University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
15-3-0, 11-3-0-0
Wisconsin
18-0-0, 12-0-0-0
Gophers Fall to Badgers, 3-1
12/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
Dec. 5, 2015
MADISON, Wis. - Sarah Potomak made it a one-goal game in the second period, but No. 3 Minnesota dropped a 3-1 decision to top-ranked Wisconsin in front of a sold-out crowd at LaBahn Arena Saturday afternoon.
Minnesota (15-3-0, 11-3-0 WCHA) gave up one goal in each period in its third loss of the season. Potomak scored her eighth goal of the season with 8:12 remaining in the game and Amanda Leveille made 24 saves as the Badgers outshot the Gophers, 27-24, for the game.
"I told our team that this weekend doesn't define us in who we are, but if we don't learn from it, that's going to be a shame," head coach Brad Frost said. "It was a good third period for us tonight. I'm a little disappointed that we lost our composure a bit there in the first couple periods worrying about other things that are outside of our control and instead we have to focus on what we have in the room. I thought in the third period in particular the team really figured that out and came together and really made a great game of it."
Wisconsin (18-0-0, 12-0-0 WCHA) received two goals from Annie Pankowski and an empty-net goal from Sarah Nurse to seal the win while Ann-Renee Desbiens made 23 saves. With a 3-2 overtime win in game one of the series, the Badgers swept the Gophers for the first time since Minnesota fell 4-2 and 5-2 on the road during the 2009-10 campaign (Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 2009).
Pankowski gave Wisconsin a 1-0 lead at the 16:34 mark of the first period. She broke through into the Gophers zone and got a shot off past Leveille despite the Gophers back-checking hard. Pankowski then scored her second of the game and third of the series at 16:35 of the second period to give the Badgers a 2-0 lead.
"We were kind of dead and buried after two periods with the way we were playing," Frost said. "We picked it up there in the third and got that one and really had some great chances down the stretch. Their goaltender made some incredible saves, we hit a couple more pipes, and that was the difference."
Potomak cut the deficit to one at 2-1 with a goal assisted by linemates Dani Cameranesi and Hannah Brandt midway through the third period, and the Gophers outshot the Badgers, 8-6, over the final 20 minutes. Minnesota pulled Leveille for the extra attacker with 54 seconds remaining, but Nurse tallied the empty-net goal with 16 seconds remaining.
The Gophers held the Badgers scoreless on four power plays while going 0-for-2 on two power-play opportunities of their own.
The series marked the first time the Gophers have been swept since dropping a series on the road at Minnesota Duluth, falling 3-2 and 4-2, during the 2010-11 season (Oct. 29-30, 2010).
"We're going to take a lot out of this weekend, playing the top team in the country, and try to have a good weekend next weekend and then get focused and ready for the second half," Frost said.
Minnesota faces St. Cloud State in the 2015 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women's Faceoff Classic at the Roseville Skating Center on Friday, Dec. 11, marking the team's final game of the 2015 calendar year. Puck drop between the Gophers and Huskies is set for 6:30 p.m. CT.
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