After finishing 29-1-2 overall and 23-1-2 in conference play, it is no surprise the No. 1 University of Wisconsin women’s hockey team won the 2025 Western College Hockey Association regular season.
Starting the season strong, the squad laid down a 13-game winning streak, falling only 2-3 to No. 2 Ohio State on Nov. 16 after beating them 4-2 the night prior.
After another matchup against Ohio State, the team was able to sell out LaBahn Arena and take the match 6-0. Only two days later the Badgers tied the Buckeyes 3-3, with Ohio State winning the shootout 1-0.
Wisconsin only came short of a win once more this season thus far and that was against St. Cloud State, tying the game 2-2. The Badgers took the shootout 1-0.
After two Badger wins against No. 6 Minnesota Duluth on Jan. 31, and Feb 1, sophomore Ava McNaughton was awarded WCHA Goaltender of the Week. Between these two games McNaughton led the team with a save percentage of 0.964, stopping 53 of the 55 shots.
“I think we learned how much our team can come together and come back and get a win,” senior Sarah Wozniewicz said. “We all got a lot of energy and decided we needed to come together and play with more grit.”
Fifth year captain Casey O’Brien shined, moving herself into a tie at seventh place in NCAA history after her 156th career assist on the Jan. 31, match up against Duluth.
According to the WCHA, Wisconsin currently sits at a 5.33 goals scored per game average, with a No. 1 ranking. Sitting at the No. 1 rank for shots on goal per game and assists per game as well. The Badgers have a 9.50 average assist per game a whole 3.29 higher than No. 2 University of Minnesota.
Immediately after playing the No. 3 ranked team in the WCHA, the University of Minnesota on Feb. 8, the team was awarded the regular season championship.
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In Saturday’s matchup Wisconsin took the win with 8-2 against the Gophers. Leading the squad, junior Laila Edwards and O’Brien scored two goals for the match. Following with one goal each, redshirt senior Lacey Eden, freshman Maggie Scannell, redshirt junior Marianne Picard and junior Vivian Jungels.
Sophomore goalkeeper Ava McNaughton totaled 18 saves for Saturday’s match, and 24 saves the next day, letting only three shots in total for the weekend.
McNaughton just got off of her third naming of WCHA Goaltender of the Month for January, with an average save percentage of .938. Totaling 635 saves after the Border Battle.
The goalie ended her freshman year with 482 total saves, averaging .936 saving percentage. During her 2023-2024, McNaughton was added to the National Goalie of the Year Watch List, as well as the HCA Rookie of the Year Watch List. Even being awarded WCHA Rookie of the Month for both Oct. 2023, and Feb. 2024.
“When we play teams like Minnesota, it’s really easy to get up for it,” O’Brien said. “The message before the game, especially from Coach, was to play free.”
Wisconsin took another win against Minnesota the next day with 6-1. O’Brien shot four points on a goal as well as adding three assists to her career, ranking herself seventh in UW history for shorthanded goals.
Wisconsin out shot the Gophers 13-3 in the first period and it showed. Jungels and Eden got another goal under their belts as well as redshirt sophomore Claire Enright, sophomore Kelly Gorbatenko and junior Kristen Simms.
“I think that playing free mixed with how much this game meant; everybody came ready to play, so that’s where that showed on the ice,” O’Brien said.
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This season marks the first since the 2017-2018 season that the Badgers took all four conference matches against Minnesota. During the 2023-2024 season Wisconsin lost only one of the four conference games played against the Gophers on Dec. 8, 3-5. The remaining three went to Wisconsin, 5-1, 4-3 and 4-0.
“Let’s play, let’s compete, let’s do the little things,” Head Coach Mark Johnson said. “If we do the little things, then you get rewarded, and it may not score but at least we get to play on that end instead of defending.”
The 2024 NCAA Frozen Four went to Ohio State, ending 35–4-0 after a strong match against the Badgers, losing by only one goal.
Wisconsin ended their season at 35-6-0, losing only once to Minnesota, and the remainder to Ohio State. It is clear that these are the teams to look out for in the 2025 Frozen Four.
WCHA first round is to start Feb. 28, and finish March 1, with the Final FaceOff in Duluth, Minn on March 7 and 8. The NCAA Regional Round to follow shortly after, and the Frozen Four to occur March 21 and 23.