Wisconsin Shuts Out Mavericks

Badgers end MSU's seven-game winning streak, extend unbeaten streak vs. Mavs to 32

by Dan Myers
Issue date: 1/30/07 Section: Womens Sports

As one streak ended for the Minnesota State women's hockey team this past weekend in Madison, another one continued.

MSU (13-13-1 overall, 9-12-1 WCHA) entered their Western Collegiate Hockey Association series against the No. 2 Wisconsin Badgers having won a school record seven straight games. But after a 5-0 loss to open the series Friday, Sara Bauer and the Badgers buried the Mavericks 8-0 Saturday to complete the weekend sweep and extend their unbeaten streak over MSU to 32 games.

It was made clear early in Friday's contest what kind of weekend this would be for the Mavericks. Bauer's goal 27 seconds into the game gave UW all the offense it would need en route to a 5-0 win.

"It certainly set the tone for Friday," said Mavericks head coach Jeff Vizenor. "I know that it really put us back on our heels and was a confidence shaker. It definitely had an effect."

"I think we went in there on a high and that goal took the wind out of our sails," said junior netminder Britni Kehler. "We weren't expecting it."

Bobbi-Jo Slusar made it 2-0 just five minutes later and the rout was on. A goal in the second by Jasmine Giles coupled with two more in the third and the damage was done. By the time it was over, the Badgers had outshot MSU 40-18 and taken away any positive vibes created the weekend before when the Mavs swept Minnesota.

But game one was just the beginning.

Bauer exploded the following day, scoring two goals and assisting on three others as the Badgers completed the sweep with an 8-0 win in front of the third largest crowd to witness a women's game in UW history.

"I thought our mind set in the locker room [before game two] was good," Vizenor said. "I felt like we were all right, but again, they came out and had two breakaways in the first two shifts. They were at the top of their game and played very well."

Like the previous day, Wisconsin played disciplined hockey, committing only seven penalties all weekend and converted on an early power play opportunity.

It also helped that the Badgers peppered Kehler with 48 shots on the afternoon, including a 17-5 edge in the first and an 18-5 edge in the second. After two, UW had already matched their previous day's goal total of five.

"We just didn't do the things we needed to do," Kehler said. "I don't think we were prepared for how good they were going to be and we got down on ourselves.

"They have a really balanced offensive attack. [Wisconsin] has a good team all around."

Jessie Vetter played Friday's game in net for Wisconsin stopping 18 shots to earn the win. Badgers head coach Mark Johnson chose to go with senior Christine DuFour Saturday and DuFour responded - posting a shutout of her own, stopping 20 shots in the process.

"We had some scrambles and we had some chances," Vizenor said. "But every time we got something, they locked it down defensively."

The consecutive shutouts marked the first time MSU had been blanked in a weekend series since the 2004-2005 season, when Minnesota handed the Mavs 5-0 and 3-0 losses at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis.

It was also the first two times this season the Mavericks had been shutout. They were blanked six times last season.

The Mavericks will head to Bemidji this weekend for a critical series against the Beavers. MSU and BSU are tied for fifth in the WCHA standings with 19 points apiece, just three points back of fourth-place Ohio State.

Friday's face-off is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. while Saturday's matinee will get under way shortly after 2 p.m. from John Glas Fieldhouse on the campus of Bemidji State.

Dan Myers is the Reporter Sports Editor