On the road in South Dakota, the Wisconsin Selects continued their undefeated season with a pair of wins and a tie. Wisconsin avenged an early season tie with South Dakota with a 2-0 shutout Saturday afternoon at the Larsen Ice Center in Brookings. Kennedy Kohlman stopped all twenty-three shots for the Selects. Later in the evening Wisconsin came from behind to forge a 2-2 tie with the Minnesota Ice Cougars on a powerplay goal by Izzy Johnson. On Sunday, the Selects allowed just fourteen shots as Kohlman and Sierra Andert shutout the Cougars 1-0. Wisconsin is now 12-0-2 on the season and ranked fourth in the nation.

Selects 2  South Dakota 0

Shaking off the rust of the long ride to Brookings and the previous weekend off, Wisconsin started slowly against South Dakota. Ten minutes into the opening period Wisconsin had generated just one shot on goal, while South Dakota tested Kohlman with ten. “We talk a lot about starting on time,” said head coach Dan Bauer, “but we forgot to set our alarm, except Kennedy who kept them off the scoreboard until we woke up.” Morgan Kivel scored her tenth goal of the season on a great individual effort. The River Falls senior, stripped the puck from the defenseman just inside the Selects blue line and was off to the races on a breakaway. With pressure coming from the inside, Kivel calmly sniped goaltender Chloe Vikander short side, under the crossbar for a 1-0 Selects lead.

Wisconsin would outshoot South Dakota 9-4 for the rest of the period and forty-seven seconds later advance their lead to 2-0. In a very similar play, Penny Loeffelholz knocked a puck past the defenseman and led a 3-1 rush. Loeffelholz fed winger Marley Larson whose shot was stopped by Vikander. The rebound bounced around where Larson was able to bank it off Vikander and into the net.

Playing a two-period format, Wisconsin held an 11-9 shot advantage in period two as Kohlman stayed perfect in finishing the shutout with twenty-three saves. South Dakota had two grade A chances with their goalie pulled late, but Kohlman stymied both. Kohlman, a GWHCA All-State honorable mention goaltender as a freshman for Fond du Lac, is currently filling in for injured First Team All-State goalie Makenna Hutchison of Hayward.

Selects 2  Ice Cougars 2

It was another sluggish start for Wisconsin in game two Saturday night against the Minnesota Ice Cougars. Despite being out shot 8-5 in the opening period, the Selects managed to score first with just under five minutes to play in period one. It was Kivel who got things started again for Wisconsin. Senior Chloe Katsma threaded a long stretch pass to PaisLee Lystig crossing the red line. It sent Lystig on a 2-0 with Kivel. Lystig fed Kivel near the top of the crease where Cougar goalie Samantha Braun slid by as Kivel cut back across and tapped the puck in for a 1-0 lead. “Morgan has great presence of mind around the net,” noted Bauer, “she quickly processes the situation and is able to finish with goals. The play started with great awareness by Chloe and PaisLee to catch the Cougars in a change.”

Minnesota tied the game late in the period on a goal by Amelia Olson who got loose in front of the Selects net where she one-touched a pass from behind the net past Andert. The period ended tied at 1-1.

Midway through the final period, Minnesota took a 2-1 lead on a breakaway goal by Anna Lane. The Cougars hung on to the lead until late in the period when they took back-to-back penalties putting Wisconsin on the powerplay. The Selects capitalized on the second powerplay when Kivel sent a perfect backdoor pass to Izzy Johnson who roofed it past Braun to tie the game with 2:51 remaining. Andert kept the door closed, finishing with seventeen saves and the 2-2 tie. Bauer was disappointed in his team’s slow starts, but happy with their finish. “We had a couple of defensive lapses that gave them uncontested looks from the prime scoring area, and it cost us, but it was good to see us rally and come from behind late.”

Selects 1  Ice Cougars 0

It was back on the ice with the Cougars on Sunday morning as the two teams met for the fourth time this season. Wisconsin had a much stronger start putting twelve shots on net to eight for the Cougars as the teams skated to a scoreless first period. With an elevated defensive effort, the Selects limited Minnesota to five second period shots. Senior Reese Duncan tallied the games only goal midway through the period. Dana Jacobson didn’t get on the scoresheet, but her hard forecheck created a loose puck on the half-wall that Duncan gathered in and took to the net. Braun made the initial save, but Duncan stayed engaged with the rebound and ensuing scrum, sliding the puck past Braun from her knees for her third game-winning goal of the season.

“That line of Jacobson, Duncan and Eleanor Adams created a lot of havoc,” Bauer declared. “They are tenacious and disruptive and that goal was a perfect example. They do the little things, pay attention to the details and today they got rewarded with a nice goal.”

Kohlman and Andert combined to make thirteen saves in the teams’ seventh shutout of the season. The team has allowed only fourteen goals in fourteen games. “Our goaltending has been outstanding,” admitted Bauer. “But a lot of that is also due to our aggressive D-core that does a really nice job of shutting down plays early, before they can develop into threats.” Wisconsin’s back end consists of seniors Sophia Johnson, Kayla Dogs and Chloe Katsma, junior Annika Olinski and sophomores Liela Reed and Brenna Rogers.

“Being accountable and diligent in the defensive zone is a high priority,” maintained Bauer. “Offense comes and goes, but good teams rely on playing great defense every game. That is our goal.”

Wisconsin will head to Marinette and Waupun this weekend for a pair of games with the Superior Ice Breakers on Saturday and the 7th ranked Glenview Stars on Sunday.

Photo Credits: Alicia Larson and Sonja Adams