The Badgers received a career performance from freshman forward Lindsay Macy as her six points led the Wisconsin women's hockey team to 4-0 and 8-1 victories over Niagara at the Kohl Center this weekend.The No. 5 Badgers (14-5-1 WCHA, 20-5-3 overall) played their last non-conference series of the season, finishing with a 6-0-2 record in non-conference play.
Friday, Macy recorded the Badgers first hat trick since Feb. 21, 2003 against Ohio State, as UW out-shot the Purple Eagles 46-7 on their way to a 4-0 shutout.Freshman goaltender Christine Dufour earned the third shutout of her career while Niagara split the goaltending duties between freshman Allison Rutledge and senior Jennifer Mascaro.
Macy put the Badgers on the board early, scoring her first goal of the night at 3:18 off assists by freshman forward Sara Bauer and junior defender Nicole Uliasz.Macy and Bauer teamed up again later in the first period after an elbowing penalty by Niagara's sophomore defender Jessica Clermont.
The Badgers went on to score their final two goals early in the second stanza.Just two minutes into the period, freshman defender Meghan Mikkelson snuck the puck past Rutledge on the rebound of a shot by junior forward Jackie Friesen.Two minutes later, Macy capped off her hat trick by deflecting in a shot by junior defender Molly Engstrom.
After Macy's third goal, Niagara Head Coach Margot Page pulled Rutledge and put in Mascaro, who collected 24 saves, shutting the Badgers out for the rest of the game.
Macy continued to have the hot hand Saturday, picking up one goal and two assists as Wisconsin was able to avoid a second-game letdown. It was another rough day for Niagara goalies as both Mascaro and Rutledge allowed four goals, with Rutledge replacing Mascaro midway though the second period.
UW also used two goalies, with sophomore Meghan Horras allowing no goals on nine shots through the first two periods and junior Jessica Bernal letting in one goal while stopping five shots in the third.
\[Saturday's] game was good because some people who haven't been scoring lately had a chance to get on the scoreboard,"" Wisconsin Head Coach Mark Johnson said. ""The big thing was to win the game, second, that hopefully no one got hurt and to really get mentally ready for the task next weekend when we go down to Ohio State.""
Macy netted the Badger's first goal at the 3:55 mark, while sophomore forward Nikki Burish scored exactly one minute later. Burish was one of many Badgers who had a good game, netting another goal midway though the third period and chalking up an assist on a Friesen goal.Friesen was one of five Wisconsin skaters who had two points on the night.The other four were assistant captain senior forward Meghan Hunter, Bauer, Uliasz and junior defender Carla MacLeod.
UW's next series is this week in Columbus, Ohio, against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
