Hey there Badger Fans!
 
Last weekend the Badgers attained two wins in Mankato after a hard-fought battle against the Minnesota State Mavericks.
 
Friday's game resulted in a 3-2 victory as the Cardinal and White came back from a one-goal deficit heading into the third period. Snipes by Presley Norby and Sophia Shaver (along with Abby Roque's goal earlier in the game) helped push the Badgers ahead.
 
On Saturday the Badgers came out flying, focusing on doing the little things better, bearing down for a gritty 3-1 win thanks to goals by Brette Pettet, Claudia Kepler, and Maddie Rowe.
 
I asked Shaver, an alternate captain, about the factors she believed played into the Badgers' success.
 
"I think our ability to stay positive on the bench when we were down on Friday was a big part in why we were able to come back in the third," she noted. "We played our best in the third period on Saturday because we were able to control the puck in the neutral zone and get a lot of good quality shots."
 
This week, the Badgers are back in Madtown, preparing to face the Bemidji State Beavers in a two-game series this Friday and Saturday. The locker room is buzzing with excitement to be back on home ice in front of our favorite electric crowd.
 
"I think this weekend will be a big test for us because this team is going to be the toughest team we've faced all year," Rowe said. "For preparation, I think it's important that we are focused on the little things and working hard during practice because those things will transfer over into the game. This weekend we will need to bring our best game for both 60 minutes if we want to be successful. I think this weekend is going to be a fun one!"
 
Excellent insight Maddie! If a team is able to achieve good habits and do the little things right, the rest of the game will come naturally.
 
Come out to LaBahn Arena Friday and Saturday nights at 7 p.m. to watch us take on Bemidji State. If you cannot make it, follow us on UWBadgers.com or via our Badger Women's Hockey Twitter feed.
 
We hope to see you there! We cannot wait to be a part of the LaBahn atmosphere again.
 
On Wisconsin!

-Baylee