Vetter does it again with shutout victory
December 05, 2008 | Women's Hockey
As Jessie Vetter extended her NCAA career shutout record to 33, the Badgers overpowered St. Cloud State 7-0 Friday afternoon at the Kohl Center. Vetter saved 11 shots and contributed an assist, while offensively, six different players scored for Wisconsin with freshman Brooke Ammerman scoring twice. Wisconsin increases its unbeaten streak to 19 games going 17-0-2, 11-0-2 in the WCHA while the Huskies fall back 9-6-2 (6-6-1 WCHA).
The first period went scoreless as Wisconsin pummeled St. Could State with shots. The Badgers took 15 shots in the first period, while the Huskies only attempted five. With less than one minute left in the period, Hilary Knight had a shorthanded breakaway, but St. Cloud State's goalie Ashley Nixon blocked Knight's backhanded shot from the right corner of the crease.
'I think the first period, not having practiced here all week, it wasn 't too bad,' Wisconsin head coach Mark Johnson said. 'We killed two and a half penalties and still had 15 or 16 shots that period, which is pretty good. [St. Cloud] has a nice team.'
The Badgers lit up their offense in the second period scoring three goals within five minutes to go up 4-0. Pulling it out of a scuffle at the top of the crease just five minutes in, Carolyne Prevost scored the first goal for Wisconsin off of a shot attempt by Knight. Less than a minute later, Jasmine Giles put in the Badgers second goal at the center of the crease. Giles scored off of a centering pass from Ammerman and an assist by Kelly Nash. Wisconsin's third goal came from Meghan Duggan at 11:20 into the second period. Receiving a pass from Alycia Matthews, Duggan skated around the Husky defense and scored from the top of the crease. To end the period, Knight blazed an impressive slapshot past Nixon's left shoulder with 1:15 remaining. Duggan and Vetter assisted Knight's powerful goal.
With impressive shooting and solid goal keeping, the Badgers scored three goals in the third period, decisively ending the game 7-0. Wisconsin's fifth goal came from a give-and-go between Ammerman and Kyla Sanders 1:42 into the third. Skating up the rink Ammerman passed it to Sanders who snapped it back to Ammerman. She then put it past Nixon from the left side of the crease.
The Badgers seventh goal came from a dexterous move by Kelly Nash. Nash took a shot, started falling backwards but realized the rebound came straight back to her. While toppling backwards, Nash slapped the puck down and put it past Nixon's right shoulder 6:24 into the period. Wisconsin's last goal came 8:36 into the period as Ammerman scored her second goal of the night off of Sander's second assist of the night.
Overall, the Badgers went 1-4 on the power play while the Wisconsin defense held the Huskies scoreless on the power play going 0-6. The Badger defense only allowed 11 shots to get through to Vetter who added another shutout to her tally, giving her eight on the season. Nixon saved 36 Wisconsin attempts for St. Cloud State as the Badgers outshot the Huskies 43-11.
The Badgers continue their series against the Huskies at 2 p.m. tomorrow (Dec. 6) at the Kohl Center.
