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After suffering defeat the last time out on the ice, the No. 5 Wisconsin women?s hockey team (22-7-2, 18-5-2 WCHA) was looking to regain momentum as the season draws to a close.

The Badgers were able to do that in dominating fashion over the weekend, as it picked up a pair of shutouts ? 4-0Friday and 3-0 Saturday? over last-place Bemidji State (4-24-3, 1-22-2).

Saturday afternoon, the Badgers were able to complete the sweep? in front of a standing-room only crowd at the Eagle?s Nest Ice Arena in Verona? by jumping on the Beavers early and often.

The last time UW faced Bemidji State back in November, Beaver goaltender Emily Brookshaw stopped 50 shots on her way to shutting out Wisconsin. In order to be successful, the Badgers wanted to come out and jump on her early so Brookshaw wouldn?t be able to gain confidence. And they succeeded.

Just over a minute into the game, freshman Mallory Deluce centered the puck to senior Jinelle Zaugg who fired a shot past Brookshaw to give the Badgers the early 1-0 lead.

?All the girls that have played against [Brookshaw], because she is a Wisconsin kid, told us about how you have to get a goal on her early or you?re not going to get one,? UW senior captain Emily Morris said. ?To come out and get one right away in the first period was huge.?

The Badgers added another goal in the first period when senior Mikka Nordby, who was playing in only her 11th game of the year, scored for the first time this season. Nordby flicked the puck toward the net when it took a funny bounce off Brookshaw?s shoulder and into the back of the net, giving Wisconsin a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

?I just wanted to dump it in and get it on net,? Nordby said. ?I guess funny things happen when you get a puck on net.?

After a scoreless second period, sophomore Meghan Duggan capped the scoring midway through the third period when she fired a shot past Brookshaw.

Sophomore Alannah McCready got just her third start in goal ? and first since that 0-0 tie against the Beavers ? and stopped all 12 shots she faced, to earn her third shutout of the season.

?It gains confidence in both goaltenders knowing that we have two good goalies back there,? Nordby said of the shutouts. ?And that gives the rest of the team confidence knowing you have someone strong between the pipes.?

Along with completing the sweep, Wisconsin was also excited to play in front of a packed house in Verona.

?The games we have had out here the last couple of years bodes well for what we are trying to do in growing the sport and gaining exposure for our team,? UW head coach Mark Johnson said. ?I mentioned to our players on the bench in the middle of the third period. It?s standing room only and there is a lot of people that are supporting the program so you thank them and hopefully it continues to build.?

In Friday afternoon?s contest, the Badgers didn?t get on the scoreboard as quickly as they did Saturday, but still dominated the game from the moment the puck was dropped.

With the puck consistently on the Beavers side of the ice, Wisconsin was unable to get one past Brookshaw, who made 13 saves in the period. Then with just under nine minutes left in the opening period, Angie Keseley was on a breakaway. Instead of taking a shot on goal, Keseley dropped the puck back to sophomore Kyla Sanders who was coming up behind and fired it past the Beaver goaltender for her 14th goal of the season.

Then, after BSU?sErin Cody was called for slashing, Keseley?s slapshot from just inside the blue line managed to escape the clutter in front of the net and go through Brookshaw?s five-hole for UW?s second goal.

Besides taking a 2-0 lead into the locker room, Wisconsin was able to prevent Bemidji State from getting any shots on goal in the period. Johnson contributed the success of his defense by the team?s ability to stay out of the penalty box, as UW only had one penalty all game.

?The biggest [factor] is not taking many penalties,? Johnson said. ?Five on five we generally play pretty solid and don?t give teams a lot of opportunities. This weekend we didn?t take many penalties either night so they couldn?t get on power play and that eliminates some of the scoring chances.?

The Badgers got a goal by Kayla Hagen in the second when Brookshaw dove for the puck, leaving the net wide open. Zaugg then capped the scoring in the third period when her slapshot from the faceoff circle went through Brookshaw?s legs.

Despite scoring seven goals on her over the weekend, UW had nothing but praise for Brookshaw.

?She?s a pain to play against,? Johnson said. ?She?s done that for four years now and thank goodness she is graduating?

Now with only one weekend left in the season, Wisconsin is looking to take the momentum gained from the series to propel them into the playoffs.

?The light’s at the end of the tunnel,? Johnson said. ?We got two more games left in the regular season and then the playoffs. We talked about it last weekend going into Duluth. We have to go up a notch here because after next weekend it becomes do or die.?