No. 3 Wisconsin kept rolling through the playoffs with a 6-0 win over North Dakota on Saturday, good for another trip to the WCHA semifinals. Erika Lawler led all Badger scorers with two goals and an assist.
North Dakota (7-27-2) dug itself a hole by taking two early penalties, and sophomore Jinelle Zaugg made the Sioux pay with a power play goal eight minutes into the game. Her goal snapped a five-game scoring drought.
The Badgers (31-4-1) pulled away with two quick goals early in the second period. Cyndy Kenyon was helped by Bauer for her tally at 1:32. Lawler followed her with her 11th goal of the season from Tia Hanson and Angie Keseley at 2:04.
The freshmen were a force for the Badgers in the series, combining for 11 points this weekend, highlighted by Friday’s natural hat trick by Keseley, and a five-point weekend for Lawler.
After the second goal, North Dakota made a personnel change and benched senior goalie Amber Hasbargen after 21:59 of play and eight saves. A rookie, Kari Gabrielson took her place in her first collegiate appearance. Gabrielson stopped 13 shots in the remaining 37:54.
Nikki Burish scored her 10th goal this season at 16:57 for a 4-0 lead. Burish became the sixth Badger to register double-digit goals this season.
The Badgers tacked on two more goals late in the third period with a delayed penalty goal at 15:30. Bobbi-Jo Slusar fired a shot from the blueline that went wide of the net but bounced back hard, and Phoebe Monteleone jammed the puck into the left side of the net.
Lawler closed out the scoring at 17:09 when a Sioux skater inadvertently popped the puck in her own net, and Lawler was the last to touch the puck.
For the Badgers, senior Meghan Horras made 18 saves in the stonewalling. It was her second consecutive shutout and the 17th of her career, a new school record.
