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The Wisconsin women’s hockey team — fresh off a weekend sweep of No. 3 New Hampshire — hosts Minnesota State Mankato this weekend in WCHA conference play at the Kohl Center.
The series against the Mavericks is the start of a five-game homestand for the Badgers that includes matchups with St. Cloud State and the U.S. Select Team.
The Mavericks come to Madison with a 3-6-1 WCHA record, good for sixth place. The series will be the first matchup between the two this season.
Top-ranked Wisconsin, which owns an undefeated record at 14-0-2 overall, enters the home series with plenty of momentum. Head coach Mark Johnson said in his Monday press conference that Wisconsin will not be overlooking Mankato.
“There’s no layups right now within our league,” Johnson said. “And so as we approach it as a coaching staff — and I think the mentality of our players is very similar — no matter what we did Saturday or last Friday, that’s not going to help us beat Mankato on Friday afternoon.”
Johnson’s press conference highlighted the successes of senior Jessie Vetter, leadership of senior Erika Lawler and intensity of junior Meghan Duggan. All three players have been integral parts of Wisconsin during their time at UW.
Vetter picked up her 31st shutout of her four-year career at Wisconsin against New Hampshire last weekend in Florida, and Duggan and Lawler continue to be the driving forces behind the Badger’s explosive offense.
Johnson noted the perseverance Vetter displayed as a sophomore and spoke about the steady growth that has contributed to the senior netminder being among the top goalies in the world today.
“I think the biggest storyline with [Vetter] is that she redshirted her first year, and in our business, that’s real difficult to do, obviously, with our scholarships and the numbers that you carry,” Johnson said. “But we were able to talk that out that first year, and the end result is four years later you’re seeing an athlete that is certainly mature, has played at a very high level, has played at the international level, has a few gold medals in her back pocket.”
Lawler, the Badgers’ captain, earned Johnson’s praise for her commitment to the program, her leadership qualities and her skills on the ice.
“[Lawler] may not be big in stature, but she’s got a gigantic heart,” Johnson said. “And where the puck is, she’s going after it.”
Duggan, who like Lawler is on the Badgers’ top 10 all-time scoring list, received acclaim from Johnson for her positive attitude.
“She’s got some energy, and she just enjoys what she’s doing and certainly enjoys being here Madison and being part of our program and certainly has the opportunity to do some other things on the international level here in the next couple of years,” Johnson said. “And so I think she’s just enjoying what’s going on at this particular junction within her life.”
When asked what makes this year’s team different from teams of past years, Johnson noted that the depth of UW’s forwards gives this year’s squad an edge. Lawler and Duggan lead the offense, but it is fueled by young goal scorers sophomore Hilary Knight and freshman Brooke Ammerman. The offense is also solidified by the strong two-way play of Angie Keseley, Jasmine Giles and many others.
“I think after our first game down in Florida, when talking with the UNH staff, they were very impressed with the depth of our forwards, and I think probably right now, as I look back over the last month-and-a-half or two months, we’re pretty deep in those areas,” Johnson said. “And so teams will have difficult times matching up with our depth there. And so the scoring coming from different people on given nights really makes you difficult to defend against.”
