Wisconsin Looks Ahead to Bemidji State
December 02, 2005 | Women's Hockey
The No. 4 Wisconsin women's hockey team will travel to Roseau, Minn., Dec. 3-4 to take on Bemidji State in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association conference battle. Despite Wisconsin's winning record of 12-2-0 and 9-1-0 WCHA, the Badgers dropped in the USCHO.com national poll last weekend, falling from No. 1 to No. 4 after losing to New Hampshire in a non-conference battle. The Beavers (3-9-2, 2-8-0, WCHA) earned a split with Ohio State in last weekend's match-up.
Competition will being at 7:07 p.m. on Saturday and 2:07 on Sunday. The game will be played at Rams Sports Center Arena in Roseau, Minn.
Wisconsin will look to continue its winning streak over Bemidji State when the teams take to the ice this weekend. UW has not lost to BSU since December 9, 2001 when the Beavers beat the Badgers 5-1 at the Kohl Center in Madison. Since that game, the Badgers are 13-0-1 against their conference foe. Overall, Wisconsin is 24-1-1 against the Beavers.
Last season, the Badgers hosted BSU Oct. 16-17 and recorded 8-2 and 4-0 wins. When visiting Bemidji State, Feb. 18-19, Wisconsin shut out their opponents with 7-0 and 1-0 wins. Five current Badgers have scored vs. Bemidji State last season, including Bauer (4), Cole (3), Hutchins (2), Kletzien (2), and Mikkelson (2).
Previously ranked No. 1 Wisconsin split the weekend in non-conference action at the Dartmouth Classic in Hanover, N.H. The Badgers' nation-leading 12-game winning streak was snapped Sunday in a 2-1 loss to then-No. 4 New Hampshire. It was the program's longest winning streak.
Wisconsin's point leaders far outnumber Bemidji State 's. Where Wisconsin is led by junior Sara Bauer with 27 points, followed by Sharon Cole and Bobbi-Jo Slusar racking up 20 of their own, BSU's leader, Kelly Hart, has only recorded seven points, followed by two teammates with six apiece.
Across the nation, Bauer comes in second in points scored per game, averaging 1.93. Jinelle Zaugg is tied at fourth place in the points per game category with 0.93. Both Bauer and Slusar at tied at No.1, averaging the most assists per game at 1.14. Slusar also leads the nation's defenders in scoring.
Wisconsin's defense under goalies Christine Dufour and Meghan Horras has proven strong and dependable, each goalie only recording one loss this season. Horras has collected 150 saves with a percentage of .920 and a goals against average of 1.63 while teammate Dufour has recorded 114 saves with a percentage of .934 and a goals against average of 1.34.
Bemidji State played at home last weekend hosting the Ohio State Buckeyes in a conference contest. The Beavers lost to the Buckeyes on Friday evening 4-2, but rebounded on Saturday winning 5-2 for the split. Bemidji State put up its largest scoring out put of the season with five goals.
BSU's goaltender Jill Luebke has a 0-2-1 record with a .863 save percentage and a 4.40 goals against average all-time versus the Badgers while sophomore Emily Brookshaw has a record of 0-3-0 with a .908 save percentage and a 3.78 goals against average.
Offensively for the Beavers, the freshman class has been producing all year. They have recorded just over a quarter of BSU's points, totaling 15 led by Brooke Collins with six points on the season.
