Wisconsin (14-0-0 overall, 10-0 WCHA) rolled out its 14th straight win as the Badgers shutout Lindenwood (3-9-2 overall, 0-6 WCHA) 4-0 Sunday at home.
The Badgers struck first early in the first period and never looked back. Sophomore Emily Clark scored her 10th goal of the season, tying the team’s goal-scoring leader Annie Pankowski.
Junior left wing Sarah Nurse added two goals in the victory as well, making Sunday’s game the third time she has done so this year. Nurse said the team’s scoring success has come from the emphasis head coach Mark Johnson has placed on getting closer to the net on offense.
“We are finding each other on the ice, we are using our speed and we are just kind of doing the little things,” Nurse said.
But for the first time at home this season, and only the second time all season, Wisconsin’s starting lineup didn’t include Ann-Renée Desbiens’ name.
Only about a week removed from setting the NCAA record for the number of consecutive scoreless minutes, Desbiens’ absence certainly came as somewhat of a surprise. Instead, Johnson called Megan Miller’s number to step up and anchor the Badger defense.
Johnson said the decision to start Miller over Desbiens had been determined for quite a while.
“It was an opportunity to give [Miller] some minutes,” Johnson said. “You look at the schedule and try to find some dates where you might be able to stick [backup players] in, and we felt as a staff that this would be a good opportunity for her to get in there.”
Refusing to allow a single puck to hit the net, Miller certainly reaffirmed her head coach’s confidence to give her a chance to showcase her skillset. She rose to the occasion, and dealt with the pressure of filling some rather large shoes left behind by Desbiens’ recent level of play.
Sunday’s win came on the heels of Friday’s 5-1 victory against Lindenwood.
UW started the game with a bang, scoring the first goal of the night within two minutes of play via Sophia Shaver.
It was the only goal scored in the first half. Perhaps the most remarkable goals were the two goals scored by senior forward Molly Doner, which came within less than a minute of each other.
Sophomore forward Emily Clark added the Badgers’ final two goals.
One of the key features to the Badgers’ success against Lindenwood was the constantly changing offense and defense patterns. Johnson said he has been trying out different team layouts and player configurations all season, and one of the most changed areas is the Badgers’ defense.
Clark said having a constantly changing offense and defense throws other teams off, which is one of the Badgers’ greatest strengths.
“It tires teams out knowing that we can play all four lines, and that everyone’s going and everyone is fresh. That’s definitely an advantage for us,” Clark said.
Johnson said he’s not worried about his team falling to the pressure of a lossless season, and knows that the team has all of the right materials to help them continue to be a great team.
“[They’re] working hard and pushing themselves and doing the little things necessary, so when they get to a game it becomes habit,” he said. “If you have consistency and you work at it and they practice hard every day, you end up having a good group.”
