With a two game sweep over ninth ranked Northeastern, the Wisconsin women's hockey team, ranked sixth, opened their season with style. Saturday, the Badgers won 4-2; the team continued their winning ways Sunday with a 2-1 victory. The two victories bring the Badger record to 2-0 overall.
Saturday, the Wisconsin shooters lit up the net with four goals on one of the better goalies in the country, Northeastern's junior Chanda Gunn. Junior right wing Stephanie Boeckmann, freshman left wing Sharon Cole, junior center Meghan Hunter sophomore and left wing Jackie Friesen all scored as the Badgers won the opener. With a solid opening win, first-year Head Coach Mark Johnson was concerned about how his team would perform the following day.
\I was concerned with the effort and the energy level we were going to be at today,"" said Johnson. "" ... The gals were tired after the game, so you don't know how they're going to respond.""
Sunday, the Badgers responded with great enthusiasm and effort as they had numerous scoring opportunities, though Northeastern's resilient and seemingly invisible Gunn frustrated the Badgers. Throughout the first two periods of play, the Badgers ran five power plays yet were not able to capitalize due to Gunn's strong play. Gunn had a remarkable 28 saves through two periods of play. As the Badgers struggled to score on the impenetrable Gunn, Northeastern took advantage of one of their power play opportunities in the first period, as they scored and led the Badgers going into the third period 1-0. The team was frustrated but knew that better scoring opportunities would emerge.
""We knew if we kept on them, it would eventually go in. [Gunn] is a great goalie,"" said senior left wing Kendra Antony. ""But we knew if we pressured her and got those rebounds, those second shots, that's where we were going to score. Those first shots she was going to stop all day.
This persistence paid off as 9:06 into the third period, sophomore left defense Nicole Uliasz scored on a Badger power play with a slapshot just in front of the blue line. Senior right defense Sis Paulsen and Friesen recorded assists on Uliasz's goal.
""We're taught to stay strong, play the body and continue to work hard even if were down a few goals; and that's what we do,"" Uliasz said.
The Badgers continued to thrive on the power play in the third period, as Antony scored the eventual game winning goal 17:48 into the third period. Hunter and senior left defense Kerry Weiland tallied the assists.
""The power play came through we were able to capitalize on it,"" Johnson said.
""I think we played really well as a team,"" captain Uliasz said. ""...The team all together is a great team. Our defense is a strong point of this core.""
There is great optimism for the women's hockey team, as the season looks to be promising with Johnson taking the reigns as head coach. The Badgers have 2 all-Americans in Hunter and Weiland. This team could go very far and should enjoy a lot of success.
