Mankato, Minn. --- The Minnesota State women's hockey team fell in the series opener to the #1 Wisconsin Badgers by a 5-1 score Friday at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center.
 
The Mavericks and Badgers were skating even nearly halfway through the first period until junior winger Caitlin Schneider took a Maverick turnover from the defensive blue line and turned it into a breakaway goal at the 9:11 mark. The Maverick deficit grew to two at the 11:57 mark as junior forward Delaney Drake's pass bounced off an MSU skate and into the back side of the net. The Badgers would score one more time before the first 20 minutes were up at the 16:08 mark when sophomore winger Britta Curl skated just under the left face-off circle, went down to a knee and scored on a backhanded shot off the far post.

Wisconsin scored quickly in the second period to take a 4-0 lead. While Minnesota State was on a power play, senior forward Abby Roque found senior linemate Alexis Mauermann alone in the middle of the ice and beat sophomore netminder Abigail Levy to the glove side for the short handed goal. The Mavericks got on the board at the 18:35 mark as junior center Brittyn Fleming won the battle in the front of the net, pushing in the puck for her sixth goal of the season.

The Badgers scored the final goal of the game at the 9:21 mark in the third period as junior center Brette Pettet took a shot from the right hash mark, over the shoulder of Levy.
 
Sophomore Abigail Levy (5-10-3) made 32 saves in the defeat.

The Mavericks were outshot by the Badgers by a 37-12 margin. Minnesota State and Wisconsin both went zero-for-one on the power play.
 
Now standing with a 10-15-5 (3-13-3-3 WCHA) record, the Mavericks and Badgers will square off in game two tomorrow at 2:07 p.m., at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center.
 
Head coach John Harrington commented following the game.