No. 2 Badgers prepare for conference-rival Bemidji State
December 05, 2013 | Women's Hockey
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Dec. 5, 2013
• Wisconsin Notes 
| Bemidji State Notes
MADISON, Wis. -- Following a busy month of road play, the Wisconsin women's hockey team will return home for its lone December series this weekend in two contests against conference-foe Bemidji State at LaBahn Arena. The contests will take place at 2 p.m. on both Friday and Sunday.
Coming off a victory and a tie in a series at Minnesota Duluth last weekend, the Badgers (12-2-2, 8-2-2-1) remained in the No. 2 spot in this week's USCHO.com and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls, a spot the team has held for the past five weeks behind No. 1 Minnesota. Wisconsin's 1-0 win on Saturday at Minnesota Duluth extended the Badgers' unbeaten streak to 12 games, the longest in the nation.
Two Badgers, senior Madison Packer and freshman goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens, also picked up WCHA honors this week for their performance in Duluth. Desbiens was awarded her first WCHA Newcomer of the Week award, and Packer was named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career.
Desbiens improved her season record to 4-0-0 and save percentage to .962 in Saturday's game after replacing senior Alex Rigsby in the net in the heart of the second period. She recorded 13 saves in the remainder of the contest, including some critical stops after UMD pulled its goaltender within the two-minute mark to hold the opponent scoreless.
"Desbiens did very well," UW head coach Mark Johnson said. "They pulled their goalie with just over a minute to go in the game, and they had six players on the ice, and they attacked the net very strongly. She withstood it and had a great big smile on her face at the end of the game. I think her teammates were equally as excited for her as she was for herself. She played very well and gave us an opportunity to come away with a 1-0 victory."
Packer proved to be an offensive threat in the Minnesota Duluth series, taking part in all three of the team's goals. She recorded an assist in Wisconsin's first goal Friday after sending a shot that deflected off UMD goaltender Kayla Black, setting up the rebound shot sophomore Courtney Burke poked into the net to tie the game at 1-1. Later in the game, Packer marked her fifth goal of the season after lighting the lamp in the third period to tie the game at two goals apiece.
Packer then connected with junior Karley Sylvester on her way to the goal during Saturday's contest, helping propel the Cardinal and White to a 1-0 victory. The efforts brought her career point total to 91, putting her 20th on the UW all-time points list.
Bemidji State (7-7-2, 4-5-1) last took the ice in a home exhibition game Nov. 27, when the Beavers fell 5-4 to the Russian National Team in overtime. Senior Tess Dusik, senior Allie Duellman and junior Kristine Grenier each recorded two points in the loss, and senior goaltender Jessica Havel made 29 saves during her 65 minutes in goal.
 Wisconsin hosts Bemidji State this weekend at LaBahn Arena.Buy Tickets Now! |
BSU has only defeated Wisconsin four times in the 14-year rivalry, with the Badgers leading the all-time series record 51-4-3. One of these victories came last season on Oct. 19, when the Beavers narrowly beat the Badgers 1-0 at LaBahn Arena. But Wisconsin dominated the most recent meeting between the teams last February, sweeping Bemidji State 2-0 and 3-1 in a two-game series at the Sanford Center in Bemidji, Minn.
The key to success this weekend, Johnson said, is competing with the same intensity he has seen in his players during the past six road tests.
"We've been consistent. I don't think that will change," said Johnson. "So last week getting ready to go up to Duluth, we had four great practices prior to our game Friday night. I anticipate having another week of strong practice and the competitiveness and the chemistry part of it, I think, will help in our preparation for Friday afternoon."
Friday's match-up will begin at 2 p.m. at LaBahn before the teams conclude the series with a 2 p.m. tilt Sunday. The Badgers will then have nearly a month break before returning to the rink Jan. 3 to face St. Cloud State at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud, Minn.
