MADISON, WIS. – The sweep of No. 1 Wisconsin, which coach Brad Frost had hoped after his team won the series opener, eluded the Gophers on Saturday afternoon.
But No. 5 Minnesota got the next best outcome possible. The Gophers officially tied the Badgers 2-2 after a scoreless 3-on-3 overtime, but then won a shootout 3-2 for the extra point in the WCHA standings. So Minnesota picked up five of a possible six points this weekend.
Freshman defender Emily Zumwinkle — Minnesota's eighth shooter — got the deciding goal in the shootout. Teammates Taylor Heise and Emily Brown also scored.
After winning 3-2 on Friday to end the Badgers' 22-game unbeaten streak going back to last season, the Gophers took a 1-0 lead in the second game on freshman Peyton Hemp's sixth goal of the season at 11:11 of the opening period. Olivia Knowles fired the puck off the endboards, and it was picked up by Emily Oden behind the goal line. She fed Hemp in front who chipped her shot over the left shoulder of Badgers goalie Kennedy Blair.
Casey O'Brien of Wisconsin (15-1-2, 11-1-2 WCHA) tied the score at 1-all at 2:01 of the second period.
The Gophers (13-4-1, 8-3-1) retook the lead Zumwinkle's second goal of the season at 7:43. Less than two minutes later, O'Brien scored again at 9:35. Her shot appeared to go off the skates of a Minnesota player.
Lauren Bench had 37 saves for the Gophers, including a huge stop against Makenna Webster in the last minute of overtime when Wisconsin had a 4-on-3 power play.
Kennedy Blair stopped 30 shots for the Badgers, who took a 6-0-2 unbeaten streak vs. Minnesota into this series.
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