Jan. 17, 2010

Box Score | Box Score

DULUTH, Minn. – The fifth-ranked Wisconsin women’s hockey team suffered its first series sweep of the season when No. 7 Minnesota Duluth squeezed out a 2-1 victory Sunday evening.

The first period saw one goal in favor of UMD as the Bulldogs outshot Wisconsin 13-5 in the opening frame. Each team failed to convert on a power play, however, Minnesota Duluth scored during a 4-on-4 to take the 1-0 lead at 13:38. Saara Tuominen bounced it off senior goaltender, Alannah McCready’s shoulder to get the tally.

Wisconsin evened the shots up in the second period after outshooting the Bulldogs 16-8, but could not even the score.

Just 3:13 into the second frame, Jessica Wong came across the crease for an open shot that McCready got her pad on, but Katharine Wilson for the Bulldogs followed behind to knock in the rebound.

Wisconsin answered when junior Geena Prough tallied Wisconsin’s lone goal at 10:11 in the second frame. Prough sent a wrist shot from the blue line that cleared over the right shoulder of UMD’s goaltender Jennifer Harss. Sophomore Carolyne Prevost dished the puck to Prough from the goal line while and senior Kyla Sanders was also credited with the assist.

Minnesota Duluth successfully defended its one-goal lead in the third period, despite the Badgers’ 8-6 shot advantage.

McCready had 25 saves on the night and Harss had 28 as the Badgers outshot the Bulldogs 29-27.

It was one of UW’s more physical games with 16 penalties called in the outing. Wisconsin went 0-for-3 on the power play while the Bulldogs finished 0-for-5.

The sweep is the first for the Badgers since Minnesota Duluth swept the Badgers at home on Nov. 30- Dec. 1, 2007.

Wisconsin returns to the Kohl Center on Jan. 22, when St. Cloud State comes to town for a two-game series.