Celebration
David Stluka
0
Minnesota State MSU 7-25-4
7
Winner Wisconsin WIS 28-2-4
Minnesota State MSU
7-25-4
0
Final
7
Wisconsin WIS
28-2-4
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 F
Minnesota State MSU 0 0 0 0
Wisconsin WIS 0 4 3 7

Game Recap: Women's Hockey |

Opening Statement: No. 1 Badgers dispatch Minnesota State 7-0 in WCHA opener

UW scores four times in the second en route to victory

MADISON, Wis. – Fueled by a four-goal second period, the No. 1 Wisconsin women's hockey team opened its WCHA first-round series with Minnesota State with a 7-0 triumph at LaBahn Arena Friday night.

Senior Sydney McKibbon opened the scoring for the Badgers (28-2-4) with a power-play goal 36 seconds into the second before adding a short-handed effort less than four minutes later. Sam Cogan also chipped in two goals while Annie Pankowski, Sarah Nurse and Abby Roque also added goals for the Cardinal and White.

UW outshot Minnesota State (7-25-4) 45-15 while the Badgers went 2-for-3 on the power play.

Senior Ann-Renée Desbiens made 15 saves to earn her NCAA-leading 14th shutout and 24th win of the year. She also leads the NCAA in goals-against average with a 0.72 mark and a save percentage .962. 

"It's about coming to the rink with some energy and enthusiasm," said head coach Mark Johnson. What I've seen the last couple days of practice, I thought it was going to be a pretty good night. For the most part, we held the puck a lot and created some great chances."

The Badgers generated plenty of offensive chances throughout the first period, but freshman goaltender Chloe Crosby stood tall for MSU, denying all 15 shots Wisconsin peppered her with. 

UW got its offense clicking to kick off the second frame, as McKibbon tallied a power play goal less than a minute into play after sliding the puck through Crosby's five-hole.

"We were outplaying them and that carried into the second period," said McKibbon. "It was nice to finally get rewarded right away off that."

The captain struck again soon after, tallying a short-handed goal after receiving a pass from Sarah Nurse on a rush and beating Crosby low-blocker side.

"It was good for this team to go out and get a few shorthanded goals," said Pankowski. "It shows the poise that we have even when we're outnumbered."

Pankowski found her way on the scoresheet midway through the second, as the junior rifled a wrist shot that went in off the post and past Crosby. 

With the goal, Pankowski boasts 21 goals and 24 assists this season for a team-leading 45 points.

Cogan closed out the period by extending the Badgers lead to 4-0, after the sophomore received a pass from Mikaela Gardner and fired the puck past Crosby's shoulder.

Nurse continued the scoring momentum in the final frame, as the senior one-timed a pass from Pankowski past Crosby for a power play goal.

Roque joined in on the scoring fun next, as her shot from the boards deflected off a MSU defender's skate and into the net. 

Cogan recorded the final goal of the night to make it 7-0 after roofing the puck top-shelf for her second of the game. 

"It's going to be a tough game for [Minnesota State] tomorrow," said McKibbon. "It could potentially end their season. They're going to give their best effort, they're going to give all they have, so we definitely have to play well for 60 minutes."

Wisconsin and Minnesota State meet in the second game of their best-of-three series on Saturday at 4 p.m. at LaBahn Arena. 
 
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