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In its sweep of Minnesota State in the opening round of the WCHA playoffs, Wisconsin showed why it was the best defensive team in the conference this season.

The Badgers? defense, which gave up only 1.19 goals per game during the regular season, pressured the Mavericks for 117 minutes over the weekend.

The problem for UW head coach Mark Johnson was the three minutes his team let up to start the third period in Friday?s 4-2 win.

Wisconsin had reached its magic number of three goals ? it is 26-0-0 when scoring three or more goals ? by the end of the second period and seemed to have game one of the series wrapped up. However, Minnesota State came out firing to start the third period as 11 of its 19 shots on goal came in the final stanza.

The Mavericks got on the scoreboard less than one minute into the period when Amanda Stohr gathered her own rebound and fired one past UW goaltender Jessie Vetter.

MSU made it a one-goal game just a minute-and-a-half later when Brittany Mackley got another one past Vetter.

?I think we just got a little complacent,? Vetter said after Friday?s win. ?We were up 3-0, and we have to realize [Saturday] we may end a team?s season. They?re going to come out hard and play ?til the end. We’ve got to be ready to finish the game.?

After the second goal, Wisconsin?s defense picked up its intensity again and prevented Minnesota State from getting another good look at a goal.

In Saturday?s contest, Wisconsin found itself in the same spot it was the night before, up 3-0 after two periods. But unlike Friday night, the Badgers kept their foot on the gas.

?Not to relax, always be on our toes,? said freshman Hilary Knight of Johnson?s message heading into the third period. ?We?ve had a problem with our second games relaxing a little bit too much and getting too comfortable.?

The Badgers did not relax at all in the final period as UW had more shots on goal (22) over the last twenty minutes than MSU had for the entire game (16). Vetter also got her 10th shutout of the season.

?Today we figured we had to play a full 60 minutes. No letdowns,? sophomore Meghan Duggan said. ?We just played smarter [Saturday]. We worked hard [Friday], but we weren?t working smart in the third. As coach always says you have to work hard but work smart as well.?

Freshmen get a taste of playoffs

Besides getting a sweep in the opening round of the WCHA playoffs, five freshmen got their first taste of playoff hockey.

?That was huge,? Vetter said of the freshmen getting their first playoff experience. ?Mankato is a good team. If you take the night off they can come out and get a victory. [The freshmen] came out, played really well, and [Knight] got a goal there so the freshmen (are) definitely contributing and playing really well.?

Knight led the charge with a three-point weekend ? two goals and an assist ? including a highlight-reel goal Saturday when she stole the puck at the blue line and went through the five-hole of both the defender and goalie.

?It?s unbelievable,? Knight said about scoring two goals in her first playoff series. ?It?s our second season, so it?s like starting over. I?m just getting the puck in the net.?

Knight wasn?t the only freshman to have an impact this weekend. Defenseman Anne Dronen picked up her first career assist Friday night. On Saturday, defenseman Malee Windmeier picked up a pair of assists, and forward Kelly Nash notched a goal and an assist.

?We?re all really excited,? Knight said about the freshmen playing in the playoffs. ?It?s awesome to be part of a team that?s won back-to-back championships, but it?s also nerve-racking sometimes. There is a lot of pressure, but it?s fun.?

Despite playing well over the weekend, Johnson believes the letdown in the beginning of the third period Friday will be a good learning experience for his freshmen as UW makes a run at a three-peat.

?It was a real learning opportunity for our young players,? Johnson said. ?It takes three periods. It takes 60 minutes, and you have to focus and concentrate because this time of the year you can?t make a lot of mistakes because your season can end rather quickly.?