[media-credit name=’ANDREW SCHORR/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]

After an off-week in which four Badgers captured the gold medal with the U.S. National Team at the annual Four Nations’ Cup, the Wisconsin women’s hockey team (10-0-2) returns to the ice against a much improved North Dakota (7-2-1).

The Badgers have never lost to the Fighting Sioux in 20 contests, but UW head coach Mark Johnson said the team cannot expect an easy victory this weekend.

“North Dakota’s not the same team they’ve been in the past,” Johnson said. “They’re 7-2-1, they’re off to a good start, they got a bunch of confidence, so it’ll be a real good test how [we] come out Saturday.”

The Fighting Sioux have already equaled their win total from the past two seasons and are currently enjoying their longest winning streak since the 2004-05 season. The last time they took the ice, the Sioux completed their first ever sweep of Ohio State. It was a victory that propelled the Sioux into the top 10 of the United States College Hockey Association Division I women’s hockey poll for the first time ever. After an idle weekend, they were bumped from this week’s poll but still received six votes.

Johnson said even though the bye week came at an opportune time for his squad, he still worries about it disrupting the team’s rhythm.

“It’s nice to get a break after six straight weekends of playing,” Johnson said. “We talked to the group about … making sure that when they drop the puck Saturday at two, that they’re focused and ready to go. The one thing about an off weekend is it takes you out of your routine.”

Junior Meghan Duggan, one of the four who participated for the national team, said although being rusty is a concern, the team looked strong in practice.

“I think everyone got a little rest and regeneration in them, and hopefully we’ll be ready to go this weekend,” she said. “Hopefully the off weekend was a good thing and not a bad thing. But I think after today’s practice we were moving pretty fast, and I think it looks pretty good.”

While the majority of the team is itching to see some game action, the four national team members have to worry about fatigue. Seniors Erika Lawler and Jessie Vetter, along with sophomore Hilary Knight and Duggan, played four games in six days en route to the U.S.’s third gold in the event, which was held in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Duggan said both the travel and the transition would test them.

“It’s a different game; it’s a different team,” Duggan said. “It’s tough to go there from here, and it’s tough to come back, but I guess you got to work with what you have to work with and just kind of jump back into the swing of things as best as you can.”

One aspect the Badgers will be looking to improve is ratcheting up the intensity earlier in the game. Against both Minnesota and Duluth before the break, the team was forced to come from behind. Wisconsin, for the season, has 25 goals in third period, compared to 20 in the second and just 14 in the first.

Duggan said the team’s early struggles are something they are working to remedy.

“I think it’s all about just being prepared, being ready,” she said. “Hopefully with the weekend off, everyone’s kind of gearing up to jump on the ice and play in a game again. We don’t want to take a while to get warmed up because you never know what’s going to happen.”

Vetter concurred with her UW and U.S. teammate and added the Badgers are going to have to bring their A-game to Grand Forks to return with wins.

“They’re definitely playing really good hockey, and they got a lot of confidence,” Vetter said.

“[In] our conference, every team is strong, and every night you got to play your best. If you don’t and you take the night off, you could easily lose that game.”