When the University of Wisconsin’s women’s hockey team won the national championship two years ago, it was an impressive feat. Following that up with a second straight title last season was even more amazing.
Now the Badgers prepare to go for what would be a record-tying third straight national championship as their season kicks off with two games this Friday and Saturday against Union College in Schenectady, N.Y.
The Badgers were ranked as the preseason No. 1 team in the USA Today/USA Hockey magazine poll Tuesday, earning all 19 first-place votes. The WCHA announced that the team is the preseason favorite to win the conference title as well.
The Badgers will likely go into this season with a target on their backs every game, but head coach Mark Johnson stressed that it is all part of dealing with the success the team has enjoyed the past few seasons.
“Teams get excited to play us,” Johnson said. “We don’t necessarily see [a target], but there is going to be one.”
When asked about Union College’s team, Johnson said the Badgers are currently focusing more on what is going on with themselves.
“Right now we are looking more so at line combinations and areas within our own team,” Johnson said. “The opposition is not as important early in the season.”
The team will undoubtedly miss Sara Bauer, who last year led the with 72 points before concluding her career at Wisconsin in March. Despite the loss, the team still figures to be formidable and experienced with 17 players returning from last year.
Junior goaltender Jessie Vetter is going to be key to the team’s success this season. The First-Team All-American allowed just 0.83 goals per game last season and was a huge reason why UW only lost one game last season.
“It’s nice to have her back,” Johnson said. “You need a good goaltender to make runs in hockey.” Johnson also mentioned Vetter played for the U.S. U-22 team in a three-game series against Canada. The unique experience should benefit her going into the college season.
Another player on the U-22 team was senior defender Emily Morris, who was named team captain this year. She played in all 41 games last season and will be an important component of UW’s defense this time around.
On the other side of the puck, the Badger forwards look deep and talented. Assistant captain Jinelle Zaugg returns for her senior year after leading the team in goals last season with 29.
Even without Bauer, scoring goals should not be a problem for the Badgers. They return five of their top eight point scorers from last season, including sophomore Meghan Duggan, who was second on the team in both goals and points.
Other returning forwards include juniors Erika Lawler and Angie Keseley as well as sophomore Kyla Sanders, who finished last year with the fifth, seventh and eighth highest point totals on the team last year.
The returning players are joined this season by seven incoming freshmen. The most prominent of the newcomers is Hilary Knight, a 5-foot-11-inch forward from Hanover, N.H. Knight was named by the WCHA coaches as the preseason WCHA rookie of the year. She looks to follow in the footsteps of Duggan, who won the award after last season.
The process of integrating the freshmen into the Badgers’ game plan is already underway. The team is working to figure out which roles are best for which players.
“It’s gone well so far,” Johnson said. “We’ve only had three full practices, but the journey has started. The picture will start to take shape as we move forward with the season.”
Indeed, the picture will become clearer starting with this weekend’s series against Union College. Suzy Pocock, last season’s leading point scorer for Union, returns for her junior year, but the team finished last season with a dismal 4-26 record.
If things go as planned, the Badgers hope to return after this weekend’s games in Schenectady with two victories. Doing so would start the defending champions off on the right foot on their quest for their third national championship in a row.
