The Gophers were swept by Wisconsin for the second time this season.

No. 7 Minnesota (20-10-3, 13-8-3) lost to No. 1 Wisconsin (29-3-2, 20-2-2-2) 1-0 in the final regular season game Saturday afternoon in Madison, Wisconsin. The Gophers went 0-4 on the power play and didn’t register a single shot on net during the power play all game. 

The Gophers lost all four games to the Badgers this year by one goal. 

“I wish we could have put one or more on the board there,” head coach Brad Frost said. “Defensively we were really sound tonight and we gave ourselves an opportunity to win.”

The game-winning goal came in the first period. Rofles scored when the puck took a weird bounce of the wall went right to her stick and she was able to bury the puck in the net with 3:51 left in the first period. 

The Gophers had their chances in the second period with three different power plays, but only Grace Zumwinkle’s shot that was blocked forced a save from the Wisconsin goaltender, Kristen Campbell.

The Gophers entered the third period needing a goal to tie the game up and two goals to avoid being swept by the Badgers, but they could not get anything going. Minnesota pulled the goalie with a minute remaining in the game, but a penalty was called on Sydney Baldwin soon after the extra attacker came on the ice.

Minnesota will return home next weekend to face St. Cloud State in the first round of the WCHA playoffs. 

“Really proud of our players of how hard they competed and battled,” Frost said. “Looking forward to getting into the playoffs knowing there is a lot of important games left to be played.”