The No. 2 Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team capped off an overtime 4-3 thriller Friday night with a 4-0 blowout win Saturday, claiming a series sweep against the No. 5 Minnesota Golden Gophers in the second and final border battle this season.
The two rivals last played on Dec. 7 and Dec. 8 when they split the series each with one win.
Despite going down 0-1 early in the first period Friday, the Badgers rallied back in the second period and scored two unanswered goals.
Wisconsin tied it 1-1 when freshman Laney Potter connected with fellow freshman Kelly Gorbatenko and blasted the puck past Minnesota’s goalie, Skylar Vetter, who had already made several big saves. On the other side, Badgers goalie junior Jane Gervais matched Vetter’s intensity with some key saves herself, keeping Minnesota out of the net for the entire second period.
Potter’s goal energized the crowd as they chanted “We want more!” The Badgers answered their call with five minutes left in the second period as graduate Chayla Edwards took matters into her own hands and took a shot from distance, sailing the puck past the Minnesota defense and through Vetter’s legs.
The Badgers went into the third period with a 2-1 lead, but Minnesota tied the game a few minutes later. Britta Curl put the Badgers back up 3-2, but Minnesota tied the game yet again with an aggressive attack in the last minute to send it into overtime.
Within two minutes of overtime, sophomore Laila Edwards stormed the ice, took on many defenders and slotted the puck right around Vetter, scoring her 13th goal of the season and first career overtime goal. The Badgers won 4-3 in overtime.
Saturday’s game was a different story but with the same outcome. The Badgers were able to silence the Gophers in the second period and claim a 4-0 victory.
After a scoreless first period, Wisconsin opened scoring in the second period with a goal from Kirsten Simms, assisted by Chayla Edwards, to put the Badgers up 1-0. The Badgers kept the scoring coming about four minutes later when Simms blasted the puck into the top left corner of the net for her second goal of the game.
The third period began scoreless as Minnesota tried to claw their way back from a 2-0 deficit. But junior Lacey Eden slimmed their chances of a comeback when she scored on a Badgers powerplay.
Seconds after Eden put the Badgers up 3-0, Maddie Wheeler took the puck down the rink and scored a goal herself, ending the game with a 4-0 win. Freshman goalie Ava McNaughton had 17 saves and earned her 14th shutout of the season.
The Badgers will finish their regular season schedule at home on Feb. 23-24 against No. 1 Ohio State at LaBahn Arena.
Shane Colpoys is a sports editor for The Daily Cardinal. She has written in-depth on the Wisconsin women's hockey team beat.
