BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider

MADISON, Wis. — Brianna Decker not only had a front-row seat to the most tumultuous season in Wisconsin women's hockey history, she literally felt its pain.

One of the most decorated recruits of the Mark Johnson coaching era, Decker joined the Badgers in the fall of 2009 and couldn't help but sense a chaotic vibe.

UW was fresh off winning its third NCAA title in four seasons, but Johnson had taken a one-year sabbatical to coach Team USA in the 2010 Winter Olympics and took two elite returnees — wingers Meghan Duggan and Hilary Knight — to Vancouver with him.

Assistant coach Tracy (Cornell) DeKeyser became the interim head coach with help from Mark's brother, Pete, a former UW men's assistant, assistant coach Dan Koch and interim assistant Jackie (Friesen) Crum.

UW, which also lost Patty Kazmaier Award-winning goaltender Jessie (Vetter) McConnell to graduation, labored to an 18-16-3 overall record and failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2005.

It didn't help a bit that Decker missed nine games with a broken arm suffered in early October.

"It was really hard for all of us," she said.

 

It was difficult to forecast at the time, but one of the most accomplished careers in program history was about to unfold.

When Decker retired as a player earlier this year at the tender age of 31, she owned an Olympic gold medal, a Patty Kazmaier Award of her own, an NCAA championship ring and is the No. 2 all-time scorer for the seven-time national champion Badgers.

It's a resume that helped land Decker a place in the latest UW Athletic Hall of Fame class.
 

"It's a little surreal," she said of her latest achievement. "It's crazy to look back on the great teammates I had, the great coaches I had, and the highs and lows of my career. It's crazy how much you learn from losing big games and how much that sticks with you compared to when you win a big game and you're hungry for more.

"I'm at a loss for words for a lot of it because I was really fortunate to be a part of some amazing success stories and teams."

 

---

HIGH FIVE

One: Decker earned three Olympic medals with Team USA — silver in 2014, gold in '18, silver in '22 — and helped the Americans win six world championships. She might have won another gold had she not suffered a serious ankle injury in the opening round of the 2022 Games in Beijing, China.

Decker was the No. 3 scorer for the Badgers when they won the NCAA title in 2011 and followed that up with an All-America performance in '12 in which she won the Patty Kazmaier Award as the best women's college hockey player.

Decker finished her UW career with 115 goals, 129 assists and 244 points, second only to Hall of Famer Hilary Knight (143-119-262).

As for the world-class nature of her game, recall that Decker took part in a skills competition during the NHL All-Star Game weekend in 2019. She prevailed over all the men — the runner-up was Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl — earning $25,000 in the process. She promptly donated her winnings into an annual endowment that benefits needy youth hockey programs across North America.

"It's a chance for me to give back to USA Hockey," Decker said.

 

Two: What's retirement like?

"I miss playing in some ways, I do," Decker said. "Nothing compares to playing at UW. Those were the greatest years of my hockey journey.

"But I'm happy where I'm at and I'm happy with the decision I made."

Three: Decker believes she has found her calling. She's now the associate head coach for the renowned girls' program at Shattuck St. Mary's High School in Faribault, Minnesota. It's where Decker, from Dousman, Wis., developed her game before signing with the Badgers.

"I enjoy coaching more than anything," she said. "I've found a great passion with coaching. It fills me up the way hockey did when I was playing. I've been really fortunate with that."

Decker has also worked with USA Hockey, specifically with its under-18 candidates vying for college scholarships and berths on the U.S. National Team.

"The development side of things is something I'm really passionate about," she said. "I'm fortunate enough to be at one of the top high schools in the country for girls' hockey.

"I thoroughly enjoy teaching kids the small details of the game. I look at the skill level that these kids have and it's way better than I had at this stage. I really enjoy this age group, developing these kids for the next level."
 

Four: Decker was known for her tenacity, creativity and speed when she starred at Wisconsin and with Team USA. Her reputation skyrocketed after her freshman season in Madison.

A key figure for Decker during her first year in Madison was Crum, a former UW forward and current assistant who helped Decker endure.

"It was a season unlike any other," Crum said. "I do remember talking things through a little bit with her."

Said Decker: "We kind of went down that path together. She had an impact that will last a lifetime."

Crum recalled Decker skating for hours on her own, staying after practice to enhance her game. When her sophomore year rolled around — when Mark Johnson was back in charge and Duggan and Knight were back in the mix — Decker was a force.

"She just took her game to another level," Crum said. "Her maturity. Her hockey play. It all went up a couple of notches and you're like, 'Whoa, this girl's going to be unbelievable.' Having a front-row seat to it was so fun."

Five: Decker has a modest post-retirement to-do list.

"Continue to learn to be a better coach," she said. "Staying present and helping one kid at a time."