Wisconsin Badgers
Minnesota Duluth
Five Things to Know: Top-ranked Badgers face No. 4/5 Bulldogs
October 08, 2025 | Women's Hockey
Wisconsin plays UMD at home for its first ranked matchup
MADISON, Wis. – The No. 1 Wisconsin women’s hockey team faces No.4/5 Minnesota Duluth at home on Oct. 11 and 12. Saturday’s game is set for 11 a.m., and Sunday's game is set for 1 p.m.
Fans attending the women’s hockey game on Saturday, October 11, should be aware that parking will be affected by the home football game vs. Iowa at 6 p.m. All campus lots open at 7 a.m., and available parking near LaBahn Arena will be limited and sold day-of for $20 on a first-come, first-served basis
Fans can watch the action on B1G+ or listen to Paul Braun on The Game 1070 AM.
1. COMING OFF A SWEEP
The Badgers have been perfect to begin this season, most recently sweeping Maine on Oct. 3 and 4. During both Friday and Saturday’s games, the Badgers bested the Bears, 5-0. Laila Edwards scored two-goals in game one, while Laney Potter accomplished the same feat in game two.
Freshman Adéla Šapovalivová scored her first goal at home on her way to her first career multi-point game in Friday's contest. Freshman goaltender Rhyah Stewart made her debut for the Badgers in the third period of game two, where she collected three saves in nine minutes of play.
Kelly Gorbatenko, Cassie Hall, Vivian Jungels, Caroline Harvey and Kirsten Simms all scored for the Badgers as well. The defense stepped up to collect its third shutout of the season - the most of any team in the nation.
2. BADGERS AWARDED HONORS
Laila Edwards and Ava McNaughton were both awarded WCHA weekly honors this past week. Senior alternate captain Edwards received WCHA Defender of the Week, while McNaughton earned the WCHA Goaltender of the Week.
This was Edwards’ first time earning an award as a defender. Last season, Edwards was a 2024-25 WCHA Forward of the Year Finalist.
Junior goaltender McNaughton won the HCA Goaltender of the Year award last season and was a WCHA Goaltender of the Year Finalist. McNaughton ranks top-four in the country in wins, shutouts, goals against average and save percentage.
3. BULLDOG BREAKDOWN
The Bulldogs and the Badgers share a record of 4-0-0. The University of Minnesota Duluth opened its season on Sept. 19 and 20 with a sweep Mercyhurst University.
The Bulldogs shut out Syracuse University in both games of the series on Sept. 25 and 26, 4-0. The shutouts were made possible by junior goaltender Éve Gascon, who is 4-0-0 on the season with a .933 save percentage
Offensively, junior Caitlin Kraemer has paced the Bulldogs with six points in four games, including four goals. Kraemer attended Team Canada's National Orientation Camp in the summer after she scored 18 goals in 31 games last season.
4. AGAINST MINNESOTA DULUTH
Both teams face their first ranked opponent this weekend. The last time these teams met was the semifinal game of the WCHA Final Faceoff. Emma Venusio, Harvey, and Gorbatenko scored the team's three goals, leading Wisconsin to a 3-1 win. The Badgers also outshot the Beavers 42-23.
Starting on Jan. 26, 2024, and continuing up to today, Wisconsin’s longest win streak against Duluth is seven games won. Dating back to October of 1999, Wisconsin is 65-37-15 against Duluth. During the 2024-25 season, the Badgers defeated the Bulldogs in all five matchups the team's played against each other.
5. UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS
The Badgers are making trips to New York and Tennessee for two tournaments this fall. On Oct. 17 and 18, Wisconsin will play in the Ice Breaker Tournament against the University of Vermont and Union/Saint Anselm. The Badgers will play at the Mohawk Harbor Arena in Albany, NY.
After Thanksgiving, the Badgers head south for the SMASHVILLE Women’s Hockey Collegiate Hockey Showcase on Nov. 29 and 30. In Nashville, Wisconsin faces Mercyhurst on Saturday and Stonehill on Sunday.
