On an impressive defensive weekend for the Wisconsin women's hockey team, the No. 7 Badgers left Providence, R.I., with three points after earning a tie and win against Providence College.
With its 2-2 tie Friday, Wisconsin continued its frustrating trend of failing to win the series opener, having lost six of their eight this year. The Badgers bounced back to take a 4-1 victory Saturday behind two-goal efforts from freshman forward Brianna Decker and junior forward Mallory Deluce.
After a Providence power-play goal 2:20 into Friday's contest, the Badger defense buckled down, allowing just 15 shots on goal through the game. In the second period, junior forward Geena Prough found the back of the net on a delayed penalty to tie the game.
Deluce struck next with her first goal of the series in the third period to give the Badgers a one-goal lead. However, a penalty on freshman forward Breann Frykas led to a game-tying Providence goal on the ensuing power play with 5:29 to go in regulation.
Wisconsin has been strong on the penalty kill through most of the season, and although freshman goaltender Becca Ruegsegger stopped a Providence penalty shot earlier in the game, the Badger defense allowed a pair of power-play goals in five opportunities.
Neither team scored in the overtime period, meaning the game officially ended in a tie, although both squads decided to hold an exhibition shootout. Since the game was a nonconference contest, both teams came away with one point, although the Friars won the shootout 2-1.
Deluce continued her strong offensive performance Saturday, the Wisconsin offense came through in the clutch and the Badger defense was even more suffocating, paving the way for a 4-1 win.
In the first period, Decker tallied the fourth goal of her injury-shortened season, while Providence could not manage a single shot on goal. The Friars made the most of their few chances in the second period, scoring a game-tying goal on their fifth shot on net.
Late in the third period, however, the Badger offense came alive. With just under three minutes to go in regulation, Deluce started Wisconsin off with the game-winning goal.
Just 30 seconds later, Decker added her second goal of the game to give the Badgers some insurance, and Deluce added her third of the series when she tapped in an empty-net goal with 16 seconds to go in the game.
With their out-of-conference schedule now complete, the Badgers will face WCHA powerhouse Minnesota-Duluth at the Kohl Center this Friday and Sunday at 2 p.m. The No. 5 Bulldogs handed Wisconsin one of its two losses last season and will be the toughest competition the Badgers have faced since sweeping No. 2 Minnesota Oct. 30 and Nov. 1.
—uwbadgers.com contributed to this report.
