After losing in their first-ever shootout on Friday, the Wisconsin women’s hockey team (9-0-1) captured some redemption on Sunday, beating rival Minnesota (5-2-1) in a come-from-behind fashion by a score of 2-1.

Following a scoreless first period, the Gophers seized the lead on a wrister from the right faceoff circle by freshman center Jocelyne Lamoureux off an assist from senior defenseman Melanie Gagnon. In the period, Wisconsin’s senior goaltender Jessie Vetter stopped 15 shots, as the Gophers outshot the Badgers 16-3.

Between the second and third periods, UW head coach Mark Johnson gave the team an ultimatum, according to senior forward Angie Keseley.

“Coach gave us the option of whether we wanted to win or lose, and it was up to us,” Keseley said. “He gave us 15 minutes to decide what we wanted to do, so I guess we decided to win the game.”

Four-and-a-half minutes into the final period, Keseley received a pass between the circles from senior center and captain Erika Lawler and dropped the puck down to sophomore forward Hilary Knight. Knight’s 13th goal of the year evened the game at one apiece. Keseley was credited with her seventh assist of the year, and Lawler earned her team-high 11th.

“I was out in the slot and I got a nice pass from Erika. … I saw Hilary on the back door, and she did a really good job finishing,” Keseley said. “Hilary’s obviously a very good goal scorer, and the [defender] was kind of taking me, so I didn’t think I was going to get my shot through, so I just thought that was the better option.”

Then, with 9 1/2 minutes left in the period, sophomore defender Malee Windmeier found Lawler streaking down the ice during a shorthanded situation. Lawler maneuvered around the sole Gopher defender and beat the goaltender to give the Badgers the lead.

“I didn’t really have much time to think about it,” Lawler said about the play. “We were killing a penalty and, all of a sudden, the puck was turned over in the middle of the ice and Malee Windmeier [got] it to me right away. The quick transition is really what did it for us; that was a great pass.”

Lawler knows that although it’s early in the season, getting the series win was significant for the Badgers.

“I think it was really important,” Lawler said. “No one ever likes to get swept, especially by the Gophers. I think it was just good for us because … it shows us we’re right up there with the top teams.”

On Friday, 60 minutes of regulation and five minutes of overtime were not enough to determine a victor, leading to the first-ever shootout for UW.

In the shootout, in which three players from each team are selected to alternate one-on-one opportunities with the opposing goalie, Minnesota freshman forward Sarah Erickson snuck a wrister by Vetter to win the shootout. All three Badger participants — Knight, freshman center Brooke Ammerman and junior forward Meghan Duggan — were unable to best Minnesota freshman goalie Alyssa Grogan.

According to the new shootout rules, the game will be officially recorded as a tie, but Minnesota will receive an extra point in the WCHA standings.

The Badgers took the lead late in the first period on Duggan’s fourth goal of the year. Duggan fired a slap shot from the blue line and the puck found its way through heavy traffic in front of the goal. Lawler and Knight were credited with their 10th and fifth assists, respectively.

“Their penalty kill had been playing us pretty well,” Duggan said. “I think we just had to work with it a bit, and try to adapt to what they were doing and try to open up some better seams. I just shot it and there was a lot of chaos in front. I think one of their players went down to block it and it got kind of redirected into the back of the net.”

The next 30 minutes saw a back-and-forth affair highlighted by superb goaltending. In the second period alone, Vetter stopped 12 Minnesota shots, finishing with 33 saves for the game. Minnesota’s Grogan blocked 14 total shots for the Gophers. It was the first time all season the Badgers were outshot.

In the third period, Minnesota freshman forward Monique Lamoureux lit the lamp in a short-handed situation off helpers from her sister, Jocelyne, and senior defenseman Dagney Willey.

“In the third period, it seems like we kind of hit a wall a little bit,” Lawler said. “I don’t necessarily know why, but we have to take away that we have to play a full 60 minutes next time, instead of just going out there playing two really solid periods and then an iffy third.”

In the extra session, the Badgers were outshot six to one, but neither team was able to capitalize, forcing the shootout. Even though they didn’t come away from the shootout with a win, Duggan said the team enjoyed the new format.

“The shootout is a great addition to the WCHA,” Duggan said. “It’s more fun to have a game decided in a win and a loss. I think now that we’re used to the shootouts. … They’ll be fun, and I think it’s a good way to determine a winner and a loser versus just leaving it at a tie.”

Vetter, who recorded 60 saves on the weekend, got to see the shootout from a different perspective, but said she enjoyed the experience.

“It was fun,” Vetter said. “We didn’t win it, but it was definitely a lot of fun. They got the extra point, and they definitely earned it. But, it’s a good experience and it definitely gets the crowd into it more.”