The latest border battle between Minnesota and Wisconsin ended lopsided for the Badgers as the No. 4 Wisconsin women's hockey team (12-7-1 Western Collegiate Hockey Association, 18-7-1 overall) was swept by No. 1 Minnesota Golden Gophers (18-0-2 WCHA, 23-1-2 overall) this weekend at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, Minn.
Minnesota, behind the nation's top scoring tandem-junior forwards Natalie Darwitz and Krissy Wendell-overpowered Wisconsin 4-1 Saturday afternoon. The All-American duo combined for three goals and three assists. Wendell scored her lone goal with 3:17 left in the first period. The Badgers evened the score at 16:07 in the second period when junior forward Cyndy Kenyon popped in a rebound for her 10th goal of the season.
But Darwitz answered right back with what proved to be the game winning goal with 17:45 left in the second period. Freshman forward Erica McKenzie added the Gophers third goal in the third period and Darwitz tallied an empty-net goal.
In the second game, the Badgers skated with the top-ranked Gophers, but the outcome was again disappointing as Wisconsin lost a heart-breaker 2-1 Sunday afternoon.
With the power play advantage, sophomore forward Andrea Nichols scooped up a loose puck and snuck in the game-winning goal with 5:47 remaining on the clock, breaking the 1-1 tie.
The first period was scoreless but it was the Gophers who got on the board first in the second period on freshman forward Bobbi Ross' ninth goal of the year. Junior forward Sharon Cole tied the score at 9:17 in the third period, but sophomore defender Bobbi-Jo Slusar's holding penalty later in the period led to the power play-winning goal.
