salt Lake City Team competition

Kim Kristine Martin (born 28 February 1986 in Stockholm, Sweden) is a goaltender for the Sweden women's national ice hockey team. She plays her club hockey with AIK's women's team and has also played with Hammarby IF's junior men's team. As of the 2005-06 season she belongs to Malmö Redhawks of the men's second tier league, and she was scheduled to make her debut at that level on 8 March 2006, as the first woman ever in Sweden.[1] However, this move was vetoed by the University of Minnesota Duluth, the U.S. school that had offered her a scholarship to play hockey. This was because the NCAA, the main governing body for U.S. college sports, prohibits athletes at its member schools from having previously played in a professional league, even if they are not paid.[2] In the Fall of 2006 she started her freshman year at Minnesota-Duluth, her current WCHA club address.

Martin's first season of organized hockey was at the age of 10, and she did not allow a goal during the entire 17-game schedule.[3] Martin made her international debut in November 2000 at the Four Nations Cup. She appeared in one game, a 2-2 tie against Finland.

A long-time member of the Swedish national team, Martin participated in the World Championships in 2001 at the age of fifteen and has competed with the women's team each year since, taking fourth place in the 2004 Worlds, a bronze medal in 2005 and, perhaps most significantly, a silver medal at the 2006 Olympics behind the Canadians and a bronze at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics behind the Canadian and American teams. At the 2002 Winter Olympics, she was the youngest women's player at 15 years and 349 days.[4] In club competition, she is a two-time European women's champion with AIK, in 2004-05 and 2005-06. She was also acclaimed as the top goaltender in the tournament in 2005-06.

Martin participated in the 2006 Turin Olympics as Sweden's starting goalie, and assisted the team in upsetting the United States in the semi-final game, which marked the first time that either the USA or eventual gold medalist Canada had ever lost in an international competition to any third nation. The Swedes were beaten by the dominant Canadians in the gold medal match and settled for silver. Kim was crowned Best Goalkeeper of the tournament.

On March 22, 2008 Martin and the UMD Bulldogs beat the Wisconsin Badgers 4-0 at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center arena in Duluth, MN for their fourth NCAA Division I national championship. It was just the second shutout in NCAA women's hockey championship history. Martin made 28 saves in the game and 69 total saves in the Frozen Four championship tournament and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. She was also named to the All-Tournament Team along with four of her teammates.

On February 19, 2011 Martin led the Bulldogs to a 9-0 shutout of the St. Cloud State Huskies at Amsoil Arena in Duluth. The win gave Martin 66 wins, a new record for Bulldogs goaltenders. The previous record was held by Martin's former teammate, Riita Schaublin.

On March 3, 2011 Martin was named the WCHA Goaltender of the Year and was named to the league's All-WCHA Second Team.

Awards and honors

References

External links