The end of the No. 2 Wisconsin Badgers' 18-game winning streak at the hands of North Dakota right before winter break did not slow them down at all at the start of the second half of the season.
Wisconsin (16-1-1 WCHA, 22-1-1 overall) came right back out of the gate swinging, taking down Minnesota-Duluth at home in a two-game sweep, followed by an impressive road sweep of No. 6 Bemidji State by the scores of 1-0 and 7-1.
The matchup against Bemidji was not predicted to be easy, as going on the road against a top-10 team is always a challenge, and that was the case in the first game. Wisconsin squeaked out a 1-0 victory, with the lone goal scored by junior defenseman Jenny Ryan.
The next game went a lot smoother for UW. The Badgers scored early and often against the Beavers, lighting the lamp three times in both the first and second periods and eventually running away with the game 7-1.
Sophomore forward Emily Clark, who scored two goals in the second game, detailed the strengths of Bemidji State and how they were able to adapt from the first game to the second.
“They are a really good team, defense is definitely their strong suit, and they are really good at keeping us to the outside,” Clark said. “And I think what was different … was we were just playing a bit more simple and it worked out for us.”
The sweep over Bemidji State was a statement win for Wisconsin.
“They are a top-six team, we were on the road, there’s a lot of factors in that game,” Clark said. “And we had a good offensive showing and great defensive showing both games.”
Now Wisconsin is set to face off against the one team that has managed to defeat it this season, and also the only team to shut out the Badgers, No. 8 North Dakota (10-7-1, 15-7-2).
Coming off one of the biggest wins in program history after sweeping Minnesota, the Badgers traveled to North Dakota for their last matchup before the winter break. But the Fighting Hawks weren’t ready to let Wisconsin to continue their unbeaten streak, winning the first game 3-0. The next game was fought to a 0-0 tie, where the Badgers went on to win the shootout to earn the extra point in the conference standings.
With North Dakota being the only team in conference the Badgers weren’t able to defeat, there is an extra motivation going into this weekend’s matchup.
In response to if their was a feeling of revenge coming into this game, junior defenseman Mellissa Channell said, “Definitely. I mean it’s not fun losing, especially to a team who you have such a big rivalry with. But we are just going to go out, and act like that didn’t happen. Just play our game and hope for a different outcome.”
Naturally hoping for a different result than last time, Clark believes the Badgers need to come out with a lot more energy this time around.
“We probably just need a better start, last time we played them we came out really slow, and, maybe not complacent, but just not winning one-on-one battles,” she said. “We just have to treat it like a playoff game.”
The three goals North Dakota scored against Wisconsin was the most any team has put past the Badgers so far this year, but defense shouldn’t be a concern come this weekend. The UW defense continues to be the best in the country, posting a superb 0.62 goals allowed average, and junior goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens’ save percentage of .961 also is tops in the country.
North Dakota has the 19th-ranked offense, a relatively poor ranking for the No. 8 team in the country, and the Badgers will be expected to dominate on that end.
Channell has seen the defense continue to improve throughout the season.
“We’re definitely getting better as the season goes on,” she said. “As you can see, we are doing pretty well with the goals against average, and it helps that Ann-Renée [Desbiens] plays the puck well, she’s always communicating, and we always work on our defensive zone. It’s just nice that we are all able to communicate, and if we keep doing that we’ll be good.”
Channell has been one of the key players for this Badger defense, and her experience over winter break playing for the Canadian national team has helped her grow as a player and leader.
“I learned a lot when I was up there from my teammates and my coaches, and I’m trying to apply it to my game here and trying to teach my teammates as well,” Channell said.
The Fighting Hawks may not have the strongest offense, but they do pride themselves on their defense, something the Badgers can certainly testify with after being shutout in both of their games against the Fighting Hawks.
Goaltender Shelby Amsley-Benzie was extremely impressive in the first series between these two teams, posting a combined 67 saves between both games. The Badgers had plenty of opportunities in the first matchup, but they will need to be precise with their shot placement if they want to get past Amsley-Benzie this time around.
“I think [Amsley-Benzie] played very well, she’s a good goalie,” junior forward Sarah Nurse said. “And I think at a certain point, in that second game, I think everybody started gripping their sticks too hard. But we are a good team, we are good at scoring, and if we just go into that game playing the way we normally play, I don’t think we need to change anything.”
The series starts Saturday at 2 p.m., followed by the second game Sunday at 1 p.m. Both games will be played at LaBahn Arena.
