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What: No. 7 Wisconsin (4-0-0 overall, 0-0-0 WCHA)
versus No. 1 Minnesota (2-0-0, 2-0-0)
When: Saturday, Oct. 25 and Sunday, Oct. 26 at 2:05
p.m.
Site: Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.
Broadcasts: Sunday’s game will be broadcast live on
WIBA 1310 AM
Series notes: Minnesota leads the all-time series
16-3-1 and won four of five matches last season. This is the first time the
teams have met in the Kohl Center (this is the first season the women’s hockey
team is primarily playing home games in the Kohl Center).
Wisconsin had its way with its first two opponents, Vermont
and Maine, outshooting the Catamounts and Black Bears a combined 212-50 in four
wins.
The first two weekends, though, could be considered
tune-ups for the challenge the Badgers face against top-ranked Minnesota.
Wisconsin’s first opponent, Vermont, was completely overmatched against the
highly-skilled Badgers, while Maine at least put up a fight.
The Gophers, meanwhile, are No. 1 with authority, having
dominated a touted Ohio State team, 6-3 and 7-0, last week.
“We played well against Vermont and we played well and had
a little bit of adversity in Maine, but yet we responded well on the road,”
Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson said. “There were a lot of nice signs, but now it
is time to step up to the plate and hit a 95-mile an hour fastball. We can do
it. It is a good test for us.”
The fastballs will be coming often from Minnesota’s sharp
shooting forwards, headlined by sophomores Natalie Darwitz and Krissy Wendell,
both members of the 2002 USA Olympic team. Wendell is the reigning WCHA Player
of the Week after tallying four goals in one game against the Buckeyes, and six
points in the series.
“Obviously when Krissy comes in, when Natalie comes in,
they are special players and you have to do some things to try to keep them off
the scoreboard,” Johnson said. “They are going to get chances, they are going to
get opportunities. Hopefully we will be up to the test to contain those players,
but they are surrounded this year with a better team than they had last year.”
Part of the Gophers new nucleus is a third member of Team
USA, freshman defender Lindsey Wall, who contributed three assists last weekend.
The Badgers defense, though, has been suffocating. Led by
junior defenders Molly Engstrom, Carla MacLeod and Nicole Uliasz and freshman
Bobbi-Jo Slusar, Wisconsin thrives with one of the best blue lines in the
nation. The Badgers did not allow a goal and nary a shot against Vermont and
allowed just five goals to Maine.
“The forwards have done a great job backchecking as well,”
sophomore goalie Meghan Horras said. “So they don’t really give me (many pucks)
to work with.”
Strong defensive play has helped the Badgers young goal
tenders ease into competition. For the past four years Wisconsin relied on the
goaltending exploits of Jackie MacMillan, who finished her UW career with 75 of
the program’s then-81 all-time wins.
Entering the season the team’s most experienced goalie was
Horras, who played in three games last year in relief. Wisconsin has rotated its
three young goaltenders through the first four games, with Horras receiving two
starts and sophomore Jessica Bernal and freshman Christine Dufour one apiece.
Johnson said Wednesday that he had not decided whether the
team would continue rotating the trio this week.
“We don’t have a clear picture yet,” Johnson said. “It is a
work in progress. I think we will get more answers this weekend because we are
playing good competition.”
Prior to the season Johnson said he wanted to see where the
team’s goal scoring would come from. Early on, the answer is from everywhere.
The team’s 20 goals have been scored by 10 different players; junior forward
Jackie Friesen leads the way with four. Freshman forward Sara Bauer has only
taken five shots but she leads the team in assists and points with six.
Wisconsin will need that balance against the Gophers, with
Wall leading the defense corps and one of the nation best goalies, Jody Horak,
between the pipes.
The Badgers have only been challenged once this season,
when Maine scored three uncontested goals last Sunday in the first game of a
two-game road series to pull within 5-4.
“Maine made it 5-4 and we played very well—for the rest of
the game I don’t think we gave up a shot on net,” Johnson said. “I would rather
have that happen to us early in the season then win 7-, 8-, 9-1. The object is
to try to make your team better. I think in a situation like we had Sunday out
in Maine we became a better team because of the situation we got ourselves into.
It is a learning tool and that is what you have to take.”