Seventh-ranked Wisconsin (21-9-5) won the third-place game at the WCHA women’s championship over third-ranked Minnesota (23-9-2) Saturday by the score of 4-3.
Steph Millar scored the game-winning goal at 8:35 of the third period, breaking a three-all deadlock. Sis Paulsen pinched deep along the boards, skated behind the net with the puck and made a feed to WCHA Rookie of the Year Meghan Hunter in front; the puck went off Hunter’s stick to Millar, who buried the wrist shot from the slot to decide the contest.
“It was a great game,” said head coach Trina Bourget. “It was the first time we beat the Gophers and it was very sweet to do it in the playoffs.”
Wisconsin overcame three one-goal deficits for the victory. The Badgers fell behind with just 16 seconds left in the first period when Nadine Muzerall stuffed a shot past Jackie MacMillan to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead.
Kendra Antony evened the scored early in the second after the Gophers took a penalty at 11 seconds. Paulsen, from her own slot, hit Antony on the far side of the red line behind the Gopher defense. Antony converted the breakaway at 26 seconds for her 19th of the season.
La Toya Clarke gave the Gophers back the lead at 3:20 from Ambria Thomas and Courtney Kennedy, making the game 2-1.
But Hunter tied the game at two with the Badgers’ second power-play goal, her national-best 42nd goal of the season. Millar and Paulsen assisted the score.
Like they did in the first period, the Gophers scored in the last minute of the second period for a 3-2 advantage. La Toya Clarke scored her second of the game from Thomas and Kennedy at 19:21. It was the game’s fourth-straight power-play goal.
But the Badgers equaled the contest for a third time when Nicole Uliasz kept a Gopher clearing attempt in at the blue line. Uliasz held the puck and skated into the slot before notching her sixth of the year at 5:51.
Minnesota had a chance to tie on a Badger power play at about 11 minutes of the third period. Clarke stole the puck at the her own blue line and skated in alone against MacMillan, but the sophomore stuck out the left pad to keep the lead for Wisconsin.
“Kerry and I were back there playing on the power play and sometimes we try and be too fancy,” said Paulsen. “They picked off the play and we knew we had to back check because Jackie is going to stop the first one. We have to be back for the rebound.”
MacMillan made 33 saves to improve to 18-8-5. Killewald dropped to 19-8-2 with her 18-save effort.
“It was an emotional rollercoaster and we just wanted to be on the winning end,” commented Hunter.
The Badgers, like the Gophers, now hope for an invitation to the first NCAA women’s Frozen Four. The announcement will be made on March 18 at 7 p.m. CST.
