Wisconsin breaks through the Minnesota Duluth wall to reach the WCHA tournament championship game

The WCHA’s defender of the year provided a boost on offense Friday to put the Wisconsin Badgers into the title game of the conference tournament.

Junior Caroline Harvey finally broke through the wall Minnesota Duluth’s Ève Gascon had built, scoring with less than five minutes remaining in the second period for the go-ahead goal in a 3-1 victory in Duluth.

Freshman defender Emma Venusio added a goal with less than two minutes left in the game as UW ((34-1-2) beat UMD (21-14-2) for the fifth time this season.

Gascon already had stopped 27 shots on goal by that point, and she finished with 39.

Wisconsin sophomore Ava McNaughton finished with 21 saves after giving up a score to sophomore Grace Sadura on UMD’s first shot on goal at 2:56 of the first period.

Harvey, who already led NCAA Division I defenders in scoring, was named the defender of the year Thursday when the league handed out its individual honors. All-WCHA first-team forwards Casey O’Brien and Laila Edwards were credited with assists on her goal.

The top-ranked Badgers will face the winner of the second semifinal between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 4 Minnesota in the championship game at 2 p.m. Saturday at AMSOIL Arena, UMD’s home rink. Ohio State is the only team to have beaten UW this season.

The Badgers wrapped up the regular-season WCHA title a month ago and regardless of what happens in the league tournament will host an NCAA quarterfinal Saturday at LaBahn Arena in Madison. UW is chasing a record eighth national championship.