Much to Head Coach Mark Johnson’s chagrin, his Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team entered the third period tied with the Minnesota State Mavericks on Friday night. Just like its previous two contests, Johnson’s squad was in a “tight” one late. Unlike the previous two, the Badgers wound up on top.
The winningest coach in the history of women’s college hockey lamented his team’s start and wished they had generated more scoring chances. Still, he recognized that his roster with several newcomers and three players returning just the day prior from Hockey Canada training camp has time to grow.
“You know those little things that that maybe early in the season you want to have in place, you know, just aren’t there,” said Johnson in a post-game interview. “So you just have to deal with it.”
Eventually, Wisconsin (5-2-0, 1-2-0 WCHA) did enough things right to generate a four-goal third period and pull away with a series-opening 5-1 victory.