University of Wisconsin women’s hockey hoped to finally make it to the hallowed NCAA Frozen Four tournament final. They walked into New Hampshire with their heads held high and their eyes bright with excitement.
Unfortunately, they would not be leaving New Hampshire in the same manner.
Wisconsin (35-4-1, 24-4-1 WCHA) met Border Battle rival University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (34-4-1, 24-3-1 WCHA) Friday for one last matchup this season; both teams fighting for the right to play Boston College in the final.
The Badgers knew they were in for a fight against the Gophers, only it was one that they could not lose. Head coach Mark Johnson eerily predicted the outcome of Friday’s game during a press conference Monday.
“History tells me that when we match up against Minnesota, generally they’re pretty close games,” Johnson said. “They’re overtime games, you know, they’re end-to-end action and for the people that show up, or get a chance to watch it on the stream line, similar to the previous five games this year, it will be entertaining.”
Johnson was right on the money with his prediction.
Minnesota would start the game off with a goal from freshman Taylor Williamson to get the ball rolling. Wisconsin didn’t let Minnesota stay in the lead for too long, with freshman Sophia Shaver knocking the puck into the back of Minnesota’s net, tying the game up 1-1 at the end of the first period.
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This game was a hard fought match for control of the puck, and neither team was dominant when it came to puck possession. It would be almost 30 minutes of back and forth play before a team would manage to produce another goal.
Wisconsin’s Emily Clark then scored at the very end of the second period, giving Wisconsin the lead and momentum moving into the third to seal the deal.
Minnesota was not out for the count though, and would wind up sending the game into overtime with an early third period goal that went unanswered by the Wisconsin bench.
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Johnson’s prediction rang true as the Badgers and the Gophers played an intense 15 minutes of overtime, with both teams trying their hardest to solidify their spot in the final.
Minnesota gave Wisconsin two overtime power-plays, which were crucial scoring opportunities for the Badgers. The Gophers fought their hardest, and managed to kill both off, leaving the Badgers still clinging on, searching for a scoring opportunity.
It wasn’t until a goal from Gopher Sarah Potomak, sealing the Gophers’ 3-2 win, that the Badgers ended their 2015-16 campaign. This will be the third time that they’ve lost to Minnesota in this setting in the last three years.
But this season certainly was not a waste for the Badgers as they managed to collect both the WCHA regular season and conference titles.
Goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens has cemented her place in history as the single-season shut-out record holder, a title that she has fought long and hard for. She is also still in the running for the Patty Kazmaier Award, which will be announced March 19 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
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While the Badgers and their fans might be upset that their season is over, they should also be proud, knowing that their team is still truly one of the best in the league.