Bauer leads Wisconsin women to second straight hockey title

Mar 18, 2007 - 7:49 PM LAKE PLACID, New York (Ticker) -- Sara Bauer did not win a second straight Patty Kazmaier Award. But she and her University of Wisconsin teammates won a second straight title.

Bauer had a goal and two assists to power Wisconsin to a 4-1 victory Sunday over Minnesota-Duluth in the championship game of the NCAA Women's Frozen Four.

The Badgers capped a remarkable season in which they went 36-1-4, winning their last 12 games and going unbeaten in their last 26 contests (23-0-3). They avenged their only loss of the season, a 2-0 setback to Minnesota-Duluth on November 24.

A native of Ontario, Bauer won the prestigious award a year ago, leading the Badgers to the championship. She was a finalist this year, when she collected 23 goals and 40 assists and was named WCHA Player of the Year. However, she lost to Harvard's Julie Chu.

Bauer had three assists in Friday's semifinal win over St. Lawrence and was sharp again Sunday, finding teammates and the net.

The senior forward set up Jinelle Zaugg's goal that opened the scoring nine minutes into the contest. She also assisted on Erika Lawler's goal at the 7:24 mark of the second period before scoring herself less than five minutes later, giving Wisconsin a commanding 3-0 lead.

Minnesota-Duluth finally got on the scoreboard with a power-play goal by Emanuelle Blais with 5:37 left in the middle session.

It was the first score allowed by UW goaltender Jessie Vetter in NCAA Tournament play in a staggering 422 minutes, 36 seconds dating to a 2006 quarterfinal victory over Mercyhurst.

Lawler tallied 10 seconds later, killing any momentum for Minnesota-Duluth (24-11-5), which never got any closer.

Vetter, who blanked Minnesota in last year's title game, made 17 saves. Kim Martin stopped 20 shots for the Bulldogs, who had won their three previous trips to the title game from 2001-03.

Minnesota-Duluth needed an overtime to upend Mercyhurst in the regionals and two extra sessions to knock off Boston College, 4-3, in Friday's semifinals.

Wisconsin was taken to four overtimes by Chu and Harvard before emerging with a 1-0 victory in the regionals.