Minnesota hasn’t been very nice in the last four years to the Wisconsin women’s hockey team.

Head coach Mark Johnson is well aware of it and of what has to happen for history to change.

“You learn from the past, you learn from history, and the big thing is that you try to change it,” Johnson said.

“Our opportunity is this Friday night to change the history of the past couple of years. It’s an opportunity to look at the puzzle of what’s happened and try to redo it to see perfectly clear come Friday that we’ve figured it out.”

It was a humbling moment for the coach of a team that has had so much success this season. Coming into the Frozen Four with a WCHA Tournament title and a 29-6-4 overall record, the Badgers have had an impressive season.

However, sitting atop women’s college hockey is an opponent even fiercer, the Minnesota Golden Gophers with a 32-3-4 record, who the Badgers must face this weekend in their Frozen Four matchup.

“Even if we score early we can’t let up,” senior defenseman Courtney Burke said. “You can never let up against Minnesota, they’re a team that never gives up.”

The Badgers haven’t beaten the Gophers in their last 17 meetings, losing four times to them this season, most recently falling twice in early January in Minneapolis.

“Two of the last three games against Minnesota have gone into overtime,” Johnson said. “You take a lot of things away from those. We’re certainly playing at a different level now from the last time we saw them which was right after Christmas. We’ve grown a lot since then and come into our own.”

If Johnson’s scheme is successful in breaking down the Gophers’ system and exploiting it, the reign of terror Minnesota has had on women’s hockey for the past few years may finally come crashing down.

Minnesota won the NCAA Championship game in 2012 and 2013, played in the last three NCAA Frozen Four and championship games. Minnesota has made at least the first round of the NCAA tournament for the past seven years.

Sophomore forward Sarah Nurse said limiting the Gophers chances by being careful with the puck in the middle of the ice will give the Badgers a chance.

“There are areas around the ice, especially between the blue lines, where you can’t give away the puck,” Nurse said. “Minnesota is obviously a very talented team, and if you give them chances, they will definitely capitalize on them. We need to be very careful.”

After losing four times to Minnesota this year, Wisconsin’s players are excited to have the opportunity for one last matchup. Burke could barely contain her excitement as she explained what having one last shot meant to the team.

“It would be the first time we’ve even beaten them since I’ve been here,” Burke said. “It’s more than just a game to us this weekend. We all want to get to that finish line and win this whole thing.”

The chance for redemption is there for the taking. Despite losing four times to Minnesota during the regular season, the postseason provides a fresh start for Wisconsin.

“We haven’t seen each other in over two months now, and I really like the way we’ve played in the last three weekends,” Johnson said. “I think the challenges we’ve had in those weeks have helped us grow together and prepared us for Friday afternoon.”

Regardless of the outcome, the storied rivalry between the Badgers and Gophers will add a significant chapter this weekend given the context of the game.

The long history between the schools has festered a mutual hatred on both sides, one clearly exhibited whether it’s on the field or on the ice.

“I think this weekend just being our last weekend of hockey for the year carries a lot into the game,” Nurse said. “Emotions are already going to be running high thinking about that and when you add in what this game means, it’s going to be a real contest.”

Since their first meeting in 1999, a 7-4 win for Minnesota, the Badgers have always been like a little sibling to the Gophers. Minnesota holds the series record at 40-26-8, a significant accomplishment against one of the most decorated teams in women’s hockey.

The two schools combined hold eight national championships, four apiece, with Minnesota winning most recently in 2013.

Wisconsin and Minnesota met in the same exact spot last season during the Frozen Four, the Gophers holding the No. 1 seed and the Badgers with the No. 4 seed. The Badgers lost 5-3.

Adding to the winless streak against the Gophers, Wisconsin hasn’t won an NCAA championship since 2011 and many players feel that it’s time they changed that.

“I think last year we had a lot of good players,” Nurse said. “I think that this year we’re just a lot deeper. We have a lot of players with a lot of goals, and good defense. We’re much deeper this year.”

“We look forward to the challenge this weekend,” Johnson said.