Â
Game One Coverage
Friday, Feb. 15 | 3:07 p.m. - Duluth, Minn.
Game Two Coverage
Saturday, Feb. 16 | 3:07 p.m. - Duluth, Minn.
Â
MADISON, Wis. – The No. 2 Wisconsin women's hockey team will head to the shores of Lake Superior this weekend to take on Minnesota Duluth in its final regular-season road trip of the season. The Badgers and Bulldogs will battle on Friday in a 3 p.m. showdown at AMSOIL Arena before concluding the series on Saturday with a 3 p.m. contest.
Both games this weekend can be heard in the Madison area on 100.9 FM as Reid Magnum has the call from Duluth. In addition, the games can be seen in the Madison area on 27-2, Me-TV. The series can also be seen online via FloHockey.
Â
1. WHERE EVERYONE STANDS: The Badgers enter this weekend's series against UMD as the top team in the WCHA with 48 points while Minnesota has 46 points heading into the penultimate week of the regular season. After playing UMD, who sits in fourth place in the league standings, the Badgers will host Ohio State, who are in third in the conference. The Gophers welcome Minnesota State, a team that UW just swept, to Minneapolis before heading to Bemidji State to close out the regular season.
2. ROOKIES RACK IN THE AWARDS: The rookie duo of Britta Curl and Sophie Shirley earned WCHA player of the week honors after leading the Badgers to a sweep of Minnesota State. Curl was named the WCHA Forward of the Week after a four-point weekend that included a pair of goals and two assists while Shirley earned WCHA Rookie of the Week accolades after posting a league-best three goals.
On the season, Shirley is tied for the WCHA lead in rookie points with 31 and goals with 17 while Curl's 16 tallies this year rank second among league newcomers.
3. WHAT A D: The Badgers not only lead the country in scoring defense, holding opponents to average of 1.20 goals per game, but also lead the country in shots against. UW is holding opponents to an average of 16.20 shots on goal per game, while Boston College ranks second, holding opponents to 22.53 shots on net per game. The Badgers are 21-0-0 this year when they hold opponents under 17 shots on goal per game.
4. AGAINST THE DOGS: The Badgers have found success as of late against UMD, as UW is 21-1-4 in its last 26 matchups against the Bulldogs. UW holds a 10-game unbeaten streak against Minnesota Duluth after sweeping UMD in Madison on Oct. 13-14. A pair of senior stars have thrived against the Bulldogs as Annie Pankowski has 13 goals and 13 assists against UMD while Emily Clark has 17 points off six goals and 11 assists.
5. A NIGHT TO REMEMBER: UW bench boss Mark Johnson became the first Badger hockey player to have his jersey retired last Saturday night during the men's hockey team's showdown with Ohio State. UW's all-time leading goal scorer with 125 goals in 125 games, Johnson's number 10 will hang in the rafters over the rink named after his late father, Bob Johnson.
The winningest coach in NCAA National Women's Collegiate Ice Hockey History, Johnson is closing in on another milestone as he is only five wins away from passing UW men's hockey legend Jeff Sauer as the winningest coach in Wisconsin Athletics history.
Â
