Wisconsin Buries Beavers, 10-3
December 03, 2005 | Women's Hockey
The No. 4 Wisconsin women's hockey team crushed Western Collegiate Hockey Association foe Bemidji State with a 10-3 win at the Rams Sports Center in Roseau, Minn. The Badgers improved to 13-2-0 (10-1-0 WCHA) while the Beavers fell to 3-10-2 (2-9-0 WCHA.
Hat tricks from Sara Bauer (St. Catharines, Ontario) and Grace Hutchins (Winnetka, Ill.) highlighted the game.
It took the Badgers just 8:38 to get acclimated to the neutral site rink when Tia Hanson (Medicine Hat, Alberta) scored her sixth goal of the season to get things started. A fast three minutes followed with goals from Hutchins and Bauer at 9:32 and 10:10, respectively. Bemidji State got on the board less than a minute later with a goal at 11:01.
Bauer capitalized on the Badgers' second power play opportunity at 13:09 after a turnover in the neutral zone gave Bauer the puck and her second goal of the night. That was enough for BSU's Emily Brookshaw who was swapped in favor of Jill Luebke in the Beaver net. Undaunted, captain Sharon Cole (Bloomington, Minn.) closed out the period with her ninth goal of the season at 16:02.
The second frame was more of the same for Wisconsin with three more goals to go up 8-1 after two. Nikki Burish (Madison, Wis.) started things off at 10:51 with a chip-in off a pass through the crease from line mate Cyndy Kenyon (Sparta, Wis.). Erika Lawler (Fitchburg, Mass.) added the seventh goal of the game at 13:19 and Bauer completed her fourth career hat trick on an unassisted goal after winning the faceoff. It was her first such feat this season and her first hat trick against BSU.
Redshirt freshman Jessie Vetter (Cottage Grove, Wis.) made her collegiate debut in the third period giving Meghan Horras (Appleton, Wis.) a rest after 40 minutes of play and 11 saves. Horras earned the win and is now 8-1-0 on the season. The Beavers took advantage of the rookie and tacked on two more goals. Vetter gathered five saves in the 20 minutes of action.
Hutchins netted two more goals in the final period to help Wisconsin close out the game with a commanding 10-3 score. Hutchins' two goals completed her first career hat trick.
With the helpers, Kenyon's four assists marked a new career high as a Badgers while Burish (3) and Zaugg (2) both tied their career highs.
The Badgers and Beavers will face off again Sunday at 2:07 p.m. The game will be held at the Rams Sports Center in Roseau, Minn. The neutral site is a tip of the hat to BSU head coach Bruce Olson's home town.
