How have the Badgers looked to begin the season so far?
If the Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team were getting a midterm grade to end 2024, they would receive an A+, likely breaking the curve for everybody else.
The No. 1 Badgers entered their break 19-1 overall (13-1 WCHA), their only blemish being a one-goal loss in Columbus to the second-ranked Buckeyes. Suffice it to say that Wisconsin has been absolutely dominant.
Aside from the top-ranked Badgers, the WCHA fills out the next three spots in the national rankings with Ohio State, Minnesota, and Minnesota Duluth. Wisconsin is 5-1 against those teams, and 9-1 overall against ranked opponents. Wisconsin also leads the conference by 11 points over second-place Minnesota Duluth.
Wisconsin boasts the nation’s best scoring offense (5.7 goals per game) as well as the best scoring defense (1.0 goals per game), a dangerous combo for anybody looking to knock off the Badgers. Super-senior Casey O’Brien leads the NCAA in points, followed by juniors Laila Edwards and Caroline Harvey to round out the top three. O’Brien leads the country in assists with Harvey checking in at second, while Edwards ranks second overall in goals.
After winning WCHA Defender of the Year in 2023-24, Harvey is following up with an even more impressive campaign. She’s already notched five WCHA Defender of the Week honors, and we are barely past the halfway point. In addition to her assist numbers, Harvey also has six power-play goals to lead the Badgers.
Ava McNaughton has established herself as a certified star between the pipes. The sophomore is 18-1 as a starter this year and trails only Emma-Sofie Nordström from St. Lawrence in minutes played. Despite the high volume for McNaughton, she ranks second in the NCAA with a 1.02 goals-against average and third overall with a .953 save percentage. She paces the NCAA with six shutouts so far.
Awards aren’t won in the first half of the season, but there are plenty of Badgers among the favorites for both WCHA and national awards, including Casey O’Brien looking like a strong favorite for the Patty Kazmaier Award, given to the best player in women’s college hockey. The individual awards pale in comparison to the team’s goal, which is hoisting a national championship trophy in Minneapolis on March 23. If Wisconsin’s 2025 looks anything like 2024, that will all hopefully take care of itself.
Speaking of 2025, the New Year starts with a bang, as we get another installment of No. 1 Wisconsin vs. No. 2 Ohio State right out of the gate. Better yet, after hosting the Buckeyes for game one on January 2, they’ll join the men’s team in Chicago for a Badger double feature at The Frozen Confines, playing game two against Ohio State at Wrigley Field on January 4.