SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Four different Badgers found the back of the net as the No. 1 Wisconsin women's hockey team dispatched Syracuse, 5-2, on Saturday at the Tennity Ice Pavilion. 
Senior captain Claudia Kepler scored twice in a 2:11 stretch to give the Badgers (6-0-0) a 2-0 lead over the Orange (0-3-1) at the end of the first period. Kepler scored her first on UW's third power play of the opening frame, slotting the puck top shelf. 

On her second goal, Kepler found the top shelf again off a feed from Abby Roque to net her first multi-goal game for UW. 

During the second period, Syracuse found its own luck on the power play as Kelli Rowswell scored for the Orange to cut the UW lead to 2-1 after 40 minutes. 

The third period saw three goals in the first 10 minutes as UW freshman Caitlin Schneider tipped in a Maddie Rolfes shot three minutes into the third to give UW a 3-1 lead. After SU's Emma Polaski scored to cut the UW deficit to one, UW senior Lauren Williams scored her first of the year on a rush at the midway point of the period.

Mikaela Gardner put the game out of reach with less than three minutes to go, launching a rocket from the top of the left circle into the net.

Three Notes of the Game:

- Wisconsin improved to 4-0-0 all-time against Syracuse after sweeping a home series during the 2008-09 season against the Orange. The Badgers are now 34-1 all-time against teams from the College Hockey America conference. 

- Kirsten Campbell stopped 16 of the 18 shots she faced to improve to 6-0-0 on the season. Campbell has only let in four goals this year, three of which have come on opponent's power plays. 

- Abby Roque enjoyed a three assist game, her eighth of the year. Roque assisted on both of Kepler's power-play goals before earning an assist on Gardner's third-period goal. 

Play of the Game:

UW went on a power play 36 seconds into the game, but a miscue on it gave Syracuse's Alysha Burriss a 1-on-1 chance against Campbell. Campbell was up to the challenge, stopping the short-handed chance to preserve the scoreless draw. 

Straight from the Rink:

Head coach Mark Johnson
On the win:
"It was good. The two power play goals in the first period I think loosened us up. I thought we played very well in the second period. We had a lot of offensive time, created chances. Again, you look at it being our sixth game from where we were in game one and two where we are now, we've made some strides and it's a good sign. So it's the first road trip for a lot of young people and I thought they produced pretty well." 

Senior forward Claudia Kepler 
On her power play goals:
"I just knew those goals were going to come, our team was working pretty hard all of yesterday, and the first period so it was good to have some success." 
"Both of them were pretty much the same. Mac worked it down to Abby and Abby passed it to me down low and then I just took it to the net and shot the puck and it just happened to go in both times." 
 
Sophomore forward Abby Roque
On her multi-assist game:
"I think it's good that our team's getting pucks in the net. Obviously Gards (Gardner) scored that last one with a shot, and when you get shots and screens the puck will go in. On the power play too, you're getting the puck to Claudia and she knows that she's going to the net so as long as we're moving the puck and playing well we'll get goals and assists." 
 
Up Next:
Wisconsin will open WCHA play next weekend with a road series at Minnesota State. Puck drop on Friday, Oct. 13 is set for 7 p.m. while the series finale on Saturday, Oct. 14 begins at 3 p.m.