Badgers Shutdown Maine 6-1 For Series Sweep
October 20, 2003 | Women's Hockey
The sixth-ranked Wisconsin women's hockey team earned a decisive 6-1 victory against Maine Monday afternoon at UM's Alfond Arena.
The Badgers' earned a 5-4 win over the Black Bears Sunday and with today's victory complete their first road trip of the 2003-04 season with a two-game series sweep. Sharon Cole led UW in scoring with two goals, while team captain Carla MacLeod posted three assists in the win. Sophomore goaltender Meghan Horras started her second game of the season and collected 18 saves in net for the cardinal and white.
With just a one-game history between these two teams, Wisconsin and Maine both brought a faster and more aggressive style of play back to the rink for game two of the series.
Down one player early in the first period due to a penalty, Wisconsin capitalized on a breakaway puck during the Maine power play to jump on the scoreboard. MacLeod set up a two-on-one play for teammates Sara Bauer and Jackie Friesen against Maine goaltender Lara Smart. Bauer brought the puck up from the right and sent a well-placed pass across the crease to Friesen flashing in from the left for the short-handed goal at 4:49.
The Badgers took a 2-0 lead on their own power play at the 10-minute mark. Working the UW attack zone up near the blue line, MacLeod and fellow defender Molly Engstrom moved the puck waiting for an open shot. They found it at 10:07 with an open Sharon Cole coming up fast from the right side of the Maine net to beat Smart in net.
UW opened the second period fending off a Maine power play with just three players and successfully held off the Black Bears. The Badgers continued their shooting attack and tallied their third goal of contest at 9:55. Karen Rickard scored on the play with assists from Kristen Witting and Meghan Hunter.
Maine took advantage of a Badger lapse after the goal however, breaking the shutout with a goal by Karen Droog just 22 seconds later to make it a 3-1 game. UW improved to a 4-1 score on a power play at the 13-minute mark. Team assistant captain Steph Millar received the puck from Bauer and sliced it past Smart for the power-play goal.
The third period saw both teams experience penalty trouble with power plays giving both teams opportunities, but Wisconsin claimed two power-play goals to make it a 6-1 final score. Cole knocked one in at 4:41 with assists from Engstrom and Nikki Burish for her second goal of the game, while Lindsay Macy tallied her first career goal as a Badger at 14:37 to complete the victory. Both MacLeod and Bauer assisted on the goal for the team captain's third of the season and the frosh's sixth in just four games as a Badger.
Wisconsin, now 4-0-0 overall, will open its Western Collegiate Hockey Association season this weekend against Minnesota at the Kohl Center, Saturday, Oct. 25, and Sunday, Oct. 26. Minnesota swept WCHA opponent Ohio State in 6-3 and 7-0 in two games this past weekend to improve to 2-0-0 in the league and overall.
Face-off is at 2:05 p.m. for both games against the Golden Gophers. Live stats and a recap will be available on uwbadgers.com.
