Though No. 1 Wisconsin was already off to the best start in program history, there still was something missing from its résumé: a win over archrival Minnesota, a team that has been a perennial thorn in the Badgers’ side over the last several years.
But that all changed this weekend, as the top-ranked Badgers (12-0-0 WCHA, 18-0-0 overall) accomplished a rare sweep over No. 3 Minnesota (11-3-0, 15-3-0) at a sold-out LaBahn Arena. Before the pair of victories, the Badgers had not beaten the Gophers in their past 18 matchups, or over four years of play, and hadn’t swept them since 2009.
The cardinal and white were led by sophomore forward and leading scorer Annie Pankowski, who tallied up three goals over the course of the weekend, bringing her to 32 points this season. Her biggest moment of the weekend, and perhaps of her young college career, came in the first matchup on Friday.
Friday’s matchup began, as one would expect, with both highly touted programs trying to get a feel for their talented counterparts. The first period consisted of back and forth jabs, with neither team really doing any damage, resulting in a 0-0 score going into the second frame. Wisconsin only managed five shots in the first, far below its average of 14 shots per period, while Minnesota only put up one more for a total of six, far below its average of about 12 shots per period.
“The first period today we were pretty much just feeling each other out, just trying to feel the speed and their talent level,” Pankowski said. “So I think that the 0-0 just showed talent on both sides.”
It appeared each team had the situation felt out after the first, when both squads rattled off two goals apiece in an explosive second. Freshman forward Sam Cogan played a large part in the Badgers’ eruption. After Minnesota’s Brook Garzone struck first at 3:42 in the second to put Minnesota up 1-0, Cogan responded by lighting the lamp near the eight-minute mark, in addition to assisting senior Rachel Jones three minutes later putting the Badgers up 2-1.
“I can’t even explain the goal, my heart just dropped, I didn’t know what to do. Should I jump or hug I don’t know,” Cogan said laughing. “But yeah, it was amazing. I was super happy to get that goal for the team and get an assist later to help out the team.”
Minnesota responded with an answer late in the period from senior defender Milica McMillen, tying the score at 2-2 heading into the third, a period in which both teams would remain scoreless, forcing a dramatic overtime finish.
The theatrical moment came with 55 seconds left in the overtime period, and only eight seconds left on the Wisconsin power play, after Minnesota sophomore Sydney Baldwin received a two-minute penalty for checking. The Badgers took a face-off in the Minnesota zone, which floated to senior captain Courtney Burke. After noticing the Minnesota captain had lost her stick, she drove the puck in and snapped off a powerful shot, which Pankowski redirected into the back of the net. With that moment, the Badgers had at long last proved that they could beat the Gophers, providing further validation for their hot start to the season and building even more confidence.
The following night, in the second matchup of the series, the Badgers and Pankowski showed that confidence, scoring a goal in each of the first two periods going up on the Gophers 2-0 heading into the final frame. As they say in hockey, a 2-0 is the most dangerous lead to have, and one could sense certain uneasiness among the avid fans.
The Gophers’ freshman Sarah Potomak added to that anxiety Saturday afternoon when she found the net near the eight-minute mark in the third, bringing the Gophers within one goal of the Badgers with plenty of hockey to play. That is when the UW defense really showed itself to be an elite unit. The Badgers forced Minnesota into desperation mode, causing them to pull their goaltender. Junior forward Sarah Nurse seized upon this opportunity, finding the net with 16 seconds left, after leading the Badgers in shots attempted this weekend with 13, effectively ending the Gophers’ slim hopes at tying things up.
Junior goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens, along with her defensive lines, may have played an even more significant part than the impressive offense in the victory over Minnesota. Desbiens is statistically the best goalie in the nation, leading in save percentage, goals against and shutouts. Desbiens stopped 44 out of Minnesota’s 47 shots through the two-game series for a total save percentage of just under 97 percent. Meanwhile, Minnesota’s senior goaltender Amanda Leveille stopped 46 out of 54, for a save percentage of 90, seven full points lower than Desbiens.
“They have an amazing offense and amazing players. I think that was our biggest challenge so far this season, and I think we just made sure we did the little things right like we’ve been doing all season long,” Desbiens said. “Making sure we are disciplined in our D-zone, making sure we are putting [the] puck in [the] net. Whatever you have to do, it might not be pretty, but as long as the puck doesn’t go in that’s what matters, and I’ll be honest, that happened a couple times this weekend.”
UW head coach Mark Johnson was pleased with the way his goalie, and squad as a whole, responded when challenged.
“We got challenged this weekend in a lot of areas, especially playing without the puck, which we haven’t done a lot of the first part of the season,” Johnson said. “So it was a learning opportunity for everybody. After the first period last night we were pretty good in a lot of areas.”
With the proverbial monkey off of Wisconsin’s back, they can continue through the 2015-’16 season knowing they can compete, and even dominate any program, proving to the rest of the country and perhaps themselves, that they are truly deserving of their No. 1 national ranking.
