MANKATO, Minn. --- The Minnesota State women's hockey team battled back to tie the game twice against #1 Wisconsin before falling, 3-2, in the final minutes of a Western Collegiate Hockey Association game played, Saturday.
Minnesota State (2-6-1, 2-6-1 WCHA) and #1 Wisconsin (2-1-0, 2-1-0 WCHA) played a tight game that never saw more than a one-goal deficit.
The Badgers got on the board first 9:39 into the opening period when Grace Bowlby delivered a pass from the UW defensive zone to find a streaking Makenna Webster. Webster took the ice-long feed for a breakaway and beat MSU netminder Calla Frank between her legs to make it 1-0 Badgers. At the 15:47 mark of the first, freshman forward Sydney Langseth tied the game at one by scoring her third goal of the season with a chip shot past UW's goaltender, Kennedy Blair. The goal was made possible via a nice back-door feed from Tristen Truax. Claire Butorac supplied the secondary assist with the offensive zone entry and hand-off pass to Truax.
The second period saw the Badgers reclaim the lead, 2-1, when freshman centerman Casey O'Brien cleaned up a rebound shot by her wing partner, Britta Curl, 15:52 into the middle period. UW carried the one-goal lead into the second intermission.
Mavericks senior center Brittyn Fleming tied the game, 2-2, 10:26 into the third. Fleming's third goal of the season came unassisted after a UW turnover led Fleming across the neutral zone and down to the top of the right face-off circle where she took a shot that snuck under Blair's arm and trickled into the net. After a slashing penalty on MSU put UW on the power play with 3:36 remaining in regulation, the Badgers capitalized on the opportunity 21 seconds later to take their third lead of the afternoon. Daryl Watts scored the eventual game-winner off a rebound courtesy of a tipped shot from Sophie Shirley that Frank initially kicked wide.
UW claimed the shots advantage 30-20. Frank, now 1-4-1, made 27 saves. Opposing netminder Blair, now 2-1-0, stopped 18 shots.
UW got each of the game's four power play chances and used the final one to win the game. Ultimately, they went 1-for-4 with the man advantage, Saturday.
Tomorrow, Minnesota State and #1 Wisconsin square off again in the final game of the weekend series with a 2:07 p.m. face-off at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center.
Minnesota State head coach John Harrington commented following the game.
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