Women's Hockey Sweeps No. 10 Mercyhurst
November 17, 2002 | Women's Hockey
A three-goal 6:31 span early in the third period sparked the No. 6 Wisconsin women 's hockey team to a 4-2 victory and series sweep over No. 10 Mercyhurst at Mercyhurst Ice Arena on Sunday.
The Lakers had the Badgers on their heels to start the game and grabbed the lead with a power-play goal at 4:35. Lyndsey Barch found the net with a slap shot from the circle to the right of Jackie MacMillan (Buffalo, Minn.). Britney Millar and Danielle Lansing had assists on the goal.
Barch scored again at 8:34 for a 2-0 Mercyhurst lead. The forward cut through the slot and took a centering pass from C.J. Ireland, who was behind the goal.
MacMillan kept the Badgers in the contest with numerous saves in tight before the first period was half over before Wisconsin finally settled down.
Karen Rickard's (Bowmanville, Ontario) short-handed goal at 15:32 also helped. Jackie Friesen (Regina, Saskatchewan) battled for the puck after a face off deep in the Mercyhurst zone and flipped a pass to Rickard at the side of the goal. The junior found the net for the fourth time this season and for Wisconsin's first short-handed goal since Feb. 3, 2001 against Minnesota-Duluth.
The Badgers ended up with a 15-12 shot advantage in the first period, and earned a 13-7 edge in shots in the second, but the game stayed 2-1 heading into the third period.
A late Mercyhurst penalty in the second period led to Wisconsin 's tying score 19 seconds into the final period. Kerry Weiland (Palmer, Alaska) fed Sis Paulsen (Eau Claire, Wis.) at the point. Paulsen's shot was blocked in front of Laker goaltender Desi Clark, but Friesen was in place for the loose puck and backhanded it past Clark. The goal was her team-leading sixth of the year.
Steph Millar (Hudson, Wis.) gave Wisconsin its first lead of the day with her fourth goal of the season. Nicole Uliasz (Chalfont, Pa.) put the puck towards the net from the boards to the left of Clark. The puck was stopped, but the rebound bounced off Meghan Hunter (Oil Springs, Ontario) and to Millar waiting on the far side. The junior scored and put the Badgers up 3-2.
Twelve seconds later, the UW went up two when Michelle Sikich (Apple Valley, Minn.) clean face off win deep in the Mercyhurst end went to the stick of Kathryn Greaves (Mentor, Ohio) at the point. Greaves' slapper found room inside the far post and closed out the scoring. It was the first goal of the season for the defender.
The Lakers pulled Clark for an extra skater with 2:13 remaining in the third period, but managed just one shot on goal the rest of the way.
MacMillan stopped 22 shots and improved to 7-4-1. Clark made 37 saves, but fell to 1-2-0 this season.
Wisconsin (7-4-1, 1-4-1 WCHA) returns home for its only two-week homestand of the season next weekend when Ohio State visits. The Badgers, despite being one of only three teams in the league with a winning overall record will look to climb out of last in the WCHA standings.
