Wisconsin Beats Minnesota 3-1
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Wisconsin scored three goals in the second period and ruined Minnesota's first game as the No. 1-ranked team in the country with a 3-1 win over the Gophers on Friday.
The Badgers (5-5-1, 4-4-1) needed less than six minutes of the second period to blow open a tight game.
Mark Zengerle scored at 5:28 and Keegan Meuer at 6:13 for a 2-0 lead. At 11:06, Michael Mersch beat Kent Patterson for a 3-0 Badgers lead. Wisconsin had just eight shots on goal in the period.
Mersch added an assist.
Patterson finished with 17 saves for Minnesota (9-2-0, 6-1-1), which last played as a top-ranked team on Nov. 29, 2008.
Joel Rumpel made 24 stops for Wisconsin.
Jake Hansen ruined the shutout on the power play with 1:09 left.
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