Postgame Quotes
Wisconsin vs. Minnesota
Dec. 4, 2016
Madison, Wis. - LaBahn Arena

Head Coach Mark Johnson
On what changed since yesterday to be able to put the puck into the net:
"The puck went in. It's a game of some nights getting bounces and other nights not getting bounces. It was a pretty wild period when you come out 4-2 against two teams that are defensively pretty good over the course of the season. The fun part about it is that's why we drop the puck and we play. You don't know what's going to happen within the 60 minutes. We were fortunate to come out of the first period up 4-2 and then score the fifth one and the sixth one. The big thing was to continue to try play hard and solidify the habits that you're trying to get these kids to understand. It makes it even easier. It was a good effort.
 
"Today the puck bounced for us and I didn't think we'd score eight goals here this afternoon but it's a good win. It's a big weekend. As I told the team here a couple minutes ago, after yesterday's game we learned about ourselves and again today. As we move forward, these games help you become better and that's the most important thing."
 
On if Dani Cameranesi's absence affected the Badgers:
"No. As I think I mentioned before the game was to try to come out and play the way we finished off yesterday's game. That last 15 or 18 minutes yesterday we were pretty strong and their goaltender played well yesterday. We came out today and obviously Sarah's goal to start us off today in the first few minutes, and in women's hockey you score, it energizes you. You have a full house and it energizes the building, that's a real positive for the team that has the ability to do that. We were able to do that. We gave up not a soft goal, but a goal we can learn from I guess. But then you make it 2-1, 3-1 and people are feeling good about themselves and people are relaxing a little bit more from the standpoint of coming out and playing the game that we wanted to play. We didn't think we'd get to eight but again, that's why we play. You never know what's going to happen against a quality opponent and the things that you learn about yourself. It was a good weekend."
 
On the balance of scoring:
"Baylee (Wellhausen) played really strong last in in a game where she probably could've scored a couple goals. She got rewarded today and we took a couple turnovers in the neutral zone and capitalized in a short period of time with a couple quick goals. The top line scored late which is good for them I think mentally. They're playing against the other team's top line, you're playing against world class players, players that have played in the Olympics before. The big thing is to make sure you keep them off the scoreboard and then if you're able to make a contribution, that's a positive on your side. If the other two lines can make some offensive contributions, then you're at an advantage."
 
On this being a big win for the standings:
"It's a real big win. I also told the team when we go out late in February for the last two games, Minnesota is going to remember this. They're a proud team. They didn't give up in the second half of the game. They started to come and they started to get energized and created some opportunities and got some work out of it. But again, those opportunities for us is to learn from it and try to become stronger. It's a big weekend. Last night's game was very entertaining, very low scoring. 24 hours later we just get the opposite. You get to see the puck go in and bounces so the whole game and the energy from that is good. It's fun.
 
On scoring eight goals:
"When you've been around hockey a long time you see a lot of strange things. As we start the period we can't get the peg out of the ice and you've got a delay. Strange things happen. Funny things happen, but the most important thing is it's a good confidence win for our team."
 
On today's game being a response to yesterday's game:
"Some games you can play well and lose and not score. Sometimes if that goalie's better, we've seen it. Next weekend we're going to run into a goalie at Ohio State that made 60 saves I think one afternoon here and they had seven shots and we ended up tying and winning in a shootout. That's the hard part about our game. We played well yesterday. They capitalized on a power play and that was really the only goal of the game. I like the response. I showed some video this morning on things that we could do better. The big thing is we came out and we scored a couple goals early and that excites people, excites the team that scores and that helped us move forward."
 
On Sarah Nurse:
"Yeah. She can come down and put it up there, we've seen that numerous times over the three and a half years we've had her. She had a couple of opportunities yesterday and the goalie was able to sniff her out. Today, she gets the first one by her. From a player's standpoint, score early, that excites you and you end up usually having a pretty good game. Take Baylee. Baylee had a strong night last night. She got rewarded tonight and put really six good periods together for us. It's nice to see Sarah score early because in the back of my mind, she's going to play well the rest of the night."
 
On scoring a hat-trick against the Gophers for the first time in program history:
"When you look at the teams in the last ten years, they've defended well. They've had good goaltenders and solid defensemen and it's tough to score, which was evident last night's game. Today when both teams are a little bit more tired than they were yesterday, people are going to make mistakes and capitalize on it. That's why we prepare, you get ready and you never know what's going to happen when they drop the puck."
 
On the confidence that can come from this type of win:
"It was good growth from yesterday. Yesterday we didn't play poorly, but if you're going to beat quality opponents that we run up against, at the end of the year you have to be able to push yourself through that and figure out how to win. Having a real strong first period indicated that they are listening to what we're saying and can go out and execute."


Senior Sarah Nurse
On the game overall:
"I think that was a huge comeback for us after yesterday's game. Obviously we didn't get the result we wanted and I think our response in the first and second period was really big and we just finished them off in the third."
 
On scoring eight goals:
"We were putting puck to the net and they were going in for us today. I think we're a team that gets a lot of pucks on net and it was really working out for us today."
 
On scoring three goals in 22 minutes:
"Yeah I was just trying to get puck on net, my linemates did a great job getting me the puck. Actually, Maddie Rolfes had two assists with me today, she played a really good game. Definitely a lot of credit to them."
 
On the offensive firepower the team has:
"It's huge for us, I think we have a lot of scoring threats up front. It started with Ann-Renee in the back, she made a couple of great saves for us in the first period and I think from our defense out, all the way to getting pucks in the net, really helped us out."
 
On scoring the only program hat trick against the Gophers:
"Wow. Definitely very cool. Obviously I didn't do that alone, so I have a lot to owe to my teammates. But very cool stat."
 
On the potential of the team:
"We came out today in the first and second period and really showed how good of a team we are, and I think that we even have another gear to kick it in, so I'm excited to see what the rest of the season is going to look like."
 
On facing the Gophers against in February:
"It's definitely going to be a tough match up when we go back to face them, but I think we're focusing on Ohio State next weekend and finishing off the first half."
 
On starting the game strong:
"Yeah that was so important for us. We got off to a late start yesterday and I think that was kind of our downfall. Coming out today in the first ten minutes was huge for us and I think if we get teams on their heels, we're good to go."
 
On the confidence this game brings:
"We're happy. We obviously didn't want to split the series, we wanted a sweep, but coming and getting the statement win today was huge for us."
 
Junior Baylee Wellhausen
On the game overall:
"I thought we battled hard and did the little things right. A key to today's game was Nurse scoring right off the bat, that gave us a lot of momentum going into those other two periods today."
 
On scoring eight goals against the Gophers:
"Honestly, probably I imagined it when I was like five, when I watched the Badgers when I was younger. Beating the Gophers by that many goals, and just scoring that many goals, is pretty great for our team. We haven't been able to put a lot in the net, so to have an eight-goal game is awesome moving into the rest of the season."
 
On responding to the loss yesterday:
"I think it just shows our resilience. It shows that one game can't let us down and that we can always battle back. There's always going to be another game and I think that's going to be good moving forward."
 
On the quality of scoring chances:
"I think that we capitalized on those chances, that was definitely the change of today's game. We were actually putting those good chances in the net. We ended up getting the Gophers to switch their goalie, which is also a pretty good confidence boost. Coach is always saying, on the bench and in the locker room, 'bring the puck to the net, bring it to the scoring area, there's going to be rebounds and you're going to bury a couple, they're going to go in.' They did today, so that was pretty great."
 
On her first goal:
"I saw the two defense, they were turning and that gave me the chance to slip on through there. I was just trying to get it to the net and all of the sudden I was on the ice and it was in the net. It was pretty awesome. Two goals, one after the other, is always awesome, it's kind of like that dagger into the hearts of the other team."
 
On getting two goals and showcasing her speed:
"It's nice to be able to get those goals. I do a lot of the grinder work in the corner, so to be able to get a little bit of the glory is kind of a blessing."