DULUTH, Minn. — Mark Johnson skated a couple of analytical shifts before the University of Wisconsin women's hockey coach produced his most important thought Thursday night.

"On this stage," he said of the NCAA Frozen Four, "you have to come up with big plays at certain points in the game."

It helps to have so many seasoned, reliable, capable contributors eager to make those moments come to life.

The Badgers moved a step closer to their third consecutive NCAA title with a 4-1 dismantling of Harvard in a semifinal matchup before a crowd of 3,023 at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center.

Setting the tone were people who've been there, done that.

Junior goaltender Jessie Vetter made 33 saves — the biggest coming when her teammates were most vulnerable — and kept her record in this setting perfect.

Senior left winger Jinelle Zaugg scored two goals — giving her nine in as many national tournament games — and frustrated the top-ranked Crimson for the second straight year.

Junior center Erika Lawler accounted for perhaps the most important conversion of the night for UW — a memorable solo effort on the opening shift of the second period — because it triggered a quick, decisive comeback.

As a result, the fourth-ranked Badgers (29-8-3 overall) will face third-ranked Minnesota-Duluth (33-4-1) in the NCAA title game here Saturday.

A year after it took four overtimes to decide a UW-Harvard winner — Zaugg got the winner in an epic 1-0 duel at the Kohl Center — this game turned during a 7-minute stretch in the second period.

The Badgers generated more pressure and shots in the opening 20 minutes, but were staring at their first-ever Frozen Four deficit because Harvard established its forte: Special teams.

The Crimson converted on the power play for the 17th straight game when center Jenny Brine banged a rebound past Vetter at 4 minutes, 42 seconds.

UW didn't get much from its first power play in facing the No. 2 penalty-killing unit in the nation. In fact, the best scoring chance was generated by Harvard left winger Sarah Vaillancourt on a breakaway that Vetter denied.

Quick, elusive and heady, Vaillancourt is not your ordinary threat. She came in averaging 1.88 points per game — 26 goals, 36 assists, 62 points in 33 outings — en route to being named one of three finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award.

Johnson said the save was critical, a point seconded by Vetter.

"It's huge being 1-0 instead of 2-0," she said.

UW didn't look particularly crisp in the first period, a point Johnson made between periods.

"We didn't come to participate," he told he players. "We came to play."

The Badgers proceeded to score more goals on Harvard in the first 6:56 of the second period than the Crimson yielded in 32 of their 33 previous games this season.

Lawler got things going, jumping on a loose puck in the right corner, then flashing into the slot for a wrister that beat Christina Kessler (24 saves).

"Whenever you get out there first, you want to be the one to create momentum, you want to get everyone going," Lawler said.

Johnson said the conversion "really changed our bench and our energy level."

Sophomore center Jasmine Giles gave UW the lead for good when she snapped off a one-timer from the right circle that beat Kessler at 2:25.

Lawler was at it again moments later when she zoomed off the bench on a line change, then took a hit in the right corner while feeding the puck to Zaugg. That led to a shot from the left point that beat Kessler.

"We sort of backed up a little bit and that's not the kind of team we are," Harvard coach Katey Stone said of the outburst. "We're very vulnerable when that happens, so they were able to get a couple quick ones on us and change the complexion of the game."

Zaugg added her team-best 24th goal of the season in the third — not to mention her school-record 89th of her career — but not before the Badgers killed off a penalty to open the period and survived a desperate 4-minute surge by the Crimson.

Vetter, who came into the game 7-0 with a 0.46 goals-against average and a .979 save percentage in NCAA tournament games, was huge in that stretch.

Zaugg said it all comes back to a little deal made with Vetter long ago.

"She keeps the puck out," Zaugg said, "and we put it in."

It's a formula that just might produce another NCAA title.