Bulldogs unravel in third period, get swept by Badgers – Duluth News Tribune

DULUTH — Minnesota Duluth was on its way to splitting its weekend and regular season series with defending national champion Wisconsin, leading by three goals going into the third period.

But just as they did against Minnesota and Ohio State

at the NCAA Frozen Four back in March,

the second-ranked Badgers once again

mustered some magic at Amsoil Arena

by scoring four unanswered goals to rally for a 5-4 victory over the No. 7 Bulldogs and sweep the WCHA series.

Junior wing Lacey Eden scored two of the Badgers’ four goals in the third period while Kirsten Simms buried the game-winning goal for Wisconsin with 91 seconds remaining in regulation.

Asked how the Bulldogs were feeling after blowing a three-goal third-period lead, Bulldogs coach Maura Crowell used one word.

“Terrible,” she said, before repeating it again. “Terrible.”

The Bulldogs’ (13-11-2 overall, 10-10 WCHA) collapse began six-plus minutes into the third period when they gave up two goals to Wisconsin (22-4, 16-4) in 28 seconds, on back-to-back shifts. The first was a fluke — Eden tossing a puck across the UMD crease that bounced off the skate of UMD senior defenseman Nina Jobst-Smith and in.

Freshman center Cassie Hall scored on the ensuing shift and Eden knotted the game at 4-4 with 11:13 remaining.

“That was an unlucky bounce,” Crowell said of Eden’s first goal. “We should have been able to shake it off. ‘Okay, there’s one,’ and ‘Boom,’ we give it up 20-30 seconds later, whatever it was, on the very next shift. And then we’re just scrambling.

“You just can’t be that fragile to a goal against when you’ve played a fantastic hockey game. So, lots to learn there.”

The Bulldogs scored three goals in the second period…