Minnesota Duluth battled back from a two-goal deficit Saturday, but got burned on the penalty kill during the third period of a 4-2 loss to Wisconsin before a sellout crowd of 2,273 at LaBahn Arena in Madison.
The fourth-ranked Bulldogs and second-ranked Badgers wrap up their WCHA series at 2:07 p.m. Sunday in Madison.
Wisconsin outshot UMD 44-16 and took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.
The Bulldogs tied the game in the second period with goals by sophomore forward Anna Klein and freshman forward Gabbie Hughes - who both finished the afternoon with a goal and an assist.
UMD was whistled for four penalties in the third period resulting in three Badgers power plays. Wisconsin (5-0 overall, 1-0 WCHA) scored on two of the three, notching the game-winning goal from freshman forward Britta Curl with 7:08 remaining in regulation and adding an insurance goal from junior forward Abby Roque with 4:04 left.
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UMD (2-2-1, 0-2-1) was outshot 20-2 in the final 20 minutes as junior goaltender Maddie Rooney finished with 40 saves.
The Bulldogs took a total of six penalties for 12 minutes while the Badgers drew just two calls for four minutes - and one of those penalties was a matching minor. The Bulldogs' lone power play came with 3:29 left in the second.
Hughes now has three goals and five points just five games into her collegiate career, putting her atop the Bulldogs scoring list with junior forward Ryleigh Houston, who also has three goals and two assists.
Minn. Duluth 0-2-0-2
Wisconsin 2-0-2-4
First period - 1. W, Presley Norby 2 (Grace Bowlby, Natalie Buchbinder), 3:54; 2. W, Annie Pankowski 3 (Mikaela Gardner/Mekenzie Steffen), 13:24.
Second period - 3. UMD, Anna Klein 2 (Gabbie Hughes, Ryleigh Houston), 9:08; 4. UMD, Gabbie Hughes 3 (Anna Klein), 14:31.
Third period - 5. W, Britta Curl 2 (Pankowski, Nicole LaMantia), 12:52 (pp); 6. W, Abby Roque 4 (Sam Cogan, Sophie Shirley), 15:56 (pp).
Saves - Maddie Rooney, UMD, 8-14-18-40; Kristen Campbell, 3-9-2-14.
