MADISON, Wis.— The fourth-ranked Wisconsin women's hockey team downed Bemidji State, 5-0, on Saturday afternoon to advance to the WCHA Final Faceoff next weekend.

Wisconsin (25-6-4) outshot Bemidji State (11-20-3) 49-15. Casey O'Brien put up five points, including two goals, to lead the Badgers. Nicole LaMantia, Daryl Watts and Makenna Webster each scored goals to help the Badgers to a win.

O'Brien got the game started with a goal just over a minute into play, giving the Badgers an early lead over the Beavers. Near the 13 minute mark Bemidji State took a five-minute major and Wisconsin had a 5-on-4 advantage. LaMantia hit a goal bar down during the power play to double Wisconsin's lead. Watts then got the puck in the neutral zone and weaved through traffic to light the lamp, getting the Badgers up 3-0. Wisconsin outshot Bemidji State 24-2 in the first period.

O'Brien potted one near the end of the second period to bring Wisconsin's lead to 4-0. Webster then lit the lamp in the final minute of the period to take the Badgers into the final period up 5-0 over the Beavers.

Neither team scored in the final frame and the game expired at 5-0.

Netminder Kennedy Blair had 15 saves to record her seventh shutout of the season.

Three Notes of the Game
- Sophie Shirley became the 13th Badger to record 150 career points with an assist on O'Brien's second-period tally. The senior had a three-assist weekend for UW.
- Watts now has 296 points, putting her seven away from matching the NCAA record for career points. 
- Wisconsin advances to the WCHA Final Faceoff for the 12th straight season. 

Straight from the Rink
Head Coach Mark Johnson
On the Badgers' top line production:
"They've been playing well, even last night's game I thought they had some quality opportunities and we didn't capitalize on some of them but today, if you get enough of them they eventually go in so it was nice to see them create some space and get some goals… We capitalized when we needed to and talked about trying to play ahead and we did that."

On having a full lineup: 
"We've been shorthanded for a stretch and we don't have much room for errors. You go through a stretch and I'm sure you do it every season where the puck doesn't go in… I've liked the way we played other than one period down in Columbus."

Up Next:
The Badgers are headed to the WCHA Final Faceoff in Minneapolis. Wisconsin will face Ohio State at Ridder Arena on Saturday with puck drop set for 4 p.m. The winner of that game will go on to the Final Faceoff Championship Sunday at 1 p.m.