For the first time in three seasons, the Wisconsin women's hockey team might not host an NCAA Quarterfinal contest. That could change this weekend as the Badgers travel to Duluth, Minn., for the WCHA Final Face-Off at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center.
Wisconsin sits at sixth in the USCHO.com PairWise Rankings which predict the eight-team NCAA Tournament field. Fourth place Minnesota has the last home ice position, while St. Lawrence is ahead of the Badgers in fifth. In the last two seasons, Wisconsin has hosted Mercyhurst and Harvard in the opening round of the national tournament, but would need to win both of its games this weekend to stand a chance at moving up to fourth in the PairWise.
In order to have a chance to play at the Kohl Center one more time, Wisconsin will first have to get through Minnesota Saturday in the WCHA semifinals. The Badgers, 2-1-1 on the season against the Golden Gophers, were the only team to beat Minnesota on its home ice at Ridder Arena this season.
Everyone just gets an extra chip on their shoulder when we're playing the Gophers, and we've already been screaming in the locker room 'It's Gopher time,'"" sophomore forward Meghan Duggan said after last weekend's WCHA opening round sweep of Minnesota State.
Duggan leads the team in points, and trails by one for the team's goal scoring lead - after freshman forward Hilary Knight scored in the first period against Minnesota State last weekend - but battled back with two of her own in the second period to regain the team lead with 20 goals.
""As long as the team's playing well, that's all that matters,"" Duggan said.
""We're just all working hard,"" Knight said. ""She's doing really well, she's putting the puck in the net, so it's working out.""
Since returning from an injury earlier this year, Duggan has scored 24 points in the last 14 games. According to data compiled by Adam Augustine of UW Athletic Communications, Duggan has recorded 13 points in nine games played against Minnesota and is the only Badger with more than a point per game against the rival Gophers.
""She had a few injuries there right after Christmas, and so the last probably four weekends or five weekends, she's been very good,"" head coach Mark Johnson said in his Monday press conference.
If Wisconsin beats Minnesota on Saturday, it would play the winner of Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State on Sunday in the championship game.
""Our matchup against Minnesota, very comparable teams, both have good scorers, both have good goaltenders, statistic-wise, it's very close. We finished one point apart in the season standings. So it'll be a very entertaining, exciting afternoon for the people that'll be up at the DECC watching the games,"" Johnson said.
All three games will be webcasted on WCHA.tv, with Wisconsin's semifinal game against Minnesota beginning at 4:07 p.m. Saturday, and the championship game at 1:07 p.m. Sunday. The NCAA will then select the eight team field to compete in the national tournament, which begins March 14.
