Sports

UW begins WCHA title defense

After an up-and-down regular season, the No. 5 Wisconsin women’s hockey team is excited for the start of the WCHA Playoffs. The Badgers suffered through a seven-game stretch earlier in the season when they went 1-5-1, but ended the year going 14-1-1 in their last 16 games.

“One thing we have stressed to them is whether you have had a good season or a bad season, it is a fresh start,” head coach Mark Johnson said. “Everybody is at the starting gates again, everybody’s record is identical, and everybody gets the opportunity to make a statement. We keep telling them that we need to be ready to go.”

The third-seed Badgers will kick off their WCHA playoff title defense by hosting the sixth-seeded Minnesota State. UW had a lot of success this year against MSU, winning all four games and outscoring the Mavericks 15-6. The Badgers, however, are not taking the Mavericks lightly.

“We try to not look ahead, no matter who we are playing,” goaltender Jessie Vetter said. “Mankato is a very solid team, and they always play well against us. It is definitely not going to be an easy run to get past Mankato.”

On offense this year, the Badgers’ magic number has been three. UW has won every game when they have scored three or more goals, and they have lost or tied every game when they have scored two or less.

“We have to try and win the 50-50 battles,” freshman Hilary Knight said. “It is all about gathering the rebounds and just keep attacking.”

“We are obviously a good team defensively,” Johnson added. “Therefore, if we can get three, four or five goals, we have a good chance of winning. The key for us is to be consistent, which we have been for most of the second half of the season.”

The Badgers defense — ranked No. 1 in the WCHA in goals allowed — has been outstanding all season and must continue to excel if UW hopes to capture another WCHA title.

“The main thing is we need to control the rebounds and not give the opponent second looks,” Vetter said. “As long as I can make the first save, and then your ‘D’ helps you out with the second, you are going to be pretty successful.”

While most of the team has playoff experience — UW has won the past two National Championships — the freshmen that the Badgers count on will be experiencing playoff hockey for the first time.

“We are all nervous, but we are also excited,” Knight said of the freshmen class. “The playoffs are what we work for, and our team has had success the past few years, so we want to try and keep that going.”

“Naturally, the freshmen are going to be nervous,” Johnson added. “But that is what the captains and the veteran leaders are there for. The upperclassmen will have to help calm them down and get them ready for the game, but I am not too worried about it.”

After finishing the season on a strong run, UW is going to try and maintain that momentum in the playoffs.

“We are not reinventing the wheel now,” Johnson said. “In the playoffs, you have to try and do all the things that you practiced during the year. Earlier in the year, we were a bit inconsistent, but now that our youth have had a full season of experience under them, we expect to compete very well.”