The Wisconsin women's hockey team split against Minnesota this weekend, moving to 9-2-1 on the season after losing to the Golden Gophers for the first time since February 2006.
In the first game, Wisconsin scored three times in the first period while being outshot 12-7.
Sophomore forward Kyla Sanders scored the first two goals for the Badgers. Sanders - who now has seven goals on the season - scored her second of the game on a play in which she showed her talent by weaving in and out of defenders, eventually beating Gopher freshman goalie Jenny Lura.
Junior forward Angie Keseley ended her six-game scoring drought with a goal to put the Badgers up 3-0.
In goal, junior netminder Jessie Vetter made 22 saves for her fifth shutout of the season.
Saturday it was Minnesota who went up 3-0 in the first period as they scored two goals within a minute of each other halfway into the period. Jinelle Philipczyk put Minnesota up 1-0 and Jen Schoullis capitalized on a backhand to go up 2-0. Vetter never saw the puck on Rachael Drazan's goal to put Minnesota up 3-0 late in the first.
The Badgers struggled in the first two periods to generate any offense. Sophomore forward Meghan Duggan had the Badgers' best chance in the first two periods when she hit the post on a breakaway in the first period.
In the third period, however, Duggan converted on the power play 57 seconds into the period to make it a two goal deficit.
With three minutes to go, junior forward Erika Lawler gave Wisconsin another power play goal to make it a one goal game.
Head coach Mark Johnson pulled Vetter with a little over a minute to go but Wisconsin never threatened Lura and Minnesota held on for the victory over the Badgers.
We didn't generate the offense that we needed to and they did a nice job. You have to compliment their defense and their forwards. As a group they made it difficult. They made it challenging to get the puck in the scoring areas,"" Johnson said. ""We seemed not to want to shoot the puck when we needed to and when we had the opportunities.""
Senior forward Jinelle Zaugg believes there are some positives to take from the game.
""It builds character when your'e losing and it's a test of your character and how you respond to that,"" she said.
Vetter claimed it was the worst start to a game she has had in her career.
Wisconsin now has a week off as Zaugg, Vetter, Lawler and Duggan head off to Sweden to play for the U.S. in the Four Nations Cup.
The Badgers will head to Durham, NH to face the No. 2 New Hampshire Wildcats in two weekends.
