The Mercyhurst women’s hockey team gave top-ranked Wisconsin a big-time battle.

But after playing the teams played to a draw through two periods in their NCAA Division I quarterfinal matchup Saturday night at Kohl Center, the defending national champion Badgers took control.

Top-seeded Wisconsin scored twice in the third period to seal a 3-1 win against the No. 8 Lakers to end Mercyhurst’s season and send the Badgers (32-4-2) to next weekend’s Frozen Four in Duluth, Minn.

Senior forward Kelley Steadman scored Mercyhurst’s lone goal, which tied the score 1-1 with 40 seconds left in the second period. But Hilary Knight’s short-handed breakaway snapped the tie with 8:42 left in the game. Brianna Decker’s empty-net goal with 1:15 left sealed the Lakers’ fate.

The Lakers (23-8-3) ended their season in the quarterfinals for the second straight season. They lost to Boston University 4-2 a season ago.