The Wisconsin Badgers (1-6-1, 1-4-1 WCHA) finally earned their first win of the season, taking a 5-2 win over the North Dakota Fighting Sioux to split the series
After a scoreless first period, North Dakota found the net late in the second period, netting two consecutive goals before the end of the period.
Ryan Duncan put North Dakota on the board at 14:23 into the second period. Duncan won a puck race in the neutral zone and one-handed a shot past senior Shane Connelly for a short-handed goal.
Jason Gregoire added to the lead on a soft goal from a bad angle near the goal line.
Wisconsin tallied three goals in the first two minutes of the third period to take the lead, then potted two late to seal the victory.
Derek Stepan got the Badgers on the board 56 seconds into the third period. Jamie McBain shot from the point and the puck ricocheted past Brad Eidsness off Stepan’s skate.
Less than a minute later, Blake Geoffrion connected with freshman Jake Gardiner (Minnetonka, Minn.) to tie the game. Gardiner took a shot from the point that Geoffrion deflected into the net for his second goal this season.
Another fast goal put Wisconsin up when Gorowsky finished a 2-on-1 rush with McBain for the third Badger goal in just 1:21 of play.
Gorowsky found the net again with 6:18 left in the game to expand UW’s lead to two.
Four minutes later, Geoffrion notched his second goal of the game to put Wisconsin up 5-2. The team captain solidified UW’s lead with a short-handed goal on an empty net with just over two minutes left in the game.
