MADISON, Wis. -- The Maverick women's hockey team fell 5-2 to third-ranked Wisconsin in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association series-opening game played at LaBahn Arena, Friday evening.

MSU falls to 12-16-1 overall and 8-16-1 in the WCHA with the loss. UW improves to a 22-4-4 mark with a 16-4-3 record in league action.

After one period of play, the Mavericks and Badgers were tied 2-2. MSU's senior forward Brittyn Fleming struck first when she buried her 13th goal of the season 31 seconds into the opening period. No more than two minutes later, at the 2:12 mark of the first period, Nicole LaMantia tied the game 1-1. UW grabbed its first lead at 9:40 of the first period via Daryl Watts. Maverick forward Kelsey King scored next to tie it at 2-2 after teaming up with her linemate, Kennedy Bobyck, for a give-and-go 2-on-1 play, which led to King scoring her team-high 14th goal of the season.

Wisconsin scored a pair to take a 4-2 lead during the second period. The scoring surge included Casey O'Brien's eventual game-winning goal 2:58 into the middle period before Watts struck a second time at the 13:19 mark. The Mavericks found themselves trailing by two after two periods in Madison.

The Badgers held on for the win while adding one more during the final 20 minutes. At 12:26 of the third period, O'Brien scored the insurance goal for her second of the night to make it 5-2, where it ultimately stood.

The Badgers outshot the Mavericks 38-22 in Friday night's contest. The face-off margin also sided with UW 32-25. 

In between the pipes for the Badgers, Kennedy Blair, now 19-4-4 this season, made 20 saves on 22 shots for the victory. In goal for MSU, junior Calla Frank, now 10-14-1 on the season, stopped 33 of the Badgers' 38 shots.

Late in Friday's contest, MSU took the game's only penalty. UW was unsuccessful in the one chance on the advantage.

The Mavericks and Badgers rematch Saturday for the series finale back at LaBahn Arena with a 4:00 p.m. face-off.

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