Challenging loss: Late video review allows Badgers to hold off Bulldogs, 4-3

DULUTH — An extra-attacker goal by Minnesota Duluth sixth-year senior Naomi Rogge with 1:52 remaining in regulation appeared to knot up the finale of a dramatic WCHA series between the fifth-ranked Bulldogs and No. 3 Badgers on Saturday at Amsoil Arena.

However, Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson made a risky challenge of the goal, arguing the Bulldogs were offside on the zone entry that led to Rogge’s score. Johnson was right, the goal was overturned by video review and the Badgers held on for a 4-3 victory over UMD to take four out of six league points on the weekend in Duluth.

“That’s a tough one,” Bulldogs coach Maura Crowell said. “That’s a tough one when I feel like our team played well enough to win, that’s for sure.”

Johnson’s decision to challenge Rogge’s game-tying goal was risky because earlier in the game, he lost a challenge, costing the Badgers a timeout. If Wisconsin lost another challenge, the team would be assessed a minor penalty.

This is the first season in both men’s and women’s NCAA hockey that coaches have unlimited challenges, but can be penalized for going to the review too often and being wrong.

Crowell — who lost a challenge and timeout calling for a face-masking major penalty in Friday’s come-from-behind 3-2 overtime victory over Wisconsin — won a challenge in the third period that gave the Bulldogs a major power play down 4-2.

Badgers fifth-year senior center Jesse Compher was initially given a minor penalty for slashing at 6:30 of the third. Compher smacked Bulldogs fifth-year senior goaltender Emma Soderberg in the head while the UMD goalie was sprawled out on her stomach covering the puck. Crowell called for the review and Compher was ejected, receiving a major penalty and game misconduct for contact to the head.

“I thought it was obvious,” Crowell said of the major. “I saw a two-handed chop from the bench.”

After Crowell won her challenge, Johnson challenged that a Bulldog should receive a major penalty for the scuffle that ensued after Compher’s two-handed chop. Both Ashton Bell and Maggie Flaherty came to Soderberg’s defense, but the officials said no major penalty occurred, costing Johnson a timeout (rules prevent coaches from challenging for a minor penalty).

Despite two of the three challenges going the Bulldogs’ way Saturday, UMD didn’t have a rosy view of the replay system in place.

“Technology is interesting, right?” Crowell said. “It helps get the five-minute major — which I thought was obvious live, I don't think it needs to go to video all the time — and then you go to video (at the end) and things happen. So technology sometimes gets in the way of our game, but it is what it is.”

Bell scored for the Bulldogs late in the Compher major while on a two-player advantage after Badgers freshman defenseman Caroline Harvey was called for interference, pulling UMD within a goal.

UMD went into the third period down 3-2 after what Crowell agreed was a dominating second period against Wisconsin.

The Bulldogs outshot the Badgers 16-11 in the second, and it was 9-2 at one point. They took a 2-1 lead 5:30 into the period when sophomore wing Gabby Krause put away a rebound for her fourth goal of the season.

“We were just rolling there in the second,” Bell said. “We've been having really good second periods, just getting good line changes and keeping the pressure on (opponents) in the (offensive) zone. We were able to establish that and get some good looks.”

The Badgers made the few scoring chances they had in the second count, however, as sophomore wing Lacey Eden tied the game on just the third shot of the period for Wisconsin. Harvey picked up a free puck in the slot and got a clean shot off late in the second to put Wisconsin up by one. She finished with two goals after scoring on the power play in the first.

3. UMD sophomore defenseman Hanna Baskin — A beautiful snipe by the UMD sophomore, who was the seventh defenseman on Saturday. It was her first collegiate goal.

2. UMD fifth-year senior defenseman Ashton Bell — Her 5-on-3 power play goal was big in the third, giving UMD a chance late to tie the game.

1. UW freshman defenseman Caroline Harvey — She finished with two goals for the Badgers to help her team slip out of Duluth with four league points.

Wisconsin 1-2-1—4
Minnesota Duluth 1-1-1—3
First period
1. UW, Caroline Harvey (Natalie Buchbinder, Maddi Wheeler), 3:30 (pp)
2. UMD, Hanna Baskin (Kylie Hanley, Clara Van Wieren), 8:32 (pp)
Second period
3. UMD, Gabby Krause (Gabbie Hughes), 5:30
4. UW, Lacey Eden (Britta Curl, Buchbinder), 8:45
5. UW, Harvey (Sophie Shirley), 16:40
Third period
6. UW, Nicole LaMantia (Casey O’Brien, Wheeler), 3:44
7. UMD, Ashton Bell (Naomi Rogge, Nina Jobst-Smith), 10:59 (pp)
Saves — Jane Gervais, UW, 35; Emma Soderberg, UMD, 22.
Power play — UW 1-1; UMD 2-5. Penalties — UW 5-21; UMD 2-4.