Wisconsin women�s hockey team is heading north to play Minnesota in a do-or-die playoff game for the second time in a week. The only difference is that last week they played Minnesota for a shot at the WCHA crown, and this time they are playing for a shot at their third-straight NCAA title.

Fortunately for UW, the Badgers scored a 4-3 victory over the Gophers last time, and they will be looking to repeat that performance.

�Yeah, we played well against [Minnesota] last time,� junior goaltender Jessie Vetter said. �But it is a whole new game, and they are a good team. What we did last time doesn�t mean anything. We just have to come out and play aggressive, play hard, and hopefully we will get another win.�

The Badgers were a bit surprised to draw the Gophers in the first round, considering that UW is ranked sixth in the PairWise Rankings and UMN is ranked fourth.

�Actually, we�re very surprised that we�re playing Minnesota,� UW head coach Mark Johnson said. �When we looked at maybe one of our or two of our matchups, depending on what we did this weekend, Minnesota was not in any of the pictures, to be honest with you. So coming home on the bus when all of a sudden we heard Minnesota, I think we were all a little bit surprised, like, ‘OK, how did that happen?’�

Despite the peculiar matchup, many of the players view it as a positive outcome.

�If we weren�t going to have a home bid, I think Minnesota is a very good pick for us,� Vetter said. �We don�t have to travel very far, and we all enjoy playing at Ridder, so it should be a very fun game.�

The Badgers are in the unique position of having to play their border-rival two weeks in a row for a playoff game, where the loser will go home.

�It is definitely going to be very emotional game,� Vetter said. �Some team is going home at the end, and I�m sure Minnesota doesn�t want to let that happen two weeks in a row. At the same time we have the confidence that we can beat them, so it should be an exciting game.�

The Badgers are 3-1-1 against the Gophers this season, and a large part of that record is due to their defense. UW gave up an average of 1.8 goals per game to Minnesota this season, holding the Gophers well below their season average of 3.4 goals per game.

�One thing we have to do is stay out of the penalty box,� Johnson said. �Their power play is very good, and we don�t want to give them those chances, because it can change the momentum of a game.

�Mostly though, we have to continue to do everything we have done up to this point. It isn�t time to reinvent the wheel. We have only lost two games since December, so we just have to come out and play our game.�