Last season, Wisconsin (17-9-2-2 WCHA, 23-9-2 overall) found itself heading into the postseason confident off a regular season title and with national title aspirations as the country’s No. 1 team. After falling short of that goal, this year’s Badgers will look to advance through the playoffs in the underdog role.
A regular season’s worth of WCHA hockey play will culminate this weekend in Minneapolis as the Badgers will be one of four teams to duke it out for the WCHA Final Face-Off.
“Each team kind of brings something different to the table, which should make for some good matchups,” junior goaltender Alex Rigsby said.
Heavy tournament favorite is none other than border-rival Minnesota, who enters the weekend with a perfect record on the season. The field also features an unlikely team in Ohio State, who pulled through its best hockey of the season last weekend in a series win over No. 4 seeded Minnesota-Duluth.
“We weren’t necessarily surprised to see [Ohio State] beat out Duluth,” senior forward Brianna Decker said. “They are a tough team that has always found a way to stay in games all season.”
Wisconsin will be running up against a team in North Dakota in the first round, which has proven to be a pesky test for the Badgers all season long. Carrying a 3-1 record against the Fighting Sioux in the regular season, UW head coach Mark Johnson’s bunch will head into a game with plenty to play for beyond just the WCHA conference tournament.
“Whoever wins this game will definitely have the inside track with getting that final spot in the NCAAs,” Johnson said.
Currently projected as two of the teams vying for the final two spots in the NCAA tournament field of eight teams, Friday’s match could prove to be the defining game of Wisconsin’s season.
“As a team and coaching staff we are throwing everything into Friday’s game,” Johnson added. “If we make it to the next round we consider that just to be a bonus.”
Highlighting the Fighting Sioux attack is a pair of potent offensive players in senior forwards Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux. In total, UND boasts four of the top eight scorers in the WCHA, representing one of the most dangerous offensive threats in the nation.
“Certainly their list of scorers can really hurt you if you aren’t disciplined,” Johnson said. “The key is to stay out of the box.”
With UW riding an eight-game wining streak since losing three of four in late January, Johnson appears to have his team hitting the right notes at the right time.
Despite seasons being on the line and emotions running high, fans from any of the four programs who make the trek to Minneapolis should expect well-played, disciplined hockey.
“At this point, players are going to avoid doing things that are destructive to the team,” Johnson said. “Just trying to win games.”
