Through 12 games and almost two months, No. 1 Wisconsin (9-0-1 WCHA, 11-0-1 overall) has proven itself as the clear best team in women’s collegiate hockey this season, holding the top spot in every USCHO.com poll and collecting every first place vote in all but three of them.
The only piece missing from the Badgers’ résumé is a win against another top team, the squads that Wisconsin will have to beat to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament. This weekend’s series on the road against No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth (6-2-2, 7-2-3) will give the Badgers a chance to knock that remaining item off their to-do list.
Although their record falls short of other top teams on paper, the Bulldogs have maintained their high ranking by playing tough games against several quality opponents, most notably a pair of one-goal losses against No. 2 Minnesota in Minneapolis.
Sophomore goaltender Maddie Rooney was key to the Bulldogs’ competitiveness in the series as she made 74 saves in the two games. Rooney will need to be on her game once again to slow a Badgers offense that ranks fourth in the country at 3.75 goals per game.
Wisconsin is coming off of a nearly two-week layoff after their weekend sweep of Bemidji State Nov. 4 and 5. The break came after a stretch of three straight road series for the Badgers.
“We’ve had a bunch of road games and we’ve been challenged, we’ve had some injuries and some players missing and a lot of things have been going on in the world and inside our locker room,” said Coach Mark Johnson. “It’s nice to have a weekend off and get ourselves prepared not only physically but also mentally.”
The focus of attention in that series was goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens, as the senior recorded back-to-back shutouts to tie and then set the NCAA record for career shutouts with 44.
“It just shows how I improved throughout my years here and I still have a lot of looking forward to do,” said Desbiens. “I’m not done so I’m looking forward for the rest of the season.”
Desbiens and the rest of the defense will face their toughest challenge of the season so far against an offense that put up five goals in two games on Minnesota, one of the country’s top defenses. The Bulldogs have succeeded so far this year despite being consistently outshot, and Desbiens will be key to stopping the quality shots created by experienced players like Lara Stalder, Ashleigh Brykaliuk and Katherine McGovern. That trio of senior forwards has combined for 21 goals on 15.3 percent shooting.
The results of this series certainly will not decide the ultimate fate of Wisconsin’s season, but it will provide a valuable opportunity for the Badgers to measure themselves against another top team as they enter a tough stretch of play.
The puck drops at 7 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday.
