MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin scored three goals in the second period and ruined Minnesota's first game as the No. 1-ranked team in the country with a 3-1 win over the Gophers on Friday.
The Badgers (5-5-1, 4-4-1) needed less than six minutes of the second period to blow open a tight game.
"Once they got that lead, we knew it would be tough because they're known as a defensive team," said Minnesota's Jake Hansen, who ruined Joel Rumpel's shutout with a goal with 1:09 left.
Mark Zengerle scored at 5:28 and Keegan Meuer at 6:13 for a 2-0 lead. At 11:06, Michael Mersch beat Kent Patterson for a 3-0 Badgers lead. Wisconsin had just eight shots on goal in the period.
Mersch added an assist.
Patterson finished with 17 saves for Minnesota (9-2-0, 6-1-1), which last played as a top-ranked team on Nov. 29, 2008.
"We can't expect (Patterson) to stop breakaway after breakaway," Hansen said.
Rumpel made 24 stops for Wisconsin.
Minnesota had been held scoreless in just three periods this season. The Gophers hadn't won their first six WCHA games since 1994.
UMD 5, Alaska-Anchorage 0
DULUTH — Jack Connolly had a goal and an assist to lead Minnesota Duluth to a 5-0 win over Alaska-Anchorage in a Western Collegiate Hockey Association game on Friday.
Kenny Reiter had 27 saves to get the shutout for the Bulldogs (6-3-2, 4-2-1). He had 13 stops in the third period to get his third shutout in four games.
Chris Casto, Travis Oleksuk, Joe Basaraba and Jake Hendrickson also scored for UMD. The Bulldogs had four goals on nine shots against UAA starting goalie Rob Gunderson.
Chris Kamal came on and the Seawolves' (3-5-1, 0-5-0) goalies combined for 26 saves.
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