Badgers’ big NCAA win passes torch of success at LaBahn
March 11, 2017 | Women's Hockey, Andy Baggot
Thanks to great mentorship from UW’s seniors, freshman Mekenzie Steffen a key factor in victory over Robert Morris
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BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — Mekenzie Steffen didn't look the part.
You're supposed to act jittery — a little squirrely even — when you make your NCAA tournament debut.
You're supposed to look wide-eyed — a little intimidated even — when you step into your first pressure-packed, one-and-done moment.
Steffen, a freshman defenseman for the Wisconsin women's hockey team, seemed to calmly relish the experience Saturday.
She got the top-ranked UW going with an early goal and performed like a seasoned veteran during a 7-0 pummeling of Robert Morris in a NCAA quarterfinal game at sold-out LaBahn Arena.
For the fourth consecutive season and 10th time since 2006, the Badgers (32-2-4 overall) advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four. They'll face Boston College (28-5-5) in the national semifinals Friday at 5 p.m. at Family Arena in St. Charles, Missouri.
A crowd of 2,423 fans watched the #Badgers advance to the @NCAAIceHockey Frozen Four for the ??th time! ?? - http://go.wisc.edu/20cz55
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerWHockey) March 11, 2017
Wisconsin spent the first 20 minutes building a 2-0 lead, but also playing somewhat tentative, which is natural even for a veteran-laden club. A lot of that had to do with facing an opponent like the Colonials (24-5-6) that no one had seen up-close.
Steffen, from Centerville, Minnesota, initiated the settling down process 1 minute, 48 seconds into the game when she banged a rebound past Robert Morris goaltender Jessica Dodds at the left post.
"The first rush was obviously my teammates putting it right on net; I happened to pick it up," Steffen said casually, referring to a shot by junior left winger Baylee Wellhausen that Dodds failed to control.
Steffen then assisted on a pair of conversions in the decisive second period — the Badgers scored four times and piled up a dominating 25-2 advantage in shots — to fashion her career-best three-point outing and finish plus-3.
Meet you in Missouri, @GatewayBadgers! The #Badgers have advanced to the NCAA Frozen Four! ?? - http://go.wisc.edu/whkyfftix
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerWHockey) March 11, 2017
As a result, the Badgers bumped their unbeaten streak to 21 games (18-0-3) and enhanced the fact they own the top offense (4.11 goals per game) and defense (0.84 goals allowed per game) in the nation.
UW coach Mark Johnson said Steffen didn't perform like a typical freshman in her NCAA debut.
"She seemed the most comfortable," he said. "She scored early, which is probably going to relax her, but of all our defensemen, she probably was our best defenseman the first 20 minutes. That's a tribute to her and her growth and maturity."
Truth is, Steffen said she did feel some nervousness, but it melted not long after she skated her first shift before a full-house gathering of 2,423.
"I think we really (fed) off the crowd's energy and played a really good game," she said.
UW senior goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens was credited with 22 saves on the way to another milestone shutout. It was her 54th overall — extending her NCAA standard — 16th of the season and 10th in the postseason going back to 2015.
Junior center Emily Clark accounted for two goals, while senior left winger and line mate Sarah Nurse added a goal and two assists.
.@emclark13 making it look easy (it's not)
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerWHockey) March 11, 2017
It was the final home appearance for six seniors — Desbiens, Nurse, winger Mikayla Johnson, defenseman Mellissa Channell, center and captain Sydney McKibbon and defenseman Jenny Ryan — and they were serenaded by the fans during a postgame photo shoot.
"I made sure I took everything in and enjoyed the moment," Desbiens said.
"I'm glad we got to go out with a win, but I'm sad I'm not going to be able to come back and play in this place because it's the best place to play in the NCAA," Channell said.
"I don't think I'll have an experience like that ever again," Ryan said. "I'm really grateful to play in front of such an amazing crowd in such an amazing facility."
Johnson calls Channell and Ryan — who have played in 145 and 151 career games, respectively — his "security blanket" on defense. They're matched against the opponent's top line and log a lot of ice time as a result.
The duo, Johnson said, "get challenged quite a bit."
Steffen and her fellow underclassmen — freshman Maddie Rowe, sophomore Mikaela Gardner and juniors Maddie Rolfes and Lauren Williams — are prepping to take the blue line baton from the two seniors.
Here's a look at the @MekenzieSteffen goal the put the #Badgers up 1-0!
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerWHockey) March 11, 2017
Channell and Ryan like what they see from Steffen, who has 14 points (4 goals, 10 assists) in 38 games and is plus-29.
"I'm just really happy that she played the way she did today because she was unbelievable," Channell said.
"She's been great all year," Ryan said of Steffen. "You can see her grow in confidence from the first game of the season till now.
"I don't think she looked at this game any differently than she looks at every other game. She was confident with the puck. She was confident skating it up. She got that goal for us, which is huge."
Channell and Ryan recall being quite nervous when they made their NCAA debut as freshmen during a 2-1 victory over Harvard in 2014.
That Steffen performed so coolly, and well, in the same setting was impressive.
"The last six weeks she's played really well," Johnson said. "I thought she did a great job."
Having two excellent mentors in Channell and Ryan helps a youngster like Steffen.
"She has a lot of talent and she's a really good listener," Ryan said. "She likes to watch what we do and she implements it really well into her game.
"It wasn't very hard to be a mentor, a teacher to her because she learns really easily and she's obviously a really amazing player."
Steffen said getting daily tutorials from Channell and Ryan has given her some much-needed confidence, something Steffen will need heading into her first Frozen Four.
"They definitely have been great mentors for me this year," Steffen said.
