Badgers face Providence in final non-conference matchup
November 25, 2009 | Women's Hockey
Nov. 25, 2009
MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin women’s hockey team hits the road for just the third time this season to face its final non-conference opponent. The Badgers will take on Providence from Nov. 27-28, both games starting at 7 p.m. (ET). The UW hopes to tally its second series sweep of the season after recording its only sweep against Minnesota at the Kohl Center. Wisconsin tallied a win and a loss in their conference series against St. Cloud State last weekend. Although they split the series, Wisconsin moved from No. 5 to No. 3 in the WCHA standings.
At a glance
No. 7/9 Wisconsin vs. Providence | Providence, R.I. | Schneider Arena
Nov. 27 and 28 at 7 p.m. (ET) | Live Stats (Game 1) | Live Stats (Game 2) | Audio (Game 2)
About the series
The Badgers are 3-1-0 all-time with the Friars. The last time the two faced-off was from Jan. 12-13, 2007 when Wisconsin shutout Providence, 3-0 and 5-0, to sweep the series at the Kohl Center. The last time the Badgers made a trip to Providence, UW lost 2-1 to the Friars on Jan. 27, 2002.
Badger notes
Wisconsin has split five of its seven series this season, UW has dropped four and tied one in the first game to come back and win the second game of the series, only winning two games in the opener. Wisconsin’s only series sweep was against the second-ranked Minnesota Gophers who sit atop the WCHA.
Already 18 Badger skaters have contributed a point this season. Brooke Ammerman is the team’s leading scorer with 17 points (1g, 6a) followed by Mallory Deluce (5g, 6a).
Ammerman is currently on an 11-game point streak which includes her career-high tying four-goal game against Wayne State. Ammerman is fifth in the nation for goals per game, tied for second for game-winning goals and T-17th in the nation for points per game. Ammerman remains a balanced forward with 38 career goals and 33 career assists in only her second season.
Wisconsin’s defense has played aggressively helping the scoring output for UW notching five goals this season. Stefanie McKeough and Saige Pacholok have been a positive asset to the Badger defense, leading the defenseman in scoring with eight and seven points, respectively. The Badger freshmen lead the team in plus/minus with a plus-12 and a plus-13 rating, respectively.
McKeough is tied for 16th in the nation for points per game for defensemen while Pacholok ranks 23rd with Geena Prough. Prough is a versatile player who has played both offense and defense for the Badgers this season.
The five freshman skaters have contributed 25 points this season, with Brianna Decker missing nine games due to injury.
Since Decker’s return, the freshman forward has earned four points, including three assists, all of which resulted in an Ammerman goal. Decker is quickly making her presence known scoring six points (3g, 3a) in only five games.
After two months and 14 games, Alev and Derya Kelter will join the Badgers. The twins, who came to Wisconsin as multi-sport athletes advanced to the Sweet 16 with the Wisconsin women’s soccer team. Alev earned second-team All-Big Ten honors and was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team with the Badger soccer team. This marks the first week the Badgers have suited up to practice with the team and will be the duo’s first road trip.
The Badgers continue struggling on the power play ranking 30th in the nation. UW is 5-for-66 on the man advantage, after coming up 0-for-7 over the weekend.
Wisconsin ranks fifth in the nation on the penalty kill with a 90.2 percent success rate going allowing only seven goals on 70 opportunities. The Badgers have netted two short-handed goals this season, both coming in the last two series.
Wisconsin relies on the strength of two goaltenders this season. Freshman Becca Ruegsegger had a shutout in her first collegiate start and has recorded a 5-4-1 record this season. Ruegsegger has 246 saves and a .921 save percentage with a 2.10 goals-against average. Senior Alannah McCready (3-1-0) holds a .929 save percentage and a 1.71 goals-against average tallying 91 saves.
The Badgers have netted 39 goals by 14 different Badgers. Wisconsin has out-shot opponents in every game but one this season totaling 489 compared to 366.
The Badgers five losses is only the second time in the last five years the Badgers have lost more than four games in a season. However, in the 2007-08 season the Badgers suffered nine losses overall but still managed to finish the season as the NCAA runner up.
Last season the Badgers won 23 of its games by at least four goals and only two victories were decided by one goal. This season, UW has won two of its games by one goal and only won one game by a four-goal margin in the 6-2 win over Wayne State, marking the highest scoring output of the season and the most decisive UW win. The Badgers are 5-1-0 when leading after the first period, and have won all eight games when going into the third frame with the lead or tied.
Scouting the opponent
Providence (4-6-5, 3-3-3 Hockey East)
Providence enters the weekend after a 4-3 loss to Northeastern on Nov. 20. Despite scoring the first three goals of the game, the Friars could not hold on to the lead as No. 9 Northeastern answered with four straight goals to seal the win.
Freshmen Jessica Cohen and Nicole Anderson notched the first two goals and the team’s leading scorer, sophomore Ashley Cottrell, secured her 10th goal of the season when she found the back of the net in the second period.
Leading into their Nov. 20th matchup against Northeastern, Cottrell was named Hockey East Player of the Week and freshman Nicole Anderson was named Hockey East Rookie of the week after the Friars split a series with Boston University from Nov. 14-15. Anderson recorded three goals and one assist and Cottrell finished with two goals and three assists in the series split.
Providence currently holds the third place position in the Eastern Hockey conference behind Northeastern and Boston College.
The Friars have had several close games including six overtime games with five resulting in ties and one a loss.
