ERIE, Pa.—Regular-season conference champions, conference playoff champions, winners of 37 games, a team led by the nation's most valuable player and now, after one of their best games of the season, national champions.
The Wisconsin women's hockey team was as close to perfect in the 2010-'11 season as a group could get, and matched that trend in its final game Sunday afternoon. With a 4-1 victory over underdog Boston University, the Badgers put the finishing touches on their dream season and earned the program's fourth national title.
Senior forward, team captain and Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner Meghan Duggan said Sunday's victory was the ultimate culmination of a year of hard work.
""We were chasing after that trophy all year, we put a lot of hours in, a lot of hard work in over the past year, and nothing feels better than that,"" Duggan said. ""There's no better way to go out, I don't think, than the weekend we've had this weekend and the year we had this year.""
The Badgers only earned that perfect finale after beating a Terrier squad that frustrated their offense for much of the game. Despite the larger margin of victory, the NCAA final was as close for its first 55 minutes as any of Wisconsin's recent string of one-goal playoff victories.
The final score could have been much more lopsided had Wisconsin converted on the numerous chances it had through the second period. Instead, the game stayed close as opportunities constantly bounced off the BU crossbar and post.
But Wisconsin dominated the pace of play in the second, forcing turnovers and skating by the Terriers almost at will, notching goals from junior forwards Carolyne Prevost and Brooke Ammerman and taking a 2-1 lead into the last 20 minutes.
""They were getting fatigued while we were just rolling,"" Prevost said. ""Our speed for tonight may have been a little bit hard for them to handle.""
Although the Badgers tried to add a cushion, the Terriers still stood just a goal behind late in the third period.
That's when Wisconsin broke through, however, as senior forward Mallory Deluce hammered a rebound home with 3:23 to go in the final frame. Then with freshman BU goaltender Kerrin Sperry off for the extra attacker, Prevost notched her second goal of the game with an empty net tally to cement the victory.
When the clock struck zero, the Badgers streamed out onto the ice, mobbing freshman goaltender Alex Rigsby, who turned in a huge performance on the biggest stage of her young career.
After receiving their trophy, Wisconsin players stayed on the Tullio Arena ice with their friends and family until the building's staff starting shutting lights off. Once his team was peeled off of the ice, Badger head coach Mark Johnson praised his goaltender, who put in a performance beyond her single year of experience.
Rigsby knew the game was the most important of her career, but said was one she approached calmer than any other. Johnson said her 15-save performance, backing up an almost-unbeatable defense, was the product of how much Rigsby has learned over the season.
""She's just gotten stronger,"" he said. ""As her experience has gotten deeper, she's been able to be more comfortable on the ice.""
From Rigsby to the offense in front of her, Sunday's game was one of Wisconsin's best games from top to bottom, and showcased the chemistry and balanced skill the Badgers have become known for.
""It was an outstanding group and they earned a championship,"" Johnson said. ""We're really excited to bring the trophy back to Madison.""
