There is no stopping the No. 1 Wisconsin Badgers (10-0-0 WCHA, 16-0-0 overall). The Badgers dispatched nonconference foe Dartmouth (4-1-2 ECAC, 4-4-2) this Thanksgiving weekend, defeating it 4-1 Friday and 4-0 Saturday.
Although the score might not show it, Dartmouth put up quite the fight against Wisconsin.
“I think it was the hardest challenge we’ve had this year,” sophomore forward Emily Clark told UWBadgers.com.
Friday, in front of a very full home crowd, Wisconsin got off to an early start when Clark slotted a pass through to fellow sophomore forward Annie Pankowski, who put it away to put the Badgers up 1-0 only a few minutes into the first period.
Dartmouth responded quickly, as senior forward Lindsey Allen capitalized not much later to even up the score one a piece.
From that point on, however, the Badgers dominated the Big Green, outshooting them 22-4 in the second period, but a lone goal by junior defender Jenny Ryan was all the Badgers could muster against a very strong performance by Dartmouth’s junior goalie Robyn Chemago.
Wisconsin couldn’t extend its slim lead through most of the third period until freshman forward Sophia Shaver gave it some breathing room with six minutes left in the game, winning a loose puck and sending it past Chemago to make it a 3-1 game.
Clark buried even the slightest hope that Dartmouth had when she went 1-on-5 for the second time this year to cap off the game at 4-1.
Clark told UWBadgers.com Wisconsin would have to “come out hard and try to set the pace” in the second game Saturday, and they did exactly that.
Wisconsin dominated the first period, outshooting Dartmouth 20-5 and completely controlling the tempo of the game. And yet, when the buzzer sounded, the game remained scoreless, thanks to another strong early performance from Chemago.
The Badgers were finally able to break the seal of the Big Green’s goal midway through the second, when Wisconsin went on the power play and junior forward Sarah Nurse sent the puck top shelf past Chemago to put them on the board.Nurse told UWBadgers.com the first goal really opened up the game for Wisconsin.
“Getting that first goal after peppering off shots the whole game really opened the floodgates for everyone,” Nurse said.
The floodgates did indeed open, as the Badgers rattled three goals in total in a six minute span. Nurse added another goal to her tally and Clark scored her second of the weekend as Wisconsin went into the third period leading 3-0. The Badgers completely outskated Dartmouth Saturday, and that was seen in the massive shot differential, with Wisconsin registering 63 shots on goal to Dartmouth’s nine. Dartmouth had only one power play opportunity compared to Wisconsin’s six. Wisconsin’s 63 shots on goal ranks sixth most in program history.
The Badgers have had great success on both ends in the power play, and that has been a major key to their rise. They put away three goals on power play opportunities Saturday, which they also accomplished earlier in the year against Minnesota Duluth. Defensively, no one has been better in the country in penalty killing than Wisconsin, as it has allowed only one goal in 47 power play situations.
The defense is led by Ryan and senior defenseman Courtney Burke, who are first and second in the nation in scoring for defensemen, respectively.
Junior goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens has continued to impress even after her shutout streak ended, as she posted her 26th career shutout Saturday, good for sixth-best in NCAA history.
Wisconsin is firing on all cylinders, and it will need to keep that up next week when it takes on the No. 3 Minnesota Golden Gophers in the Border Battle. The games will take place Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m. at LaBahn Arena.
