DULUTH, Minn. - One night after losing their first game of the season, the Wisconsin women's hockey team showed they still had some fight left.
The No.1 Badgers rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the third period, tying the game, before losing a shootout to No.3 Minnesota-Duluth. The nearly 1000 people in attendance were treated to a back and fourth contest, which saw two of the world's top goaltenders face 75 combined shots.
Obviously it was a great weekend. No.3 playing No.1, all you can hope for is just great effort, attitude by your team and whatever happens happens,"" Bulldog head coach Shannon Miller said. ""I think today's game, the second game, was a battle of the wills '¦ The first two periods we won the battle of the will, the third period I thought Wisconsin won the battle of the wills. And then obviously overtime, just two really tired teams duking it out.""
After seeing an early goal propel their opponents to victory the day before, the Badgers were the ones who struck first Sunday.
On an early power play, sophomore Badger wing Hilary Knight fired a shot right at Duluth's junior netminder, Kim Martin. The puck rolled between Martin's leg pads and was slowly sliding toward the goal line.
Sophomore wing Kelly Nash alertly located the puck and swooped in to knock it through with two minutes left in the first period.
""I was defiantly a little surprised [the puck got through],"" Nash said. ""It was just rolling in there, nobody was on me, so I just went right up there and hit it in '¦ I was a little shocked that it was just sitting there for me with the open net, but take 'em when you can.""
After several Badger rushes came up empty early in second period, Duluth scored when junior defender Jamie Rasmussen fed Elin Holmlov near the goalmouth. The puck deflected up in the air, over Badger goaltender Jessie Vetter and into the net.
The Duluth transition game then kicked into high gear. First Heidi Pelttari fired a slap shot over Vetter's left shoulder during a 2-on-1 rush and eight minutes later Holmlov scored again on the rush when she reached to get the puck around a Badger defender and shoveled it across the slot and over Vetter's glove shoulder.
""They are the opportunistic team, one of the best in our league and they just fly people,"" Wisconsin assistant coach Tracy Cornell. ""When the get the puck back in possession, they are just flying wingers and that means that we have to quickly transition from offense to defense.""
That last goal came with under a minute left in the second period and left Wisconsin in a 3-1 hole. After the previous night's game, UW coaches emphasized responding to adversity, and respond the Badgers did.
Junior forward Jasmine Giles halved the deficit when she banged in a shot from sophomore wing Hilary Knight which ricocheted off Martin's leg pad.
Knight was the one who equalized the game when Wisconsin was on the penalty kill midway through the third period. Senior defender Alycia Mathews forced a turnover and played the puck ahead to Knight.
The New Hampshire native sped up ice and sent the puck toward the net before flying headlong into Martin and knocking the net off its moorings.
""I actually don't even remember the play,"" Knight said. ""All I remember is Matthews just tossing it about waist height and then knocking it down and going in and spinning around, just getting any part of my body on the puck.""
After a brief review the referees ruled that the puck crossed the goal line before net was knocked off.
""We broke down on [penalty kill], somebody made a mistake, a glaring, glaring mistake,"" Miller said. ""I saw it on the bench three, four seconds before they scored. When you play a good team and some one makes a mistake, puck's in the back of the net. And then defensively we didn't pick up a check going to the net, she scored and all of a sudden the game's tied.""
The Badgers had several more scoring chances in regulation, including one where the puck slid across the crease behind Martin, but could not convert. They also held a 5-2 lead in overtime shots but again could not score.
In the shootout neither Nash nor Knight could score but Holmlov and senior forward Sara O'Toole both got past Vetter for the shoot out win. In the WCHA the shoot out victory gave Duluth two points but the result is viewed at a tie in the national rankings.
After the game, players from both teams spoke about the clash between the Bulldog's faster style and Wisconsin's defensively oriented game.
""Well obviously they have a really fast team and they're really skilled forwards,"" Wisconsin defender Brittany Haverstock said. ""You have to be aware of that every time you're out there. It's obviously really tough to stay on the balls of your feet the whole time. They do a really good job of that.""
The smaller rink in the DECC also favors teams like Duluth which emphasize quickness.
""We're used to playing on the small ice compared to the Badger [playing on] the big ice in their place, so I think we were faster in transition."" Junior center Saara Touminen said.
Though the team only earned one point on the weekend and suffered their first loss of the season, Wisconsin's coaches felt there were positives, especially in terms of facing difficulties and rising above them.
""The girls were really good on the bench, just motivating themselves, seeing what needed to be done and knowing what level they had to bring their game to in order to get those two other goals,"" Cornell said. ""I think that was a pretty good lesson in how to respond to adversity right there.""
