The top-ranked Badgers ended the first half of their thus-far undefeated season with two wins over St. Cloud State Friday and Saturday.
After shutting out the Huskies 7-0 in game one, Wisconsin closed out the series with another strong offensive performance Saturday, winning 6-2 and improving their overall record to 18-0-2.
Head coach Mark Johnson said he has been surprised by how well the Badgers have played this season.
I wouldn't have predicted us being in this position,"" he said. ""You complement the players '¦ they put themselves in a position to get off to a good start, and just kept that momentum building.""
Wisconsin got out to a slow start Friday afternoon, but struck in the second period with two goals in just over a minute. Sophomore right wing Hilary Knight and freshman center Brooke Ammerman both found the back of the net to start a dominating offensive effort by the team.
Knight posted two goals and two assists over the weekend, while Ammerman ended with three goals and two assists, contributing to an impressive Wisconsin offense that would total 83 shots and 13 goals over the two games.
""We've just been on a roll,"" Ammerman said about the offense. ""Every line is producing, and everyone's producing.""
The Badger defense was just as imposing.
Senior goalie Jessie Vetter added to her NCAA record with the 33rd shutout of her college career Friday, and admitted it was not the hardest one to earn: the suffocating Wisconsin defense allowed just eleven shots on goal in the first game of the series.
Still, Vetter's teammate's complemented her play this season.
""It gives us a lot of confidence, knowing that we've got her back there,"" junior left wing Jasmine Giles said. ""She's [been] a huge part of '¦ every win we've had this year.""
Friday was by no means a perfect game for the team, which spent 14 minutes on the penalty kill.
""It's tough to generate any flows or any offense when you're always killing penalties,"" Johnson said after the game.
Saturday's contest was more of the same, with another notable showing by the Badgers on offense and defense.
The team allowed 11 more shots on goal and scored six times, including a unique shorthanded goal by senior center Erika Lawler.
After Lawler cleared the puck out of the Wisconsin zone in the first period, St. Cloud State goalie Ashley Nixon accidentally deflected it into her own goal while trying to pass to another player. Lawler, who had left the ice on a line change before the puck went in, said she and her teammates were confused when she saw the Badgers had scored.
""We got to the bench and '¦ all of the sudden I look out and there's a goal,"" Lawler said. ""It was definitely unusual, the most unusual goal I've ever seen.""
With the first half of the season complete, the Badgers now head into their winter break. The team returns to the Kohl Center for an exhibition game Jan. 2 before returning to WCHA play on the road against Minnesota-Duluth Jan. 9-10.
