MADISON, WIS. – The top-ranked Gophers women's hockey team lost 5-0 to No. 2 Wisconsin at LaBahn Arena on Friday.

Kennedy Blair made 30 saves for her third shutout of the season. Five different Badgers scored goals.

"Certainly not the result that we were looking for tonight," Gophers coach Brad Frost said. "We really didn't expect that coming into the game here tonight. Our team was a little flat.

"The first period was somewhat even, but being down 2-0 after one on a couple backdoor goals where we missed some assignments picking up sticks, that third goal was kind of a back-breaker.

"… There's no easy way to spin this one. We did not do what we needed to do and Wisconsin did."

BOXSCORE: Wisconsin 5, Gophers 0

Lauren Bench had 21 saves for the Gophers (8-2 overall/ WCHA), giving up two goals in each of the first two periods, before being replaced by Makayla Pahl, who had eight saves in the third.

Minnesota was averaging 3.1 goals per game, had won seven games in a row, and had not been shut out this season.

Sophie Shirley and Dara Greig scored for the Badgers (5-2) in the opening period and Britta Curl and Daryl Watts in the second. MaKenna Webster got the final goal in the first minute of the third.

Shirley's goal came at 8 minutes, 26 seconds of the first, Greig's seven minutes later on a power play.

"Any time you can get a goal like that early on, it kind of builds confidence throughout your whole lineup," Shirley said.

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