With the showdown versus No. 1 Minnesota looming next weekend, the Wisconsin women’s hockey team (6-4-2-2 WCHA, 10-4-2 overall) took care of business against St. Cloud State (4-11-0, 2-10-0-0), scoring a combined 12 goals in a sweep of the Huskies with scores of 6-0 and 6-3, respectively.
After registering one goal against Ohio State last Saturday, the offensive firepower was on display early and often in Friday’s afternoon contest. At the 5:58 mark of the first period, senior forward Alev Kelter cashed in on a power player opportunity–her fifth straight game with a goal dating back to Nov. 2—with assists from freshman forward Erika Sowchuck and sophomore forward Blayre Turnbull.
As the first period of play came to a close, the Badgers would get on the board again as junior forward Madison Packer gathered the puck off of a face off draw from senior foward Brianna Decker and shot left side to increase the lead, 2-0.
The St. Cloud State defense was much more stout throughout the duration of the second period, despite 20 shots on net from Wisconsin. However, with 39 seconds left in the period, Decker skated past the defense and backhanded the shot into net to take a commanding 3-0 lead heading into the final period of play.
The offense would not skip a beat in the third period, as three Badgers scored including senior defenseman Saige Pacholok, Kelter and Decker. With her second goal of the contest, Decker registered her 100th goal of her career and became the only third player in program history to do so.
The second game of the series would not provide the same storyline as it did on Friday. After Decker scored the first game of the contest at the 5:09 mark of the first period, St. Cloud State would go on a offensive burst, scoring three straight goals spanning from the 14:19 mark of the first period to the 6:57 mark of the second period.
With seven minutes left in the period, Packer cut into the Huskies lead on the power play to make the score, 3-2, heading into the final period of play, with assists from Decker and freshman Courtney Burke. As the third period started, Packer converted again from a pass from Decker to knot the score at 3. From that point forward, the Badgers would not look back.
They would get three more goals as the game came to a close, including junior defenseman Natalie Berg–her first career goal–, senior forward Lauren Unser and Decker on a St. Cloud State open net.
Overall, the Wisconsin offense was on the attack in the series often, attempting 93 shots on goal. The defense also did a superb job on the power play, particularly Saturday, killing off eight of the team’s nine opportunities.
The Badgers will hit the road next weekend as they battle WCHA rival and undefeated No. 1 Minnesota on Friday Dec.1 and Saturday Dec. 2.
