Anytime Wisconsin and Minnesota get together it’s a meaningful game, but none may have meant as much as today’s Women’s hockey game as the Badgers and Gophers clashed for the NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Championship. In a hard fought and at times rough game the Gophers denied the Badgers a chance to repeat as National Champions, winning 4-2 at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, MN.
The Badgers gave it everything they had but Minnesota netminder Noora Raty stopped 42 of 44
shots from Wisconsin and really could do no wrong even when Wisconsin should’ve easily scored. For that she was our MVP of the Frozen Four.
The first period saw a ton of action as the Gophers sprang out to an early 2-0 lead. Wisconsin responded with two goals in quick succession to tie it up with just under 5 minutes to go in the period. The goals came from Stephanie McKeough and Brooke Ammerman.
Momentum was clearly on the Badgers side as a penalty on the goal put the Badges on the Power Play. Just 59 seconds later it became a 5 on 3 advantage for Wisconsin, but they couldn’t find the back of the net as the Gopher penalty kill did a great job of cutting down the shooting lanes and getting the puck out of their zone.
It appeared that the period would be heading to an end tied at 2 a piece, but at the 18:28 mark the Badgers made a mistake and had to pull down a breaking away Emily West, which resulted in a penalty shot. That shot was converted and it was a 3-2 Minnesota lead as the 1st period closed out. West’s penalty shot goal also became the game winner.
The 2nd period saw very little action as the score remained 3-2 heading into the 2nd intermission. Wisconsin didn’t give up at all as the 3rd period saw the Badgers pepper Minnesota’s Noora Raty with 20 shots.
In fact there were more than two occassions where Raty had to make multiple saves while on her back, having the puck fall just right for her to cover what should’ve been easy scoring chances for the Badgers. However, they were all signs that it just wasn’t to be their day in Duluth.
Despite the loss the Badgers put two players on the Frozen Four All-Tournament team in Carolyne Prevost and Brooke Ammerman. Wisconsin finished the season with a 33-5-2 overall record (23-3-2-1 WCHA) and should be a force next year behind a solid returning nucleus led by goaltender Alex Rigsby.
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