GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Wisconsin won its first tournament title in four years with a 4-0 blanking of Bemidji State Sunday afternoon in the championship game of the WCHA Final Face-Off.
“Obviously, I’m happy for the players and everybody associated with our group,” Badgers’ coach Mark Johnson said. “I thought for three periods we played really sound hockey.”
Sarah Nurse scored two goals with an assist for the second straight day and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
“She kept pushing herself and creating opportunities and this weekend, played very well and was a big factor in why we won the tournament,” Johnson said.
The Badgers (28-6-4) also got goals from Karley Sylvester and Katarina Zgraja and a 15-save shutout from goalie Ann-Renee Desbiens.
“Congratulations to Wisconsin,” BSU coach Jim Scanlan said. “A very, very deserving playoff champion. I thought they were outstanding today. They came out of the gates all guns blazing.”
Bemidji State (21-17-1) state was unable to get a goal to give the team a spark.
“At any point in time had we scored a goal that could have change the complexion, but give Wisconsin credit, because they came out of the gates hard,” Scanlan said. “They got the first one and they were able to extend it. They’re such a quality team defensively. They don’t give you many chances to begin with and when you do get them, they have such an outstanding goalie.”
“The five of us seniors for the past three years haven’t been able to have the opportunity to play in this game, so we kind of stressed that over the past week and kind of drove that into everyone’s head and everyone worked hard in practice,” Sylvester said.
Nurse retained her scoring touch from Saturday, picking a corner 6:39 into the game.
“That’s the one thing about Wisconsin is they’re so deep,” Scanlan said. “Here’s Nurse on the third line for crying out loud and she’s just a dynamic player.”
Nurse then slipped in a shot from along the goal line six minutes later to make it 2-0.
“I saw the puck go behind the net and I went to get it, and being below the goal line, I just kind of put it toward the goaltender and it happened to hit and go into the net,” Nurse said.
The goal came following forecheck pressure of the previous Wisconsin line that kept the Beavers pinned in their zone and unable to change lines.
“It’s hard when you get stuck out there for that long,” Nurse said. “As an offensive team, you can tell when they’re down and out, and I think we just needed to capitalize on that.”
Sylvester made a rally all the more unlikely when she buried a loose puck in the final seconds of the middle frame to increase BSU’s deficit to three.
“That goal was huge,” she said. “All my linemates and the defense were working hard to get the puck to the net and luckily, I got my stick on it and it went through the goalie’s legs.”
Zgraja’s goal 4:04 into the third period on a rush provided the final margin.
BSU senior Christine Grenier slid heavily into the boards in the opening minutes of the game and had to be helped off the ice, but she was able to return to her final collegiate game.
“It was everything,” Grenier said. “Thanks to the doctors and everyone who helped out. It was just scary when I went into the boards and lucky that I got to come out.”
The result ends Bemidji State’s season, but it was already a landmark campaign.
“Just very, very proud of my hockey team,” Scanlan said. “To play in a championship game … in Vegas, I’m sure the odds would have been pretty astronomical. We’re extremely proud of what we’ve done this year. Of all the years I’ve had coaching, this is probably my funnest, and I owe it all to these young ladies.”
Grenier can graduate proud of what her team achieved under her captaincy.
“It shows that Bemidji State is a top-tier program,” she said. “We’re here and we’re not going away.”
Wisconsin will host an NCAA quarterfinal game next weekend.
The WCHA Final Face-Off All Tournament team was comprised of Nurse, Sydney McKibbon of Wisconsin and Stephanie Anderson from BSU up front, defensemen Mellissa Channell of the Badgers and the Beavers’ Ivana Bilic and Desbiens.
