ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Mavericks (17-19-2) faced a tough test against the top-seeded Wisconsin Badgers (32-3-2), falling 7-2 in the semifinals of the WCHA Final Faceoff on Friday afternoon.

Wisconsin opened the scoring late in the first period at the 18:41 mark to give the Badgers a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission. Minnesota State goaltender Hailey Hansen turned away several early chances to keep the Mavericks within reach through the opening period.

The Badgers answered with a three-goal spurt over a four-minute period midway through the second period before freshman Sophie Stramel scored an even-strength goal at 7:27, assisted by Ayla Puppe and Whitney Tuttle, to put Minnesota State on the board.

Wisconsin continued to add pressure in the third period, scoring two more goals to push the advantage to 7-1. Minnesota State continued to battle late, as Lauren Goldsworthy scored at 5:50 with assists from Zoe Lopez and Bella Shipley to bring the score to its final margin of 7-2.

"I am proud of this group; we had 10 newcomers and a couple of seniors who are out with season-ending injuries. Our leadership group did a great job of bringing our young players on and telling them how we approach things." said head coach Shari Dickerman.

Hansen finished the game with 44 saves as the Mavericks recorded 27 shots on goal.

With the result, Minnesota State concludes its run at the WCHA Final Faceoff after advancing to the semifinals for the first time since 2009. Additionally, MSU's 17 wins this season is a new program record.