Wisconsin Badgers
St. Lawrence University
Five things to know: No.1 Badgers open their season at St. Lawrence
September 23, 2026 | Women's Hockey
Wisconsin faces the Saints in season opener
CANTON, N.Y. - The No. 1 Wisconsin women’s hockey team kicks off its 2026-27 season at Appleton Arena against St. Lawrence on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 25 and 26. Friday’s game will be at 5 p.m. CT, and Saturday’s is set for 2 p.m. CT.
Fans can watch the action on ESPN Plus or listen live on The Game 1070 AM.
Here are five things to know about the series:
1. ON CLOUD NINE
The Badgers last time on the ice was on March 22, when UW claimed its ninth national title at the 2026 NCAA Women’s Frozen Four. Wisconsin ended the season on top with a 35-4-1 record.
In the national championship game, the Badgers powered past the Ohio State Buckeyes in a 3-2 battle. Current members of UW’s leadership squad, Laney Potter and Kelly Gorbatenko, tallied the first two goals of the game. Graduated senior, Claire Enright, closed out the scoring tab to earn the team the win.
Wisconsin said goodbye to seniors Chloe Baker, Lacey Eden, Claire Enright, Laila Edwards, Caroline Harvey, Vivian Jungels, Marianne Picard, Kirsten Simms and McKayla Zilisch. Eden, Edwards, Harvey, Jungels and Simms were all picked in the first round of the PWHL draft in June.
However, 15 members of the squad returned to LaBahn this fall, along with nine new faces.
2. FRESH FACES
Wisconsin added eight freshmen and one junior transfer to the team this season.
Shayla Beaudette, Haley Box, Emma Cerruti, Brynn Holvenstot, Maddy Kimbrel, Nela Lopušanová, Kayla Swartout and Rosalie Tremblay are all fresh to the NCAA scene. Lauren Johnson played her first two years at Union College and will now suit up as a Badger.
Sophomores Nicole and Rachel Gorbatenko will also make their college debut this season, alongside their older sister Kelly.
3. THE CORE FOUR
UW’s leadership squad consists of Captain Kelly Gorbatenko and Alternate Captains Ava McNaughton, Laney Potter and Maggie Scannell.
Gorbatenko led the returning Badgers in points last season with 50 from 28 goals and 22 assists. The senior also leads the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) for returning goal scorers.
McNaughton is the first goaltender to help lead the Badgers since Kristen Campbell during the 2019-20 season. Last season, McNaughton appeared in 32 games, missing some due to her Olympic appearance. She had a save percentage of .939 and a 1.35 GAA.
Potter found 26 points last season from 10 goals and 16 assists. The defender had three points during UW’s tournament run to lead them to the title. Potter posted 52 blocks and a plus/minus of +42.
Scannell is the sole junior on the Captains squad. The forward found 28 points from 13 goals and 15 assists during the 2025-26 season. She had a shot percentage of .101 and enjoyed a plus/minus of +25. Scannell also captained the Team USA Collegiate Select team in August.
4. AGAINST THE SAINTS
The Badgers last matched up against St. Lawrence during the 2023-24 season, when UW shut out the Saints, 4-0.
This win for UW allowed the team to punch its ticket to the Frozen Four. Badgers’ alternate captain Laney Potter tallied two assists during the sixty minutes of play. Goaltender Ava McNaughton recorded 25 saves.
Wisconsin’s overall record against St. Lawrence is 4-1 dating all the way back to Nov. 2001.
This is the first time the two teams will meet on St. Lawrence’s home ice since January of 2002.
5. BADGER HONOREE
Former UW defender and Director of Operations/Equipment Manager, Sis Paulsen, was recently inducted into the UW Athletics Hall of Fame.
Paulsen played for the Badgers from 1999-2003. She captained the Badger squad from 2001-2003. In her senior season and was named the 2003 Defensive Player of the Year.
The former Badger defender ranks No.10 for career assists with 88 and No. 2 in UW’s career defensemen point scoring with 130.
Paulsen was with the Badgers for three national championship wins as a member of the staff in 2019, 2021 and 2023.
The Eau Claire, Wisconsin, native later on joined the Minnesota Frost in the PWHL and was a part of the team for their 2024 and 2025 Walter Cup championship wins.
Paulsen is also Team USA’s women’s hockey’s equipment manager where she contributed to the recent gold medal win in 2026 (Milan) and silver in 2022 (Beijing).
