Colgate's dangerous duo stands in way of Wisconsin women's hockey and Frozen Four berth
Contain or keep up.
The fate of the Wisconsin women’s hockey team could come down to one or the other when it faces Colgate in the regional final of the NCAA Tournament at 2 p.m. Saturday (ESPN+) at the Raiders’ home, Class of 1965 Arena, in Hamilton, N.Y.
Will the Badgers be able to contain the nation’s top scoring tandem, senior Danielle Serdachny and junior Kristyna Kaltounkova, or will they have to rely on their own deep, balanced attack to earn a spot in the Frozen Four, which will be played next week in Duluth, Minn.
UW showed a little of both in its 9-1 victory over Long Island in the opening round Thursday. The Badgers allowed just seven shots, while equaling a school record for goals in a postseason game and getting half of its skaters (10) a goal or an assist.
The contest Saturday will feature two of the nation’s top scoring teams. It’s just that they get to that point in different ways.
The edge Serdachny (70 points) and Kaltounkova (56) have for the title of the nation’s top tandem is just one point over Minnesota’s Taylor Heise (65) and Grace Zumwinkle (60). The two account for 28% of Colgate points his season.
To Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson, the Raiders bear more of a resemblance to another WCHA rival.
"There are probably more similarities with Ohio State from what I see, just from a structure standpoint, of how they play, what they're trying to do and how they go about managing their game...," he said Friday. "The team we're playing tomorrow obviously had a great season. They have high-level players. They've got good goaltending. They're deep on defense. They're a confident group."
More:Wisconsin women's hockey ties scoring record n NCAA win over Long Island
In comparison, Wisconsin’s top scorers, junior Casey O’Brien and Lacey Eden, account for 19% of the Badgers’ goals and assists. Eleven UW players have scored at least 20 points, balance that was on display Thursday.
Wisconsin took control with a three-goal first period and finished the night with 59 shots, its third-highest total of the season. Seniors Jesse Compher and Britta Curl had four-point nights and seven other players had multi-point efforts.
The performance came on a night when Johnson was also able to dig into his bench in anticipation of a high-energy affair Saturday.
"The entire third period we just rolled our four lines, nobody on our bench got extended minutes tonight,” he said after the victory Thursday. “It was a nice opportunity to play in the rink we're going to be playing in again on Saturday. Everybody got an opportunity to play, everybody had a smile on their face and again, you're just looking to get another game.”
Colgate earned a first-round bye. Serdachny comes into the contest fresh off four goals and five assists in five games of the ECAC tournament. Kaltounkova had two goals and six assists.
Both carry four-game scoring streaks into the regional final as Colgate attempts to reach the Frozen Four for the second time in school history. In its only appearance, 2018, the Raiders defeated Wisconsin in the semifinals, 4-3.
The Badgers, meanwhile, will be playing for their 14th berth in the national semifinal. They'll have to play an even cleaner game than they did Thursday to get there.
"We watched film today on them and just practiced and worked on some specific things, but I don't think it's going to be a whole lot different than some of the better teams we play in our league," senior Britta Curl said. "They're pretty offensively talented. They play a fast, transition game so if we can limit their odd-man rushes and play good in the D zone and just play good hockey, I don't think we'll have any problems."
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Colgate duo stand in way of UW women's hockey's quest for Frozen Four
