Women's Hockey Stays Winless Against Wisconsin

Saturday: MSU 0, Wisconsin 3 Sunday: MSU 2, Wisconsin 7

by Dan Myers
February 08, 2005

The state motto in Wisconsin is "Forward." Minnesota State's women's hockey team went to Madison last weekend looking to move forward in the WCHA standings, while at the same time beating a team that has the Mavericks' number. Heading into the weekend, UW was 21-0-1 all-time versus MSU. And after an impressive weekend sweep by the hosts, Minnesota State will have to wait in their attempt to earn victory No. 1 over the Badgers.

Game one was on Saturday afternoon at the Kohl Center and Wisconsin earned a 3-0 victory over the Mavericks.

MSU had a solid start to their weekend in Madison. Despite being outshot 13-5 during the first period, freshman Brit Kehler kept Wisconsin off the board at the break. But the rest of the weekend would be dominated by cardinal and red. Jackie Friesen slipped the game-winner past Kehler 16 minutes into period number two. Cyndy Kenyon and Lindsay Macy added a third-period goal each to wrap up the scoring for the Badgers.

Kehler made 32 saves for MSU, while Wisconsin's Meghan Horras stopped all 14 shots for her NCAA leading seventh shutout of the season.

While the first period on Saturday offered the Mavericks hope, the opening frame of Sunday's Game two was the back-breaker. UW scored four first-period goals and never looked back in a 7-2 victory over MSU.

Jinelle Zaugg opened the scoring just over nine minutes with an even strength tally. An ill-timed penalty shortly thereafter gave the Badgers a power play and just 1:29 later Friesen netted a power-play goal increasing the Badger lead to 2-0. Six minutes later Sara Bauer scored her first of three goals, then scored again just over two minutes after that. And Wisconsin held an insurmountable lead after one.

"We took them too lightly the second night because we just thought we would win," sophomore Alycia Wilson said.

MSU got on the board shortly into the second period, as senior Melanie Salatino scored her eighth goal of the season, narrowing the gap to 4-1. But Bauer capped her hat trick, then the Badgers added two more goals and it was 7-1 after two. Jen Jonsson scored the final goal of the series seven and a half minutes into the third period.

"The last 20 minutes was our best of the weekend," said Wilson.

Sophomore Laura Brennan made 29 saves in the losing effort for MSU.