Wisconsin routed Minnesota State University, Mankato to cap off a three-week homestead that featured an NCAA record-setting attendance for a women’s hockey game amid string of intense Western Collegiate Hockey Association matchups.
In the first of the three home series, Wisconsin bested St. Cloud State University 2-0 in front of 15,359 fans at the Kohl Center as part of UW’s 2017 “Fill the Bowl” event on Saturday, Jan. 14.
Traditionally, Wisconsin women’s hockey plays home games in the LaBahn Arena, but the school’s “Fill the Bowl” event occurs on the men’s team’s home ice at the Kohl Center. The Kohl Center boasts nearly 15,000 more seats than LaBahn, and the Badger faithful filled nearly every one in the special venue change.
The turnout shattered the NCAA women’s hockey previous single-game attendance record of 13,573 that Wisconsin set in the 2014 and most recent chapter of the event. With the attendance record against St. Cloud, Wisconsin now owns the five highest single-game attendance totals in NCAA women’s hockey history.
Building off the energy and pride created this monumental turnout in the temporary venue change, Wisconsin went on to defeat North Dakota 3-2 and 2-1 the following weekend back on the LaBahn home ice. The weekend series was the second consecutive home sweep of 2017, lifting the Badgers to 5-0 total record in the new year before hosting Minnesota State University, Mankato the next weekend.
The all-time series between Mankato and Wisconsin has always favored the Badgers, with a 72-2-3 overall record against the Mavericks. With a grand total of 16 Badgers earning points this weekend, it was clear the Mavericks were still having problems keeping up with Wisconsin.
Women’s hockey: Badgers close out WCHA play with Minnesota State
The skill difference between these two teams was apparent the minute the puck dropped Friday night. Wisconsin (24-2-1-0, 19-2-1-0 WCHA) outshot the Mavericks 47-15, and managed to not only net two power-play goals, but one short-handed goal as well.
“We created a bunch of opportunities and capitalized on a couple power plays and overall it was a good effort,” Wisconsin head coach Mark Johnson said.
Mankato (6-20-3, 3-17-2 WCHA) had a hard time keeping up with the Badgers’ defense as well, with Wisconsin controlling much of the pace. Even after the first period, it was apparent why Mankato came into the weekend at the bottom of the WCHA, and the night closed out with a 5-0 victory for the Badgers.
Saturday would closely resemble Friday’s matchup, in that Wisconsin was clearly the superior team. While the Mavericks did manage to get a goal past Ann-Renée Desbiens, their power-play goal would be the Mavericks’ only score of the weekend. The Badgers swept the weekend with a 6-1 victory Saturday afternoon.
Women’s hockey: Top-ranked Badgers tested but emerge victorious against North Dakota
Two Badgers reached career milestones Saturday afternoon, with Sydney McKibbon and Emily Clark both earning their 100th career point during the first period. Clark and McKibbon were both happy with the achievement, but more concerned with getting the conference win it in front of a home crowd.
“It was pretty cool to share that with [McKibbon] tonight,” Clark said. “A huge thanks to my linemates, I think they made a couple extra passes that they definitely could have shot this weekend, but pretty cool feeling, especially to do it at home.”
With a grand total of nine Badgers scoring goals this weekend — five of them being freshmen — it is clear Wisconsin has become an even more dynamic team. With a road test against Bemidji State University awaiting the Badgers next weekend, coach Johnson knows he has made a team that is becoming more and more difficult to suppress.
“We got contributions from different people,” Johnson said. “Get some depth in your scoring and it becomes difficult to defend.”
Wisconsin also managed to silence Mankato without veteran senior defenseman Melissa Channell on the ice after she left the second game of the North Dakota series due to injury a week prior.
While the No. 1 Badgers boast deep talent across the roster, it often takes even the best of teams a certain trial period to adjust to a veteran absence on the ice going forward.
This may be especially apparent in the Badgers first upcoming road test since the loss against a solid Bemidji State team next weekend in Minnesota.
