The Wisconsin women's hockey team (3-1-0 Western Collegiate Hockey Association, 5-1-0 overall) hopes to rebound this weekend after suffering their first loss of the season last week.
The No. 5 Badgers, who will play host to Saint Cloud State University (2-4-0, 2-4-0), were upset in Columbus last weekend, falling to Ohio State 3-1 in the second game.
\It was a reality check for us, showing that we're not going to be winning every game,"" junior forward Nikki Burish said of the team's loss. ""We started off really good, we were pretty positive. I think it shows us that we're not where we want to be, we still have a lot of work to do.""
The Badgers, who dominated the Buckeyes in their 2-0 shutout victory Friday, looked tired and sluggish in their Saturday defeat. With the coaches emphasizing the importance of skating hard on every drill in practice, Wisconsin is looking to change that this week.
""I think we're going to come out a little harder than we did in the second game,"" sophomore forward Lindsay Macy said. ""I think we're going to work more together as a team, and do the little things we didn't do in our first loss.""
One area the Badgers hope to improve on is their passing. Usually one of their strong suits, Wisconsin struggled to find the open skater last week, and as a result, lost out on some scoring chances.
""We weren't passing the puck like we usually do; we weren't using our skills to our advantage,"" Macy said.
If they do use their skills to their advantage, Wisconsin should be able to come away with a sweep against a young Huskies team. SCSU has yet to settle their goalie situation, with all three of their goalies seeing significant playing time this year. The most promising of the group is freshman Kendall Newell, who started in St. Cloud's 1-0 victory over North Dakota.
Although the Badgers do not know who they will see in the net, the strategy is the same no matter who starts.
""We still have the same goal of going in hard and putting the puck in the net. You don't really have to worry about the other team, you have to worry about your own team,"" Macy said.
One worry for the Badgers is their special teams play, an area where they felt they could have played better last weekend.
""Special teams is going to be a huge factor for us in the game because of all the penalties there are now,"" Burish said. ""I think that might even determine the game, who has the better special teams out there.""
While they were unhappy with their special teams play last weekend, it has been an area of strength for the Badgers so far this season. They have allowed opponents to convert only 10 percent of their power play opportunities while scoring 35 percent of the time when they have the advantage.
If it comes down to special teams, the Badgers have to be confident. The Huskies' defense has been shaky at times this year, struggling to clear the puck from their zone even at full strength. As a result, SCSU has been out-scored 23-8 so far this season, and their opponents are converting 22 percent of their power play opportunities while they convert only 7 percent of their chances with the advantage.
If the Huskies are to convert on a power play, it will be as a result of their two scoring threats: junior forwards Kristy Oonincx and Ashley Stewart.
Stewart and Oonincx combine for almost half of their teams points and take 30 percent of the team's shots. If the Badgers are able to shut down those two, they could come away from the weekend with two shutouts.
""Kristy Oonincx is a big girl,"" said Macy. ""She uses her size, her strength. She's a smart hockey player. Ashley Stewart is another big girl, but I think we should be able to contain them.""
If history is any indication, Wisconsin should be able to do just that. The Badgers have never lost to SCSU at the Kohl Center. UW has dominated the series, amassing a 17-3-0 record against the Huskies.
As Wisconsin goes to extend that streak this weekend, they will be keeping the loss to the Buckeyes in the back of their mind.
""It's a motivating factor,"" Burish said. ""We never want to lose twice in a row, so we're going to come out pushing even harder.\
