University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
14-2-2, 12-2-2-2
Wisconsin
15-2-1, 11-2-1-1
Gophers Drop Game Two of Border Battle
12/4/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Hockey
MADISON, Wis. - A day after securing a 2-0 win over the top-ranked Badgers, the No. 2 Minnesota women's hockey team dropped an 8-2 decision to settle the Border Battle series with a split at LaBahn Arena Sunday afternoon.
Minnesota (14-2-2, 12-2-2-2 WCHA) received goals from Caitlin Reilly and Megan Wolfe, and Sidney Peters made 13 saves on 19 shots before Serena D'Angelo came in for the final 20 minutes and made seven saves on nine shots faced.
Wisconsin (15-2-1, 11-2-1-1 WCHA) was led by Sarah Nurse's four points (3g-1a) and two goals from Baylee Wellhausen. Ann-Renee Desbiens made 23 saves as the Badgers outshot the Gophers, 30-25.
"They played with great desperation, which we knew they would," head coach Brad Frost said of the Badgers. "You know, when you get beat at home and you're the top team in the country, you don't want to come back and get swept, and so they did a real nice job coming out strong and we didn't have any answers tonight."
Despite the lopsided score, the Gophers held the Badgers scoreless on the power play as UW was 0-for-2 with the man advantage. Minnesota was 1-for-2 on the power play.
Nurse gave Wisconsin an early 1-0 lead in the fourth minute of the game, but the Gophers responded with a goal by Reilly just 2:59 later. Kippin Keller sent a cross ice pass to Reilly streaking up the right side, and she beat Desbiens with the equalizer.
The Badgers then rattled off three goals in a 1:34 span to take a three-goal lead with tallies by Sydney McKibbon and Wellhausen before Nurse scored her second of the game.
Megan Wolfe got one back for the Gophers when she converted on the Gophers' first power play of the game at the 15:51 mark of the opening frame. Kelly Pannek and Kate Schipper picked up assists on the play, and the Gophers headed into the first intermission trailing by two, 4-2.
"You go into the second period thinking if we can get the next one, all of a sudden it's 4-3 and it's a different game," Frost said. "But, they got the next one and a few more after that. Credit them, they played really well."
Minnesota gave up two goals in each of the final two periods. Nurse and Wellhausen added second period goals to make it 6-2 as Nurse completed a hat trick just 1:54 into the middle frame before Wellahusen netted her second of the game at the 12:18 mark.
D'Angelo made her fourth career appearance for the Gophers, coming into the game for the third period. The Badgers added two more goals in the final frame with tallies by Alexis Mauermann and Annie Pankowski.
The Gophers were without the services of Dani Cameranesi, who left game one of the series in the third period with a lower-body injury.
Minnesota closes out the first half of the season with a road trip to Boston University next week. The Gophers and Terriers face off at 6 p.m. CT Friday, Dec. 9 and 2 p.m. CT Saturday, Dec. 10.
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