Wisconsin 3, Boston College 2

A Decker’s dozen wins it for Badgers
Penalties, mild fatigue inhibit BC’s comeback
By Al Daniel

Contrary to the adage that often bears a firm element of truth, this NCAA women’s hockey postseason has been the year of the likely hero.

The newest exhibit went up for public viewing with an even 48 ticks separating Wisconsin and Boston College from a sudden-death segment in Friday’s first Frozen Four semifinal game at Tullio Arena. The dynastic Badgers would have none of that drama.

Senior Meghan Duggan, the nation’s leading playmaker with a goal-assist value pack already on the night, dangled her way through a maze in the dirty-nose area to within spitting distance of BC fortress Molly Schaus. As she looped around the far post, her shot momentarily floated while linemate Brianna Decker cut to the front porch.

Decker’s dogged pursuit of the rebound paid off as she buried the tiebreaker to ultimately grant Wisconsin a 3-2 victory. The goal amounted to the speedy sophomore’s nation-leading 12th decider of the season and also pushed Duggan ahead of idled Mercyhurst sizzler Meghan Agosta for an NCAA-best 49 helpers on the year.

“Big time play by a big time player,” remarked Badgers’ head coach Mark Johnson, who easily could have spoken of one, or both, or all three of his starting forwards. (Hilary Knight, No. 3 among all national point-getters, garnered the second assist on the winning play.)

Decker’s strike made for a literally last-minute repossession of momentum, which startlingly seemed to have shuffled over to the BC bench, particularly when rookie Taylor Wasylk drew the 2-2 knot on an eye-pleasing breakaway with 8:37 left in regulation.

And theoretically, the Eagles might have tacked on one or two more at the expense of unripe Badger backstop Alex Rigsby (23 saves), were it not for a multitude of early penalties. During the first period, wherein Wisconsin sculpted an ordinarily daunting 2-0 edge, BC spent 5:01 shorthanded.

By the conclusion of the middle frame, the Eagles had committed six infractions and spent a cumulative 8:41 on the PK. During that time, the Badgers rolled up nine power play shots, one of which went in off the stick of Brooke Ammerman for the second goal at 11:58 of the first.

Well, what else was new? BC, No. 11 in the nation in terms of penalty minutes per night, was dealing with one of the most overwhelmingly crafty strike forces in the country.

“I think in that first period, we were a little jittery, a little nervous,” said Eagles head coach Katie King. “Pucks were bouncing off our sticks, we were doing some things that maybe took ourselves out of position a little bit so we may have needed to hook or grab or get in their way. But I thought our kids settled in after that first period.

“It’s hard to kill penalties, especially when you use the same kids killing penalties as we do on a regular shift and on the power play. I thought our kids did a pretty good job of killing off most of them.

“They obviously have a potent offense and a dangerous power play, and we don’t really want that unit on the ice very often. To be able to kill as many as we did was obviously a success, but it definitely does take a lot out of you.”

After Duggan and Ammerman struck, the red lights settled down, too, for a time. But BC sophomore defender Blake Bolden, arguably the losing side’s most valiant performer of the night in both ends, let her third of a team-best six shots on the night zip home at 8:39 of the middle frame, two seconds before a tripping penalty to Duggan was due to expire.

The Eagles never broke double digits under the SOG heading for any of the three periods. Conversely, Wisconsin did in each stanza. But between Bolden’s conversion and leading up to the waning minutes of the third, there was at least a mild vibe of momentum favoring the upset-minded club.

“As you start the game, it’s going to create its own story,” said Johnson. “Obviously, having three-and-a-half power plays in the first period gave us an opportunity to create some offensive chances. We were fortunate enough to get a couple of goals. It would have been nice to have a couple more, but they’re a good team. They’re quick, they’re fast, they’re opportunistic.

“But we were fortunate enough, at the end there, to get another one by Molly.”

Fortunate? Yes, all data be darned, that’s the operative term in the minds of the Badgers, who will vie for their fourth national crown on Sunday against Boston University.

“I didn’t really know that,” said Decker when asked about her unmatched collection of clinchers. “It just happens that I get the goal. I don’t try and do that, my teammates feed me well. I don’t think about that kind of stuff when I’m out there. My linemates and I just move the puck around and just put it in whenever we can.”