The Gophers played Wisconsin, the No. 1-rated women's hockey team in the nation, even through three periods and a 5-minute scoreless overtime on Saturday afternoon at Ridder Arena.
But with the score still tied 1-1, WCHA rules called for a shootout to determine which team gets an extra point in the standings. And the Badgers won the five-round shootout 2-1 on goals by forward Sarah Nurse and defenseman Jenny Ryan, their team's fourth and fifth shooters.
Ryan got Gophers goalie Sidney Peters leaning to her left, then switched from her forehand to her backhand and adroitly put the puck into a wide-open net.
Megan Wolfe scored for Minnesota in the fourth round.
"Great game here tonight," Gophers coach Brad Frost said. "To tie a team like that who's been the overwhelming favorite this year feels good."
Wisconsin (27-2-3, 22-2-3-3 WCHA) extended its unbeaten streak to 15 games; its last loss was 2-0 to Minnesota on Dec. 3. Last weekend, the Badgers clinched the conference regular-season title and are now 3-0 in conference shootouts.
In this game, the No. 4 Gophers (23-5-4, 19-4-4-2) took a 1-0 lead with three seconds left in the middle period. Nicole Schammel scored her sixth goal of the season; Kelly Pannek had the lone assist, her 40th, which is six more than any other Division I player. Wisconsin argued the Gophers were offside on the play, but the goal stood.
Schammel went 5-hole on the play, and wound up on her derrière after a late-arriving Badger knocked her off her skates.
Nurse, a senior forward, tied the score at 13:35 of the third on her 19th goal.
