Coming off one of the biggest wins in program history against Minnesota last weekend, the No. 1 Wisconsin Badgers (12-1-1 WCHA, 18-1-1 overall) suffered their first letdown of the season this weekend. Wisconsin failed to score a goal against the No. 9 ranked North Dakota Fighting Hawks (8-5-3, 11-6-3) in either game, losing 3-0 Friday and tying 0-0 Saturday, winning the shootout to earn an extra point in the standings.
North Dakota did most of its damage Friday in the first period, first scoring on a power play, breaking Wisconsin’s streak of 45-straight penalty kills, as Layla Marvin scored with about eight minutes left in the first period.
Not much later, Vilma Tanskanen tacked on a second goal for the Fighting Hawks, and they took an early 2-0 lead into the second period.
The Badgers’ inability to put the puck in the net was not due to a lack of opportunities, as they outshot UND 26-23, including a 15-2 margin in the second period. North Dakota’s goalie, senior Shelby Amsley-Benzie, was outstanding, saving all 26 shots.
The dagger came in the third when UND’s Becca Kohler finished off a rebound and sent the Badgers home for the day with a 3-0 loss, breaking the second longest winning streak in the program’s history.
Trying to bounce back on Saturday, the Badgers put in a much more complete performance, handily outshooting the Hawks 41-17.
“I think in general the team just played better,” junior goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens told UWBadgers.com. “We were ready to play today and that was the big difference. We didn’t have that many breakdowns, so my job was pretty easy tonight.”
Desbiens’ shutout was her 10th of the season and 27th of her career, and she now has the sixth most shutouts in NCAA history.
While the defense kept North Dakota off the board, the Fighting Hawks returned the favor, as Wisconsin couldn’t get any of its 41 shots past Amsley-Benzie. The Badgers also had two power plays that they couldn’t capitalize on.
Wisconsin hadn’t been shut out all season before this series, a testament to the play of the Fighting Hawks' defense and Amsley-Benzie, who is now fourth in the NCAA in shutouts.
The game went to a shootout, where junior forward Sydney McKibbon put the winning shot into the net, giving the Badgers the extra point for the game.
While suffering their first loss of the season was surely a disappointment for the Badgers, they are still in a very good position as they head into winter break.
“It’s a bitter way to end the first half of the season,” head coach Mark Johnson told UWBadgers.com. “If we had talked in September and you would have told me we were going to be 18-1-1, I think we certainly would have taken it.”
The Badgers now head to their midseason winter break. They will resume conference action on Jan. 8 for a home series against Minnesota Duluth.
