BEMIDJI, Minn. – Senior captain Casey O'Brien scored twice to lead the top-ranked Wisconsin women's hockey team to its 30th win of the season as UW defeated Bemidji State 6-1 on Friday afternoon at the Sanford Center.
Caroline Harvey, Cassie Hall, Laila Edwards and Finley McCarthy also scored for the Badgers (30-1-2, 24-1-2-1-0-1 WCHA) to extend the team's winning streak to 16 games against the Beavers (6-27-1, 4-23-0 WCHA).
Harvey opened the scoring six minutes into the game. Claire Enright drove into the zone and passed it to Harvey who took a shot that was saved. Harvey retrieved the rebound and sent a low shot past the outstretched left pad of BSU netminder Kaitlin Groess.
Bemidji State equalized the game at 1-1 on the power play halfway through the second frame. Wisconsin restored their lead with four and a half minutes left in the period. Lacey Eden pulled past the Beaver defense and took a shot that Groess saved, but Hall pounced on the rebound and tucked it into the back of the net.
O'Brien doubled the Wisconsin lead with two and a half minutes to play in the second period. Kirsten Simms and O'Brien broke through the defense and on the 2-on-0, Simms sent a pass across the slot that O'Brien one-timed past Groess. The Badgers took their 3-1 lead into the second intermission.
Five minutes into the third period, Edwards extended Wisconsin's lead to 4-1 with her 29th goal of the season. With eight minutes to play, Simms and O'Brien broke through the defense again, but this time around, O'Brien took the shot herself and beat Groess to give the Badgers a 5-1 advantage.
With just over 30 seconds remaining, freshman Finley McCarthy recorded her fourth goal of her career and season to seal the game with a 6-1 Badger victory.
McNaughton stopped 11 of the 12 shots she faced for her NCAA-leading 29th win of the season.
Notes of the Game
- Harvey broke the school record for most points in a single season by a defender with her first-period goal on Friday.
- Wisconsin earned its 30th win of the season, marking the 11th time that UW has won 30 or more games in a season.
- The Badgers outshot the Beavers 38-12.
Straight from the Rink
Junior Defender Caroline Harvey
On the milestone:
"My teammate had said something to me about the milestone, but. I'm just glad we got the win, we just had a week off. We're going to keep pushing forward and we're focused on the playoffs and what matters."
On the big goal in the second period:
"Finley got a nice touch to Lacey (Eden), and she drove the net and then Cassie (Hall) finished it off. It gave us some extra momentum when Cassie put that in the net. It was a difference-maker. We needed that goal and we got some momentum after that."
On what lies ahead Saturday and during the playoffs:
"We know who we're going to face in the next couple of games. We're taking it game-by-game, shift-by-shift. We're excited for the last game of the regular season but focusing on taking it one game at a time."
Up Next: The Badgers will wrap up the regular season with a showdown with the Beavers on Saturday at 2 p.m. Fans can watch the game on Big Ten Plus or listen to the action on 1070 The Game.
