The Wisconsin women's hockey team was as easy a decision for UW women's team of the year as Halle Berry was for People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People. With a record 25 overall wins-a record-breaking 18 of those coming in conference play, the Badgers posted the best season in the history of the program. UW finished No. 5 in the national rankings, falling just one spot short of an invitation to the 2004 Frozen Four and a chance to capture the NCAA title.
The Badgers settled instead for a second-place finish in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association-just three points behind conference champion Minnesota and six ahead of third-place Minnesota-Duluth. This year's team gave the five seniors a wonderful departing gift-a fourth consecutive year with 20-plus wins. UW will say goodbye to only five and maintain a strong core with its 19 returning underclassmen. With Head Coach Mark Johnson and his staff at the helm, there is no reason to believe that the Badgers cannot continue to cement their hockey program as one of the nation's best.
UW won more than two-thirds of its games by controlling the puck and setting the tone on the offensive end. For the season, the Badgers outshot their opponents 1,293 to 665 and amassed 122 total goals while their stellar defense and tandem of inpenetrable goalies held their competition to only 50 goals.
Wisconsin's explosive and well-rounded offense, combined with its formidable goaltending, once outscored then-No. 10 Ohio State and Bemidji State in back-to-back games in late February and early March by a total of 14-2.
The Badgers boasted the best young duo of netminders in the WCHA, with sophomore Meghan Horras and freshman Christine Dufour combining for more than 600 saves for the year. Dufour finished with a 12-2 record in net while Horras notched a 12-4 record and saved more than 100 more shots than her counterpart.
The scoring load was primarily carried by Lindsay Macy, who tallied 18 goals in all-another freshman making an invaluable contribution to an exceedingly competitive program. Following a season full of growth and success, the future looks to be full of promise.
women's swimming and diving
