MADISON, WIS. --- The University of North Dakota's women's hockey team fell behind early to the second-ranked Wisconsin Badgers this afternoon as the Badgers scored three first-period goals on its way to a 6-2 win.
Senior captain Casie Hanson (St. Peter, Minn.) scored for the Sioux (12-9-2; 8-8-1-0 WCHA) making it three straight games where she has found twine with the other goal coming from Alyssa Wiebe (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) keeping her scoring streak alive. Wiebe has now scored in the last eight games.
The Badgers (19-1-3; 13-1-3-1 WCHA) came into the game not the top-ranked team in the nation for the first time since Oct. 7 (11 straight polls), as they lost and tied the defending national champion Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs last weekend and Minnesota took over the top spot.
Before either team could even make a line-change, Hillary Knight put the Sioux exactly where they did not want to be --- down on the scoreboard early. The goal was on the Badgers first shot of the game only 38 seconds in on their first shift.
The Sioux looked to step it up a notch as the flow was back-and-forth before Wisconsin would take control of the game going into the first intermission with two more goals. Carolyne Prevost scored at 16:55 and Meghan Duggan made the game 3-0 at 18:57.
Knight would record her second goal of the game, giving the Badgers a 4-0 lead, 3:52 into the second period.
Wisconsin scored its fifth goal on the power play as Mallory Duluce tipped in a slapshot by Alycia Mathews. The Badgers have the top-ranked power play in the nation coming into the game converting at 32 percent and finished todays game 1-for-3. The Sioux did not have a power play attempt in the game.
Meghan Duggan would connect for her second goal of the game at the 3:22 mark of the third period before Hanson would put the Sioux on the board. Senior Melissa Jaques skated the puck into the Badger zone and left the puck in the slot where Hanson would rifle a wrist shot far-side past Badger goaltender Jessie Vetter, glove side, at 7:13.
Hanson now has a five-game scoring streak with four goals and two assists for six points.
Wiebe would score the games final goal at the 12:19 mark giving her 11 on the year which is second to Jaques' 13 who also assisted on both Sioux goals giving her 17 on the year.
Kirkham concluded the game with 31 saves on the other end Vetter made 16 saves.
The Sioux wrap-up regular season action against the Badgers tomorrow with a scheduled 12:07 faceoff.
