Lady Icers sweep Buckeyes
The Wisconsin women's hockey team (16-5-1 Western Collegiate Hockey Association, 22-5-3 overall) continued their hot streak by beating WCHA rival Ohio State 5-1 and 8-2 in a weekend series in Columbus. The victories brought the No. 4 Badgers to within one point of the league-leading Minnesota Golden Gophers.
In the first contest of the weekend, the Badgers scored early and often, amassing a 4-0 lead by the end of the first period.Wisconsin got on the board just 1:57 into the game when junior captain and defender Carla MacLeod sliced the puck past Buckeye sophomore goaltender Melissa Glaser for the unassisted goal. OSU then held the Badgers scoreless for thirteen seconds until senior defender Nicole Uliasz posted a goal.Rickard, a senior forward, managed two goals of her own in the period, while sophomore goalie Meghan Horras stopped 26 shots on the night to seal the win.
In the second game, the Badgers found themselves in unfamiliar territory, down 2-1 near the end of the first period.A goal by junior forward Amy Vermeuelen put the Badgers up 1-0 at 15:14 in the first period, but the Buckeyes answered back with two quick goals, tying up the game on a power play goal, courtesy of a Wisconsin cross-checking penalty, and then taking their only lead of the series 30 seconds later.
After that, the Badgers' offense came to life.Freshman forward Lindsay Macy tied the game on a power play goal with 22 seconds left in the first period; it was the first of two goals on the night for the freshman. Macy, sophomore forward Sharon Cole and freshman forward Sara Bauer all had three points on the night as the Badgers exploded for a four goal second period to clinch the win. Horras had 20 saves on the night as UW outshot the Buckeyes 43-22.
The Badgers finish off the regular season this weekend at home against Bemidji State.
-Adam Raeder
Men's swimming takes fifth at conference meet
The Wisconsin men's swimming and diving team capped off the Big Ten championship with a record setting performance, en route to a fifth place finish. The 400-yard freestyle relay foursome of second-team All Big Ten selections senior Matt Marshall, junior Adam Mania, junior Eric Wiesner and senior Dale Rogers combined to set the school record for the event with a time of 2:54.05.Their time beat the previous UW best of 2:55.03, set in the league meet last year.However, the record-setting pace was bested by Michigan in the race, leaving the Badgers with second place.
The strongest swimmer for the Badgers was Mania, whose success did not end with the relay. He placed second in the 200-yard backstroke, besting the school record he set by more than two seconds.
Minnesota won the meet with 712.50 points, picking up their third conference title in four years. Michigan came in second with 605 points. The Badgers will look to build upon their Big Ten performance in the NCAA championships March 25-27 in Long Island, N.Y.
-Adam Raeder
Softball stays hot at Frost Classic
Wisconsin (11-5) is making it a hot spring as the Badgers tied a school record eight-game winning streak before falling to No. 9 Alabama at the Frost Classic this weekend in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Freshman pitcher Eden Brock had another stellar series for UW as she pitched her second consecutive shutout victory against Tennessee Tech in the first day of action and gave up only one run in Wisconsin's lone loss to Alabama (14-3) in extra innings.
The Badgers also knocked off Buffalo, 4-2, and got an 11-6 rout over University of Tennessee-Martin. UW then got two straight shutouts over Chattanooga, 6-0, and Marshall, 2-0.
Wisconsin gets back to action next weekend with the National Invitational Softball Tourney.
-compiled by staff reports
