The Badgers headed to Mankato this weekend needing two wins to guarantee a Top 4 finish in the WCHA, ensuring home ice in the first round of the WCHA playoffs. Facing Minnesota State, who is winless in conference games, Wisconsin was able to do just that.
Freshman center Emily Clark was the catalyst for coach Mark Johnson’s offense on Friday, starting off the scoring late in the first period. UW was awarded a power play, and Clark lit the lamp with just under five minutes left in the period.
In the second stanza, Minnesota State senior goaltender Erin Krichiver saved all 18 Wisconsin shots on goal, keeping the deficit at one heading into the third.
Clark struck again, just 39 seconds in. It was one of 21 shots on goal for the Badgers in the period, and the team finished with 53 in the game.
Her freshman teammate, right wing Annie Pankowski hit the dagger seven minutes later, securing the 3-0 win.
“I think we definitely capitalized on our scoring chances,” Clark said. “The more we can get the puck to the net with purpose, the more we will produce.”
Wisconsin continued to get the puck to the net on Saturday, and as Clark predicted, the production followed suit.
A 53-shot Friday preceded a 55-shot Saturday in which five different Badgers scored. Before the shots started striking though, Wisconsin had to be reminded not to overlook their struggling opponent.
The Mavericks scored the first goal of the game when a ricocheting puck slipped by UW goaltender sophomore Ann-Renewe Desbiens. The Badgers entered the first intermission behind on the scoreboard for just the third time all season.
“You can’t let that stuff get you down to the point where you stop playing,” coach Johnson said. “My response to the team was that we weren’t going to let that beat us.”
The team responded to their coach, racking up 25 shots on goal and scoring two of them in the second and three more goals in the third. Both Pankowski and senior left wing Karley Sylvester scored short-handed goals.
Those two shorties were a part of the Badgers’ three penalty kills, maintaining Wisconsin’s .965 conversion rate, which leads the nation.
Wisconsin will need to continue their strong special teams play if they hope to continue their success next weekend as they host Minnesota Duluth. The Bulldogs are second in the WCHA with 24 power play goals, and the Badgers can’t afford to get sloppy with the playoffs now in sight.
UWBadgers.com contributed to this report.
