MADISON, Wis. --- Minnesota State falls to #2 Wisconsin 7-2 in Western Collegiate Hockey Association action Saturday at LaBahn Arena.
 
Junior Chloe Crosby got her first start in net this season for the Mavericks, but the Badgers were too much to handle on Saturday.
 
The Badgers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead 1:42 into the game with freshman blueliner Nicole LaMantia scoring her first collegiate goal over the glove of junior netminder Chloe Crosby. UW added another goal in the first period when senior forward Emily Clark scored right in front of the crease after being tangled with an MSU defender.
 
There was a total of seven penalties in the second period with the Mavericks being called for four of them. Minnesota State cut the lead in half on a power play goal by senior winger Rebekah Kolstad. She rifled her eighth goal of the season from the left face-off circle and went top shelf on junior netminder Kristen Campbell at the 6:09 mark. Wisconsin answered with two power play goals of its own at the 8:55 and 10:22 mark. With an extra attacker on the ice because of a second impending penalty, junior forward Abby Roque tipped in a goal right in front of the net. The Badgers scored on that next penalty as junior blueliner McKenzie Steffen went top shelf from the left dot to go up 4-1.
 
Wisconsin added another goal 1:16 into the third period as senior winger Annie Pankowski forced a turnover and then went top shelf. Freshman winger Sophie Shirley then beat two MSU defenders and faked out Crosby for a goal at the 7:48 mark to make the score 6-1. Minnesota State was able to get a goal back as freshman winger Claire Butorac got behind the Badger's back line on a breakaway. Butorac's first collegiate goal went under the pads of Campbell and into the low, left corner of the net at the 9:22 mark. The final goal of the game came from Wisconsin as freshman winger Britta Curl fired a wrister from the right dot and went top shelf at the 13:21 mark.
 
Junior Chloe Crosby turned away 37 shots in her first start and now has a 0-1-0 record. Minnesota State was outshot by Wisconsin 44-13 and collected 38 blocked shots in the game. The Mavericks went one-for-two on the power play and the Badgers went two-for-six.
 
Minnesota State (9-14-5, 3-13-3-2 WCHA) and Wisconsin will play game two tomorrow afternoon at 2:07 p.m., at LaBahn Arena.
 
Head coach John Harrington commented following the game.