Final Five win should lead Badgers to Frozen Four
by Ryan Knickmeyer, Women’s Hockey Writer
With the regular season complete, the Wisconsin women’s hockey team prepares to play in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s Final Five tournament with a bid to the Frozen Four on the line.
Minnesota is the clear favorite to win the tournament, as they finished as the WCHA regular-season champion and the top-ranked team in the nation. Minnesota is as close to a lock for the Frozen Four as there is in the country.
Wisconsin and Minnesota-Duluth come in with similar scenarios as both teams have a shot at the Frozen Four. Wisconsin, which is currently the fifth-ranked team in the nation, may only need to win the semifinal matchup between the two teams to punch its ticket, while Duluth would need to win the tournament to earn a chance to win its fourth-straight NCAA title.
Ohio State and Minnesota State ended the regular season tied for fourth and will now play each other for the right to face off with Minnesota in the other semifinal game. Both teams have had up-and-down years, and if the winner of this game were to beat Minnesota, it would be a shock indeed to many observers.
No. 1 Minnesota (26-4-2, 19-3-2 WCHA)
Top-ranked Minnesota has one of the most explosive offenses in the country, with three of the top six scorers in the nation. The group is led by sophomore Krissy Wendell (30 goals-34 assists-64 points), who has been a consistent threat all season long. Fellow sophomore Natalie Darwitz (22-32-54) may be the best player on the team, but she missed 10 games with an injury late in the season and is just getting back into form.
The Gophers are also strong on the defensive end of the ice, where they give up just 1.64 goals per game. With a strong group of defensemen and a top-notch goalie in Jody Horak, the Gophers are tough to score on. Along with the top special-teams unit in the country, Minnesota has virtually no weaknesses to exploit.
No. 2 Wisconsin (24-5-3, 18-5-1 WCHA)
The Badgers bring one of the nation’s stingiest defenses to the table every time out. Giving up just 1.34 goals per game, Wisconsin always seems to be in the game. While as a team, the Badgers’ 3.63 goals scored per game is eighth in the WCHA, they don’t have any one player that dominates the offense. Freshmen Lindsay Macy and Sara Bauer lead the team in scoring, but Meghan Hunter, Jackie Friesen, and Karen Rickard also are capable scoring threats. The tandem of Meghan Horras and Christine Dufour has been stellar in goal all season for Wisconsin, as Horras boasts the top GAA at 1.13 and save percentage at .943. Perhaps the biggest concern for the Badgers is their penalty killing, which has at times let them down this season.
No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth (19-11-2, 15-8-1 WCHA)
Duluth has two of the most talented players in the entire country in Caroline Ouellette (29-45-74) and Jenny Potter (35-37-72). Unfortunately, the Bulldogs lack the depth of the top two teams in the WCHA to back up their stars. When Potter and Ouellette have scored multiple goals this season, Duluth has been very tough to beat. However, in the games that Ouellette and Potter have been held in check, UM-D has struggled to find other options. Defensively, the Bulldogs have struggled at times to keep their opponents from scoring as frequently as their own high-powered offense. Despite their weaknesses, the Bulldogs are the three-time defending NCAA champions and will prove to be a tough matchup for Wisconsin.
No. 4 Ohio State (15-14-3, 10-12-2 WCHA)
Ohio State has been up and down all season long, at times looking like it is ready to challenge the upper echelon of the WCHA, while at other times looking like a team that could lose to anyone. One of the keys for OSU this weekend will be the play of Jeni Creary. After leading the team in scoring the past two years (26 and 23 goals the past two seasons), Creary has struggled with just six goals this season. If Creary can help team points leader Jana Harrigan at the offensive end, Ohio State could pose problems for its opponents.
No. 5 Minnesota State (16-13-4, 9-11-4 WCHA)
The Mavericks are led by senior goaltender Shari Vogt. Named as one of the 10 finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award (national player of the year), Vogt has helped lead Minnesota State to a fifth-place finish. Vogt makes MSU one of the most dangerous teams in the tournament, as a hot goalie can carry any team to a win. On the offensive side, sophomore Devon Nichols (8-18-26) has emerged as the Mavericks’ offensive leader. Junior Melanie Salatino has also played well, scoring 17 goals to lead the Mavericks in that category.
