Born in Oct. 8, 1999 in Madison, Wisconsin’s women’s hockey program has yet to reach its 18th birthday, and the program itself is still younger than all of its players.
In that relatively brief time, the Badgers have managed to amass a reputation and a tradition of success on par with any program in the country: four national championships, nine Frozen Four appearances, four Patty Kazmaier Award winners and numerous Olympians and record holders.
From the stars on the jersey to the banners hanging from the rafters, it’s a history that’s unavoidable for any player who dons the home whites at LaBahn Arena, but especially so for the upperclassmen of this year’s team, who have played their entire careers in the shadow of icons like Hilary Knight, Brianna Decker and Alex Rigsby.
Growing up behind the glass and in the locker room, redshirt senior Mikayla Johnson, daughter of head coach Mark Johnson, remembers the distinct attitude that those teams brought on and off the ice.
“The atmosphere was kind of like, 'OK, that's what Badger hockey is like, winning, winning, winning,’” said Johnson. “I think it definitely makes you hold up to those expectations. Our program, our history is meant to be a winning, successful team so you don't want to disappoint that.”
While the attention around the program is present when the team is struggling on the ice, the pressure of expectations can be even greater when the team is poised for success. Entering this season with a No. 1 ranking, Wisconsin’s players have been subjected to speculation about their chances of avenging three straight Frozen Four losses to rival Minnesota and collecting a fifth NCAA title.
The challenge for the Badger coaching staff, whether it’s Mark Johnson, associate head coach Dan Koch, or assistant Jackie Crum, is to keep the players focused on the next game, not the championship game.
“I don't think coach ever puts any pressure on us about winning, winning championships or anything like that,” said junior forward Emily Clark. “But he does challenge us to get better throughout the year and every weekend.”
The attitude of maximum effort and incremental improvement that Johnson instills in his players works in two ways. It keeps his players focused on the task at hand and gives them a number of attainable goals, so that players are able to compare themselves to their own past performance, not the performance of players who came before them.
“Whether it be a bad game, you leave the rink knowing that you did the best that you could,” said the younger Johnson. “I think that's something that goes far, being able to say after every game, after every shift, after every practice that you gave everything you had and left it all on the ice.”
For some players, the expectations and the ability to add their own name to the program’s storied history is part of the attraction of playing in Madison.
“That's the fun part of it, there is that pressure and that expectation and it's about how we handle that,” said junior forward Baylee Wellhausen. “We bring everything we have to the table and show everyone that this is a number one program that we're a part of.”
It’s been six years since Wisconsin’s last national championship, and in that time former Badgers players have accumulated at all levels of women’s hockey, with players like Rigsby, Decker, and Knight serving as role models for a younger generation of Badgers.
In particular, defender Meaghan Mikkelson, a member of the 2006 and 2007 national championship teams, had taken on somewhat of a mentor role with Clark and senior forward Sarah Nurse during their time together on the Canadian national team.
“The biggest thing that we’ve both talked about is making sure to have fun with it because it goes by faster than you think,” said Clark. “I can’t even believe it’s my third year already so just trying to enjoy the moment and having fun with it is important.”
This year’s team has obvious championship aspirations, but no experience in a championship game. What they do have is a network of coaches, family members and former teammates, who through their words and actions have imparted a series of lessons on several of today’s Badger players, giving them a sort of indirect championship experience.
For Wellhausen, it’s come from her uncles, Don and Tony Granato, former Badgers players who now coach for the men’s team. Don won a national title with Wisconsin in 1990, and on occasion he’s passed down lessons to his niece about what makes a championship team.
“A lot of the things he has to say about winning that national championship is centered around the team, he's always preaching how special his team was,” said Wellhausen. “He doesn't really say too much about the feeling of winning, he's a humble guy, but he always talks about how great the team was.”
Ask almost any current Badger player and they’ll tell you that the collective mentality of this year’s squad is what sets it apart from Wisconsin teams of years past. Ask Mikayla Johnson however, and she’ll compare it to a group of players who have come to define success in Madison.
“I definitely remember [Meghan] Duggan's generation here and I think it comes with having a good chemistry in the locker room. Having a good captain, [Sydney McKibbon]'s an awesome captain so we have that here this year,” Johnson said. “Having a team that's really united in friendship and being able to work hard and play for each other, not just for yourself, brings a lot into a championship team.”
Whether that team spirit leads the Badgers to their fifth national title remains to be seen. But if this team finds itself taking the ice in the championship game, they’ll have the experience of generations of championship Badgers who have prepared them for that moment.
