The Wisconsin women's hockey team (16-2-2-1 WCHA, 22-2-2 overall) made a successful return to the Kohl Center this weekend, sweeping No. 8 Minnesota-Duluth (9-10-1-1, 12-11-1).
It was Wisconsin's first series on its home ice since Thanksgiving weekend. Despite a slow start Friday afternoon, the Badgers scored two goals in the second period and held on for a 2-0 victory.
Junior defender Alev Kelter scored her first goal of the season early in the second period to put the Badgers up 1-0. Kelter has played in just 14 games this season, joining the team after the end of the women's soccer season.
In addition to missing the team's first 12 games, Kelter has only recently started playing the forward position. She has used part of her defensemen skill set to make the transition. Based on this weekend's performance, she has done so seamlessly.
"Defensively, you always want to have an offensive mind," Kelter said. "Jumping up in the play is something that usually happens a lot as a defensemen. To have a forward role now, it's pretty exciting."
Two minutes after Kelter scored, sophomore forward Madison Packer scored her second goal of the season. Packer wrestled the puck away from a Bulldog defender on the boards behind the net, and then backhanded a shot past senior goaltender Jennifer Harss.
Sophomore goaltender Alex Rigsby made 36 saves to record the shutout for the Badgers.
"It was a game that never really got any kind of flow to it. It wasn't very pretty to watch," head coach Mark Johnson said with a smirk. "The most important thing is you end up winning the game."
Minnesota Duluth jumped out to the fastest of starts Saturday afternoon when junior defensemen Jessica Wong scored just nine seconds into the game.
Junior forward Brianna Decker tied things up later in the first period. The Badgers put a flurry of shots on goal, and Decker was able to secure a loose puck and shoot it past Harss.
The Badgers did not record as many shots over as they are accustomed to, but they made good use of their limited chances.
"When we play Duluth, it's always a transition game," Decker said. "Not as many shots as we would like, but at least we peppered some and got some in."
Wisconsin took advantage of a couple Minnesota Duluth penalties in the second period, notching two goals to take a 3-1 lead. Decker scored her second goal of the game off a great give-and-go with senior forward Carolyne Prévost, and senior forward Brooke Ammerman snuck the puck between Harss's legs to extend Wisconsin's lead.
However, the Bulldogs scored just 32 seconds after Ammerman's goal and added another late in the period to enter the third period tied 3-3.
Each team recorded seven shots in a fast-paced, back-and-forth third period, but neither found the back of the net. It was the third consecutive series in which the Badgers had an overtime game.
Ammerman made quick work of the extra time, scoring less than one minute into overtime
"You're playing against a team that's scratching and clawing trying to figure out ways to win games late in the season," Johnson said. "It's a big difference between winning that in overtime and going to a shootout."
