A dominant offense and strong defensive play led the Wisconsin women’s hockey team to a sweep over Minnesota State this past weekend in the first round of the WCHA tournament.
In a best-of-three series, the Badgers (31-3-2, 23-3-2 WCHA) were able to shut down the Mavericks (7-28-1, 3-24-1 WCHA) in just two games. UW recorded shutouts in both games and scored 11 goals, winning game one 7-0 and game two 4-0.
The two decisive wins Friday and Saturday night advanced the top-seeded Badgers to the WCHA Final Face-Off next weekend, where they will take on fourth seed Minnesota-Duluth (20-13-1) in the semi-finals. Head coach Mark Johnson was satisfied with his team’s performance in this first round.
“It was good we can talk about a lot of things,” Johnson said. “You look at both games and you don’t give up a goal, we like that, and it gave the young players a chance to gain some experience. I was happy with their effort. … A lot of good things come out of it.”
Freshman forward Katy Josephs put UW on the board just 1:02 into the game Saturday night. After receiving a pass up the ice by freshman forward Blayre Turnbull, Josephs shot the puck through MSU defensemen from inside the right circle and hit the back of the net.
Josephs’ early goal helped set the pace for Wisconsin.
“Every time we score right away, it gets our girls up and that much more energetic on the bench,” sophomore goaltender Alex Rigsby said. “I think it was huge for her to get that early goal, and it was a nice goal, so we took the momentum from that.”
UW found the net two more times in the first period. Senior forward Carolyne Prevost scored off a rebound shot after senior forward Brooke Ammerman sent the puck into the crease from the left side. Ammerman scored the team’s third goal on a power play with just 1:01 remaining in the first period, sending UW into the first intermission with a 3-0 lead.
In an attempt to save their season, the Mavericks did not let down throughout the remainder of the game. They were able to hold the Badgers to just one goal in the second period and keep them off the scoreboard in the third. Junior forward Brianna Decker scored the Badger’s final goal of the game during a four-on-four match-up at 5:26 in the second period.
Saturday’s game remained a battle with a total of 15 penalties assessed in the game; eight for the Mavericks and seven for the Badgers. UW was able to remain composed and kept MSU scoreless.
“It’s competitive. [The Mavericks] are playing for their lives and we’re trying to figure out how to win the game and getting competitive,” Johnson said. “In the back of everybody’s mind is that if you lose a game your season is over so when you’re eliminating a team it creates the environment and you saw that tonight.”
Game one of the series proved to be a more consistent offensive effort by Wisconsin as they scored multiple goals in all three periods. Ammerman put four of the team’s seven goals in the net including the team’s first at 3:20 in the first period.
Decker also notched in two goals for UW, and sophomore forward Brittany Ammerman scored one of her own.
With a solid defensive effort by both Rigsby and the entire Wisconsin defensive unit, the team was proud of its effort and believes the confidence gain this weekend will carry them though the rest of the WCHA tournament.
“We are happy with where we are right now, with 11 goals we have a lot of energy going into Friday against Duluth,” senior forward and captain Hillary Knight said. “Where ever they are in the standings it really doesn’t matter now because it is a one-game season.”
