It was a scoring frenzy as the Wisconsin women’s hockey team downed the Wayne State Warriors 6-2 at the Kohl Center Friday afternoon. Finally, the Badgers outplayed an inferior opponent, almost doubling the Warriors shots-on-goal (38 to 20) and dominating puck possession.

With the return of freshman forward Brianna Decker and junior defender Malee Windmeier, the Badgers seemed to skate with more confidence and kept things simpler throughout the game.

Right from the start of the game it was all Badgers. Forty-two seconds in, UW sophomore forward Brooke Ammerman found the back of the net off an assist from Decker.

“I hopped off the bench and the girl tried to pass across the ice,” Decker said of the goal. “I read that play. I ended up putting my stick back behind me and it hit the stick and [Ammerman] walked in and shot in the goal.”

It did not take too long for Wayne State to retaliate. The Warriors took advantage of their first power play as forward Katrina Protopapas evened things up at 1-1 in the sixth minute. The Badgers bounced back, however, as Windmeier slipped the puck between Warriors goalie Lindsey Park’s legs on a shorthanded goal in the 16th minute of the first period.

Head coach Tracey DeKeyser was pleased to see the shorthanded goal and noted Windmeier’s ability to make those exciting plays.

“[Windmeier] is getting stronger, and you know that’s what [she] can do. She’s really perceptive, and she basically undressed that play all the way,” DeKeyser said.

In the second period, the Badgers continued to outplay the Warriors, only allowing two shots on goal to 14 of their own. Wisconsin also utilized its third power play, as Ammerman knocked in her second goal of the game, putting the team ahead 3-1 in the 15th minute of the period.

But Ammerman was not the only Badger to get a power-play goal. Decker also benefited from the man advantage, as she scored a goal in her first game back, 12 minutes into the third period off an assist from freshman defender Saige Pacholok.

Pacholok noted the strong energy Decker brings to the team and her ability to bring the energy everywhere, particularly during this weekend series.

“She’s brings a positive attitude to the bench and in game play on the ice, too,” Pacholok said. “She’s a clutch player — she really brings energy everywhere. It was really good to have her back.”

Wayne State was not ready to let Wisconsin walk away with the win, though. Two minutes after Decker’s goal, Warriors forward Julie Ingratta slid in Wayne State’s second goal past Badgers goalie Alannah McCready, showing the Badgers they still had some fight in them.

But Wisconsin was quick to shut them down. Again, just two minutes later, Ammerman knocked in her third goal of the game off assists from Pacholok and junior forward Mallory Deluce. Not only did Ammerman get a hat trick in the game, she went one goal further. With eight seconds left in the game, Ammerman found the back of the net for a fourth time off assists from Pacholok and freshman forward Breann Frykas, securing the 6-2 Wisconsin victory.

“Brooke can finish,” DeKeyser said. “[She] had different linemates today, and that helps in terms of just trying something new and going to net. Both her and Decker are very good offensive threats, and so I think that 1-2 punch was the difference for our group today.”

Ammerman mostly attributed her successful day to being in the right place at the right time.

“I was just around the net — I got lucky the puck was coming to my stick. That first goal was nice to have by Decker, and the rest were just in front of the net and being in the right place at the right time.” Ammerman said.

Overall, the team looked stronger and more dynamic. The Badgers had been having issues with scoring on their power plays, but profited off 2-of-5 opportunities in the game. The team also looked more confident and took control of the entire game as a whole.

“I think we’re just coming together more as a team,” McCready said. “We have Decker back — it’s a good uplifter for the team. We’re finally starting to come together again and get things rolling and start playing how we know we can play with the talent that we have.”