The Wisconsin Selects dropped a pair of closely contested games, 4-3 and 4-2, to the Minnesota Ice Cougars, last weekend in Chippewa Falls. Both games were tied into the third period, with Minnesota finding a way in each to win late. The two losses were the first of the year for the Selects, whose record stands at 9-2-1.

Selects head coach Emily Bauer reflected on the value of the missed opportunities. “We talk a lot about how when you don't win games you need to learn from them” she said, “and that is our focus going into this weekend. How can we learn from these games and continue to get better each time we are together.”

Wisconsin struck first in game one on a rebound goal by Rachael Beeck off a shot from the blue line by Rhylee Buesgen. It was Beeck’s team leading 7th goal of the season. Minnesota answered when defenseman Tori Schmidt tucked a low wrist shot through traffic, just inside the far post to tie the game at 1-1.

After a scoreless second period, the teams headed to third still tied. Minnesota scored off a set face-off play early in the third to take the lead. The Ice Cougars scored again off a face-off when Haley Gray, buried a rebound from in close to put Minnesota up 3-1. With just under four minutes to play, Wisconsin’s Kayla Dogs hard forecheck turned over a loose puck that Gabi Heuser grabbed and fed backdoor pass to Addison Gruhlke for Selects powerplay goal cutting the lead to 3-2. The Cougars blocked a Selects shot with the goalie pulled and hit the empty net for a 4-2 lead with just over a minute to play. Sheehan scored a powerplay goal on a deflected Heuser shot to close the gap to 4-3 with just 4 seconds to play.

Makenna Hutchison finished with 26 saves for Wisconsin. Minnesota outshot the Selects 29-25.

Wisconsin came out hard in game two outshooting the Cougars 10-3 in the opening period, but it was Minnesota’s Stella Bengston scoring at the 1:31 mark to take an early lead. Sophie Johnson tied the game midway through the period off a face-off win by Sheehan. Alex Luke scored on a deflection just fourteen seconds into period two to give Minnesota a 2-1 lead. With time running down in the second period, Sheehan would get her second of the weekend, and the third powerplay goal, when she redirected an Emmerson Berger shot to tie the game.

Two goals in thirty-seven seconds midway through the third period would stake the Cougars to a 4-2 lead. Heuser and Sheehan had a 2 on 1 chance with about seven minutes to play but couldn’t convert. Goalie Annika Olson turned aside 26 shots, holding off a late Selects surge, to get the win for Minnesota. Greta Woelber stopped 16 in a losing effort for Wisconsin.

A busy week ahead for the Selects as they will host the Wisconsin College Showcase in Green Bay. The weekend will include a rematch with the Ice Cougars, a showdown with Badger City and games with the St. Louis Lady Cyclones and the Grand Rapids Griffins. Showcase games will be played at the Cornerstone Community Center and the De Pere Ice Arena.

Dan Bauer is a free-lance writer, retired teacher & hockey coach in Wausau, WI. You can contact him at drbauer13@gmail.com.