SPORTS
Women’s hockey team earns tie against No. 1 Minnesota
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by Dave McGrath
Monday, December 6, 2004
The Wisconsin women’s hockey team played a tough series against Minnesota this weekend, losing a hard-fought first game and coming away with a tie in game two. In what was an ultra-competitive series, the No. 4 Badgers took the nation’s top ranked team (and the reigning national champions) to the brink and had what coach Mark Johnson called “a positive weekend” in spite of the mediocre outcome.
After struggling offensively in game one, the Badgers broke through Sunday, scoring their first goal of the series. Senior defenseman Molly Engstrom scored her seventh goal of the season on a UW power play, with a slap shot just in front of the blueline that went into traffic and bounced off of Minnesota goaltender Jody Horak’s blocker before sliding into the net.
Meghan Horras started the game in net for the Badgers and was able to keep Minnesota off the board until early in the second period, when Minnesota’s Natalie Darwitz scored on the power play to even the score at 1-1.
Jackie Friesen restored the Badger lead when she muscled in her seventh of the season. The lead only lasted 23 seconds, though, before Darwitz again lit the lamp — this time on a bizarre slap shot that hit the crossbar before bouncing off of Horras and falling into the net. The goal was Darwitz’s third of the series and brought the teams into the third period in a 2-2 deadlock.
The Badgers took the lead for the third time with 14:31 left in the period. Jinelle Zaugg scored her second goal of the season when she drove unabated to the net after a slick pass from Nikki Burish, putting it past Horak on the backhand.
Six minutes later, the Gophers struck back again, scoring on the power play when Minnesota’s Kelly Stephens got in on the net, took a pass from Bobbi Ross and snuck it past Horras to tie the game at three apiece.
Despite a late flurry by Minnesota, UW held on and was able to send the game to overtime. In the extra period, Wisconsin was able to kill off two penalties — one by Carla MacLeod with 3:38 to play and one by Friesen with 24.1 seconds to play — to pull out a tie against Minnesota.
The Badgers came out in game one and went on the offensive right away, tallying the first three shots of the game and not allowing Minnesota to get anywhere near goaltender Christine Dufour, keeping control of the puck for the games opening minutes. Once Minnesota finally got the puck in its offensive zone, Dufour and the Badger defense kept the Golden Gophers off the board, while allowing 13 shots. UW went into the locker room tied 0-0.
In the second period, the Badgers got their first major challenge of the game when Minnesota went on the power play after a high-sticking penalty on freshman Emily Morris with 10:57 left to go in the period.
The Badgers responded, creating scoring opportunities in the first 90 seconds of their penalty kill. With 30 seconds left in the power play, though, the Gophers set up in the Badger zone and got several solid shots off. Just when it looked as if the Badgers were going to kill the penalty, Darwitz stole an errant pass and skated around two Wisconsin defenders, before sneaking the puck by Dufour with a tough backhand shot, just after the penalty expired.
The Badgers were unable to convert on a power play of their own, leaving the score at 1-0 in the Gophers’ favor heading into the final frame.
The Badgers were again unable to get on the board in the final stanza, and Stephens scored with 2:02 left to put the game out of reach for Wisconsin. Horak made 22 saves to record her fifth shutout of the season. The loss was UW’s first loss at home this year.
Despite not coming away with a win, Johnson said he was pleased with the outcome of the second game and the series overall.
“To have the lead at different times of the game can only help us. To have ten penalties and still walk away with a 3-3 tie is a big plus and good confidence builder for us,” Johnson said. “If you look at all six periods, we were able to skate with them, defend against them, score some goals against them [on Sunday]. We didn’t get out-skated, we didn’t get outplayed, and that is the most important thing.”
