BOSTON—Another national title made its way back to Madison this weekend.
With a 5-0 win over the Mercyhurst Lakers at Agganis Arena Sunday afternoon, the UW women's hockey team snagged the third national title in its history.
""It's definitely a really exciting time,"" senior forward and team captain Erika Lawler said. ""We're all just really excited right now, and it was definitely the ideal way to go out.""
Lawler's swan song also marked a career weekend for the senior forward and Massachusetts native. After recording a pair of goals in Wisconsin's 5-1 victory over Minnesota-Duluth in Friday's NCAA semifinal, Lawler tied an NCAA record with three assists in the championship game.
The Badgers were out-shot and held scoreless by Mercyhurst in Sunday's opening period, but freshman forward Brooke Ammerman got things going in the opening minutes of the second. After getting her own rebound on an initial shot, the UW rookie circled behind the net and scored on a backhanded wrap-around.
""I think the team was excited to go into the second period,"" Lawler said, ""because as we've seen this season, the second period seems to be our thing.""
Junior forward Meghan Duggan put the Badgers up a pair on a power play near the game's halfway point. Lawler brought the puck into the zone and, looking as though she would throw the puck on net, dumped it off to senior defender Alycia Matthews near the right circle. Matthews took a shot, and Duggan fired home the rebound from the left side.
""[This] is the only way to go out,"" senior goaltender and Patty Kazmaier Award winner Jessie Vetter said, ""without having any bad feelings, no tears, just the feeling that there's nothing else you can do.""
Vetter's 37 saves Sunday earned her Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player honors. She was joined on the All-Tournament team by Matthews, Lawler, sophomore defender Malee Windmeier, sophomore forward Hilary Knight and Mercyhurst forward Meghan Agosta.
""[Vetter] was right there to stop us,"" Agosta said. ""She had a heck of a game, and she's a great goaltender.""
With the Badgers up 3-0 after the second intermission, Windmeier sent a slap shot screaming through traffic and past Mercyhurst goaltender Hillary Pattenden for the four-goal lead. Knight closed out the scoring with just over 14 minutes left in the game, converting on a cross-ice pass from Lawler.
Knight set new single-season school records for both goals (45) and points (83), finishing with six points in two games.
""It's exciting to win this,"" UW head coach Mark Johnson said. ""It's a long six-month journey, and it's just nice to take the trophy back to Madison.""
Although another national title is a reward for a season of hard work, it also marks a bittersweet conclusion to the seniors' final campaign.
""It's hard to express your emotions sometimes,"" Lawler said. ""It all just happens so fast. It hasn't really hit me yet that I'm a senior and that was my last one. I'm sure when it does, it will hit hard.""
