Wisconsin continued their hot start with resounding wins over St. Cloud State to remain undefeated.
If last weekend’s series was a measuring stick for the Badgers, it’s safe to say they stack up pretty well. The No. 1 Wisconsin Badgers (12-0 overall, 8-0 WCHA) brought their top-ranked offense to St. Cloud to size up one of the nation’s best-scoring defenses. The No. 9 St. Cloud State Huskies (7-3-2 overall, 3-3-2 WCHA) came into the series giving up less than a goal and a half per game, but may have bitten off more than they could chew with the Badgers.
Wisconsin set the tone right out of the gate, scoring three goals in the first 3:06 of Friday afternoon’s series opener and never looking back. The Badgers cruised to a 6-0 win on Friday, following up that effort with a 4-0 victory on Saturday. They’ll head into a well-earned weekend off riding a 12-game winning streak before a big-time showdown in Columbus.
Junior Laila Edwards scored three times over the weekend, extending her nation-leading total to 13 goals. She also chipped in an assist to record another four-point weekend.
Joining Edwards with four points on the weekend was junior defender Caroline Harvey, who was named WCHA Defender of the Week for the fourth time this season. The Bucky’s 5th Quarter Department of Stats and Data might have to do some digging to figure out the record for WCHA weekly awards in a season, because Harvey might just give it a run for its money.
The offense did their thing, but it’s about time Ava McNaughton becomes a household name. The sophomore has been sensational between the pipes this year, starting every game and registering a 0.82 goals-against average and a .961 save percentage. She’s posted shutouts in four consecutive games and has seven clean sheets on the season.
McNaughton split time with Jane Gervais last year and got valuable reps that helped prepare her to shoulder the load in her second year. She has solidified herself among the country’s best goaltenders, and as a sophomore is just starting to scratch the surface. There is a long way to go this year, but her current numbers put her among Badger greats like Ann-Renée Desbiens, the standout Wisconsin goaltender who won the 2016 WCHA Player of the Year and the 2017 Patty Kazmaier Award. Pretty good company!
With an elite offense and a budding superstar in the net, it’s no surprise this Badger team continues to be a unanimous number one in the polls. Most Badger fans will acknowledge they are spoiled by the team head coach Mark Johnson puts together every year, but we might just be watching one of his best.
Think about it – this is a team that returned multiple 70-point scorers from a year ago, yet they have taken a backseat over the past few weeks and the Badgers have still outscored their opponents 20-0 in their last four contests. Then you add in the fact that they boast the nation’s most productive defender in Caroline Harvey, and statistically the best backstop in the country with Ava McNaughton, and you start to feel like you’re watching something really special.
It’s too early to call, but it’s safe to say there will be a litany of awards in store for the Badgers when this season ends. Ultimately, this team will tell you they only care about the one they can win together on March 23 in Minneapolis. The way they’re playing, you have to like their chances.
The Badgers will use this weekend to rest up before the biggest weekend to this point, a road trip to Ohio State for a rematch of the last two NCAA title games against the second-ranked Buckeyes. Hold onto your seats, it’s about to get fun.