Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
The Daily Cardinal Est. 1892
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Desbiens

Ann-Renée Desbiens recorded her 12th shutout of the year  Friday, the second-highest single-season total in school history.

Women's Hockey: Unbeaten streak ends as Wisconsin splits road series with Ohio State

The Badgers (18-5-3 WCHA, 23-5-4 overall) traveled to Columbus to take on the Buckeyes (12-11-3, 17-12-3) and came away with a series split, taking the first game 2-0 and falling in the second, 4-3.

In the opening contest, senior forward Blayre Turnbull continued her offensive hot streak, netting both of the Badgers’ goals. After scoring a hat trick Feb. 8 against Minnesota-Duluth, Turnbull’s two goals gave her five in her last two games.

“Well I think after our last game where she scored a hat trick, she left the rink a little more confident,” said Wisconsin head coach Mark Johnson. “Certainly that confidence showed tonight as she scored the first goal and then scored a real nice power play goal in the second period. Hopefully it’ll continue, I think she’s been pretty consistent all year.”

After this recent surge, the captain of the squad now has 13 goals on the season, a mark that places her second on the team. The only player with more goals is freshman Annie Pankowski, who has found the back of the net 16 times.

In addition to Turnbull’s strong offensive play, sophomore goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens captured her 12th shutout of the season, which is the second-most in program history. Ohio State played a formidable game, matching the Badgers shot total with 24.

Desbiens turned away all those shots, including a huge third period where she stopped nine Buckeye attempts.

“Ann was very sharp, not only in the first period, but certainly throughout the game, and I’m excited for her and she’s certainly earned another shutout,” Johnson said.

The Badgers’ special teams continued their strong play, killing four penalties to help Desbiens record her shutout.

At this point, Wisconsin had killed 54 penalties in row and then added to this run, stopping the Buckeyes on their first power play in the second game. On their second power play, the Buckeyes lit the lamp, which was the first time the Badgers had allowed a power play goal since Oct. 24 against Bemidji State.

The game was tied heading into the third after goals from junior defender Courtney Burke and sophomore defender Melissa Channell. The final frame was a different story as the Buckeyes came out firing, scoring on a shorthanded goal and then taking advantage of a Wisconsin turnover to take a commanding 4-2 lead.

The Badgers added some late drama as Pankowski found twine with 1:28 remaining after they had pulled their goalie. It proved to be too little, too late as UW would come up short, snapping an eight-game unbeaten streak.

“I thought we played OK,” Johnson said. “At times we showed some desperation and played pretty well and other times we turned the puck over a little too much and they capitalized on the opportunities they had, especially in the third period on the short-handed goal.”

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Daily Cardinal delivered to your inbox

The loss not only ended Wisconsin’s unbeaten stretch, but also eliminated any hopes of capturing a WCHA regular season title. Minnesota defeated Minnesota-Duluth Saturday to move eight points ahead of the Badgers. With only two games remaining in the conference schedule, the Gophers clinched the title with their victory.

Nonetheless, the No. 3 Badgers still have a very realistic shot at a national title. Wisconsin will need to continue its strong play and build confidence for the upcoming postseason. The Badgers must correct the mistakes made against Ohio State in their final conference series beginning Friday.

St. Cloud State will come to Madison to bring the regular season to an end. The games are set for 3 p.m. Friday and 12 p.m. Sunday. After these two contests, the WCHA playoffs will begin the following weekend, with the first round being held at LaBahn Arena.

UWBadgers.com contributed to this report.

Support your local paper
Donate Today
The Daily Cardinal has been covering the University and Madison community since 1892. Please consider giving today.
Comments


Powered by SNworks Solutions by The State News
All Content © 2024 The Daily Cardinal