Finally, the Wisconsin women’s hockey team will get a breath of fresh air when Robert Morris comes to Madison this weekend.

After eight games of only facing conference opponents, the Badgers will play a non-conference team for the first time this season.

Although Wisconsin started the last three seasons with four non-conference games, this year marked the first time since 2005 the Badgers dove right into conference opponents. According to Wisconsin captain Jasmine Giles, the series is important in terms of conference reputation.

“You don’t want to lose those games because that sends a message to the whole nation,” Giles said. “We don’t get to play out of conference very often, so it’s a time to work on things that you don’t normally get to work on against a conference team.”

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association has earned the respect of the rest of college hockey, as teams from the conference have won the NCAA Championship every season since the tournament’s inception in 2001. Of those titles, three of the last four have come from Wisconsin.

Robert Morris, a small school near Pittsburgh, will represent the College Hockey America Conference this weekend. Despite having eight games under their belt, the Colonials have not faced a conference opponent all season.

The Colonials only have a 3-5 record this year, but the Badgers are not overlooking their opponent.

“We can expect a hard working team,” head coach Tracey DeKeyser said. “They’re just not going to give up.”

In October, facing another WCHA opponent in No. 5 Minnesota-Duluth, Robert Morris was outshot 23 to 46 but skated away with a 4-1 upset. The scrappy style of Robert Morris could make them dangerous over the weekend.

“I can guarantee they’ll be in our face,” DeKeyser said. “A team like Robert Morris, they may frustrate us.”

Wisconsin is also no stranger to upsets, as earlier in the season the Badgers lost to an under-matched Bemidji State team. Despite having never previously lost to Bemidji State, the Beavers shut out Wisconsin 1-0. If the Badgers want to avoid another shocker, they will have to approach this game like they prepare for any other match this season.

“We talk about consistency and we talk about defense first,” DeKeyser said. “Those have been the two big things for us as a program.”

The first key to stopping the Colonials attack will be to shut down forward Sara O’Malley. Thus far, the junior leads the team in shots, goals and points. If Wisconsin goaltender Becca Ruegsegger can continue her hot streak, she should be able minimize O’Malley’s presence. In Wisconsin’s last game, Ruegsegger stopped almost 30 consecutive shots to hold off Minnesota 5-2.

The weekend series will also provide Wisconsin with an opportunity to make line changes they would be unable to use against most opponents.

“It’s definitely one of those things that you don’t take for granted at all,” Giles said.

The last time the Badgers faced a much smaller team in Bemidji State, senior Alannah McCready got the start at goaltender. Although she only gave up one goal in the contest, Ruegsegger has started the last four contests.

The weekend will also mark the third straight home series for the Badgers, who do not play on the road until Nov. 20. According to DeKeyser, the home stand has benefited the young squad.

“From a team standpoint, it’s nice because I think they can adjust, especially for the new players, to the rigors of playing those games without having to worry about travel time,” DeKeyser said.

According to DeKeyser, the series will be a chance to showcase the improvements Wisconsin has made from earlier in the year.

“We have a lot to prove as a program right now,” DeKeyser said. “People are probably claiming that we are inconsistent and we have been.”