With both teams averaging better than four goals per game heading into this weekend's series, fans at the Kohl Center were likely expecting an offensive shootout between Wisconsin and Ohio State this weekend. They were not disappointed.
Sophomore forward Brianna Decker earned a hat trick in the top-ranked Badgers' 6-5 overtime win Friday night, while a much-improved special teams unit led the way in a 5-2 victory Saturday.
""We realized what we had to bring to the table in order to beat these guys,"" senior forward Meghan Duggan said. ""They had a great team and we stepped up to the plate and had a great weekend overall.""
Wisconsin looked shaky through the first two periods of Friday's series opener, however, committing eight penalties before the second intermission. Those infractions gave Ohio State seven power play opportunities, four of which the Buckeyes converted into goals.
The first two Ohio State goals came on remarkably similar plays, as junior forward Natalie Spooner camped out on the doorstep and redirected long shots past freshman Wisconsin goaltender Alex Rigsby on both goals.
Although he said the Badgers had to improve their positioning to neutralize players like Spooner, head coach Mark Johnson said the team simply could not commit as many penalties as they did.
""The big thing is to stay out of the box,"" Johnson said. ""You give a team like this six power play opportunities, eventually they're going to score.""
Down by two goals, Wisconsin's offense and Decker came out strong in the third period. A great shift from Decker led to her first goal of the night, as she rang a shot off the crossbar, chased the rebound down, stole the puck from an Ohio State defender and scored to bring the Badgers within one.
Decker added another goal and sophomore defenseman Stefanie McKeough scored on a long shot through traffic to give Wisconsin its first lead of the game. In the opening 11 minutes of the third period, the Badgers went from down 4-2 to leading 5-4.
There was no quit in the Buckeyes, however, as they pulled their goaltender and scored with a minute left in regulation to send the game into overtime.
Decker completed her hat trick with an overtime winner a little more than two minutes into the extra frame. She said the confidence in the Badger dressing room during the second intermission helped them overcome the deficit.
""We were relaxed in the locker room, we weren't real nervous,"" she said. ""We knew we still had a chance to win the game and we came out focused.""
Wisconsin was as good on special teams Saturday night as they were bad Friday. After Ohio State converted on better than half of their man advantage opportunities, the Badgers held them to one shot on three power plays.
When Wisconsin had the extra player on the ice they were successful as well, scoring on two of their four power plays. The first goal came when a lazy Buckeye clearing attempt found Duggan near the faceoff circles and she scored.
Duggan iced the Wisconsin victory with an empty-net goal late in the third period. Junior forward Hilary Knight, who played alongside Duggan on the 2010 U.S. Olympic team, said her success Saturday was indicative of her skill and dedication.
""You always know where she is on the ice,"" Knight said. ""She's just a dominant presence and a dominant player.""
