Wisconsin’s offense will be tested by St. Cloud State’s goaltenders in their bid to stay unbeaten.
The Wisconsin Badgers are back with some matinee hockey following back-to-back shutouts against Bemidji State.
This week, the No. 1 Badgers (10-0 overall, 6-0 WCHA) head back to Minnesota to take on the No. 8 St. Cloud State Huskies (7-1-2 overall, 3-1-2 WCHA) at 3 p.m. Friday, following by a 1 p.m. game Saturday at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.
In order to remain undefeated heading into next weekend’s national championship rematch against the Ohio State Buckeyes, Wisconsin will need to solve St. Cloud State’s goaltending duo. Senior Sanni Ahola and freshman Emilia Kyrkkö have split time this season, backstopping their team to an impressive 1.30 goals-against average. Kyrkkö ranks third in the nation, giving up just under one goal per game, while Ahola clocks in at 13th with a 1.603 goals-against average.
The St. Cloud State netminders haven’t seen an offensive unit quite like the Wisconsin’s, though. The Badgers lead the nation in goals by a wide margin (Ohio State sits six goals back in second place, but the Buckeyes have played three more games). They also boast the nation’s top goal scorer in junior Laila Edwards (10), followed closely by redshirt senior Lacey Eden (9).
The Badgers do not solely rely on Edwards and Eden, as they’ve proven time and again that the offense can come from anywhere, especially with players like fifth-year senior Casey O’Brien, junior Kirsten Simms, and junior Caroline Harvey always happy to facilitate.
In the Badgers’ net, sophomore Ava McNaughton looks to continue her spectacular season as the bell cow between the pipes. She’s registered the most minutes in college hockey, yet still concedes only 1.003 goals per game to go with a .948 save percentage.
Wisconsin’s offense will be tested unlike they have up to this point in the season, so it’ll be interesting to see if they continue to light up the scoreboard, or if St. Cloud State can keep the Badgers in check. The Huskies will struggle to match Wisconsin’s firepower, but a low-scoring game could be the ultimate equalizer.
Both games this weekend will air on B1G+, with local radio coverage on 1070 AM.
Game Info
Game 1
Date: Friday, November 1
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Place: St. Cloud, MN | Herb Brooks National Hockey Center
TV: B1G+ | Radio: 1070 AM
Game 2
Date: Saturday, November 2
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Place: St. Cloud, MN | Herb Brooks National Hockey Center
TV: B1G+ | Radio: 1070 AM