MADISON — The Wisconsin Badgers showed off their roster’s depth on Friday night as their third and fourth lines accounted for all five goals and six of the night’s seven assists in the team’s win over St. Thomas.
The bulk of playing time on Mark Johnson’s Badgers is distributed among the top three lines, with the fourth line playing sparingly as the season progresses. But Claire Enright, Marianne Picard and Grace Shirley made the most of their time, scoring three times.
“As the third and fourth line, we just want to bring the energy to the ice and do whatever we can to keep pucks deep, keep pushing possession, work hard and get those gritty goals when needed. Today it worked and we’re happy it happened,” said Kirsten Simms.
The freshman scored Wisconsin’s third goal with a display of puck control and movement that was the opposite of gritty. However, she was quick to point out that she had the opportunity to show off some moves because her linemates had won battles in transition. The part where she put it in the net was just the final step of a fight for the puck.
Johnson said the game was an important lesson in patience for his team.
“There are going to be some games where you are not getting breaks on every shot you take, the goalie makes a save or you miss the net. Tonight we missed the net early on quite a bit. It is a learning opportunity and still young and time in the season. I am anxious see how we come out in the first ten minutes tomorrow and I am interested in how we respond,” he said.
The Badgers outshot St. Thomas 43-9. It was the fourth-straight game that UW has recorded 40 over more shots on net.
Shirley, who had a career night with two goals and an assist, opened the scoring less than three minutes into the game by corralling a loose, bouncing puck and beating St. Thomas goalie Saskia Maurer.
Sarah Wozniewicz extended the lead midway through the period on a snipe from the slot and the Badgers took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.
In the second, Simms carried the puck in and went forehand, backhand, top shelf to give the Badgers a 3-0 lead.
Enright scored her first career goal midway through the final frame on a great effort from Picard, who carried the puck behind the net and waited patiently for the lane to feed Enright as she crashed the net. Her initial shot was saved, but Enright corralled her own rebound and buried it to make it 4-0.
After a blown play in the offensive end, Grace Shirley kept up pressure on the St. Thomas defense. She was able to pokecheck the puck to Simms and then break for the net, where Simms fed her and she one-timed the puck to the back of the net from one knee to make it 5-0.
The two teams face off again at 6 PM central time on Saturday. The game will be streamed on BTN+.
