In front of a record-setting crowd, the Wisconsin women’s hockey team continued to make plain why it’s considered the nation’s best week in and week out.
Wisconsin (24-2-2) won both games against WCHA foe Bemidji State (14-12-3) this past weekend. Saturday night’s “Fill the Bowl” game came down to a single goal in the third period in front of a crowd of 12,402 fans, a new NCAA women’s hockey attendance record. Friday night’s game similarly came down to one goal, though in overtime, to give the Badgers a 3-2 victory.
While the games remained close all weekend, the Badgers capitalized on key plays, proving why they are the number one team in the nation. Dissatisfied with the performance in game one despite the win, head coach Mark Johnson was impressed with the strong start and perseverance of his team Saturday.
“We did a lot better job those first 20 minutes [Saturday] than we did in all three periods [Friday],” Johnson said. “I told them, ‘Let’s go out and have fun, make sure you enjoy the game and play the way we have played all season,’ and we ended up doing that.”
The big play for UW came at 12:22 in the third period as senior forward and captain Hilary Knight snuck the puck by the Beavers’ star goaltender Zuzana Tomcikova. Off a pass from sophomore forward Brittany Ammerman, Tomcikova lost track of the puck which Knight shot in from the left side of the net, allowing it to slide in.
Despite not scoring a goal since the Badgers last met the Beavers back in early December, Knight dominated the ice with 15 shots on the weekend, nine in game two and six in game one.
“It’s tough, it is an extra added weight … especially because I am usually one of the players putting the puck in the back of the net,” Knight said. “You have the ‘ooh’ and the ‘ahh’ of the crowd and then finally [the puck] going in, it is just a great feeling.”
The big win Saturday did not come without frustration for UW, however, as a disallowed goal by sophomore forward Madison Packer set the team back. After the referees determined Tomcikova’s facemask came off before the puck went in, Wisconsin struggled to regain their focus until the third period.
“There is a set of criteria that what you can review and what is reviewable, and that is not one of them,” Johnson said. “You’re not going to change [the referee’s] mind, so drop the puck and you move on.”
Friday night, the Badgers struggled to keep up with the Beavers and eventually gave up their 2-0 lead, sending the game to overtime. The winning goal came from Packer 1:03 into overtime on a pass across the slot by Ammerman and Tomcikova was unable to adjust to.
Bemidji State first scored off a far shot that bounced off Badger goaltender Alex Rigsby and crossed the goal line before it could be saved.
“That is probably the flukiest goal that has gone in this year; it was kind of unfortunate. It was just a shot that came in from far out, hit my shoulder and it was going really high, and I kind of lifted up on it and it just popped up and went over me,” Rigsby said. “Like every goal that goes in, you just have to shake it off and move on.”
UW’s two goals, giving them the initial 2-0 lead, came from junior forward Brianna Decker in the first period and senior forward Carolyne Prevost in the second period.
