The No. 2 Wisconsin Badgers (34-5) began their quest to repeat as NCAA champions with a 4-0 win over No. 7 St. Lawrence (28-11). The win sends the Badgers to Durham, New Hampshire for the Frozen Four on Friday, where they will square off with No. 3 Colgate.
Senior Casey O’Brien found herself alone in front of the net just 16 seconds into the NCAA Regional match-up and buried what would prove to be the game-winning goal. The goal was O’Brien’s 23rd this season and her 70th point overall.
The quick goal, however, was not a sign of things to come. The score remained 1-0 for the next 44:08 before junior Sarah Wozniewicz gave the Badgers some insurance.
Sophomore Laila Edwards broke through with two goals roughly three minutes apart, continuing her reign of terror following a four-point effort in the WCHA tournament championship game against Ohio State.
Sophomore point machine Kirsten Simms added three assists to remain three points clear of O’Brien atop the NCAA leaderboard. Both Simms and O’Brien were named top-three finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award recognizing the nation’s top collegiate player.
Freshman Ava McNaughton was sensational, making 25 saves and posting a clean sheet for her fifth shutout victory of the year. McNaughton was integral to the win, as the Saints kept within striking distance while Wisconsin nursed a one-goal lead for the majority of the contest.
The rookie netminder set the tone with an impressive save midway through the first period when St. Lawrence forward Julia Gosling snuck in alone, but McNaughton stuffed the attempt with a quick glove, securing the puck and stopping play.
St. Lawrence kept it tight for a while in their search for the equalizer, but Wisconsin took control toward the end of the second period and applied pressure all the way to the end. Shots on goal were nearly even at the halfway point, with the Badgers holding a 16-14 advantage.
Wisconsin ultimately ended the game outshooting the Saints 47-25 and running away with the game behind three third-period goals.
The Badgers are playing their best hockey in March, which bodes well for a program heading to its 15th Frozen Four and looking to repeat as national champions this weekend.
Waiting for the Badgers in New Hampshire is Colgate, who outlasted No. 6 Cornell in their regional for a 3-1 victory. Colgate is one of three teams, including the Badgers, to notch a win against No. 1 Ohio State this season. We’ll have more on the Badgers’ Frozen Four opponent later this week.
In the meantime, get your popcorn ready for a loaded Badger double-feature Friday night. Wisconsin’s Frozen Four game starts at 6:30 p.m. CT, while the men’s basketball team drew an 8:40 p.m. CT tipoff for their NCAA first-round matchup against James Madison University. Both squads will look to start the weekend hot and finish on a high note on Sunday.