Top-ranked Wisconsin meets No. 2 Minnesota Duluth in the Badgers' final home series of the regular season. Puck drop for Saturday is set for 2 p.m., while Sunday's contest begins at noon.
Sunday will serve as Senior Day for the Badgers, as UW will honor its six seniors – Mellissa Channell, Ann-Renee Desbiens, Mikayla Johnson, Sydney McKibbon, Sarah Nurse and Jenny Ryan – prior to puck drop.
Badgers and Bulldogs to meet in front of sold-out crowd
The Wisconsin women's hockey program announced Wednesday that no more tickets are available for this weekend's series against No. 2 Minnesota Duluth at LaBahn Arena.
This weekend's series between the top-two teams in women's hockey marks the ninth and 10th times this year that UW has enjoyed a sellout at home.
Fans attending this weekend's series should note that parking in lots surrounding LaBahn Arena and the Kohl Center will be $5. It is recommended that women's hockey fans arrive before puck drop to avoid paying men's hockey or men's basketball parking fees.
About the Badgers
The Badgers boast the nation's top-ranked offense and defense so far this season. UW is averaging 4.25 goals per game and has allowed only 28 goals in its 29 games this year for an average of 0.96 goals per game.
The Badgers enter this weekend with a 12-game winning streak, which is UW's longest winning streak of the season. UW has outscored its opponents 62-10 during the stretch.
Senior Ann-Renee Desbiens leads NCAA goaltenders in goals-against average with a 0.79 clip, winning percentage with a mark of .938, save percentage with a .956 clip and shutouts with 11. Desbiens now has 92 career wins and only needs eight more to match Alex Rigsby's program record.Â
Junior Annie Pankowski has at least one point in each game during UW's 12-game winning streak with 27 points during the span thanks to 12 goals and 15 assists. Pankowski ranks sixth in the country in scoring, averaging 1.56 points per game.
Junior Emily Clark scored four goals during UW's sweep of Bemidji State, including two game-winning goals. Seven of Clark's 14 goals this year have been game-winners as she's tied for the NCAA lead in game-winning goals.
Senior Sarah Nurse tallied six assists during UW's sweep of the Beavers last weekend. Nurse ranks fifth in the league in points with 36 this season.
Number of the Week
49 – Ann-Renee Desbiens enters the weekend with 49 career shutouts, passing Noora Raty for the most in NCAA history. Desbiens earned the record-breaking shutout on November 6
th, when the Badgers blanked Bemidji State, 6-0.
About Minnesota Duluth
The No. 2 Bulldogs currently sit in third place in the WCHA standings with a 17-4-3 record in league games and a 20-4-4 overall ledger.
UMD hasn't lost a game since December, going 7-0-1 since the start of 2017.
Senior Lara Stalder leads the Bulldogs in points with 45 overall, coming from 19 goals and 26 assists.
Maddie Rooney backstops the Bulldogs, as the sophomore goaltender has a 20-4-4 record in net, with a .943 save percentage.
Filled the Bowl
The top-ranked Wisconsin women's hockey team broke its own NCAA women's hockey single-game attendance record on Saturday as the Badgers defeated St. Cloud State in their "Fill the Bowl" game at the Kohl Center. A record-setting crowd of 15,359 fans cheered on UW as it shut out the Huskies, 2-0.
Filled the Bowl
Wisconsin women's hockey student-athletes Annie Pankowski, Maddie Rolfes, Jenny Ryan, Sophia Shaver and Lauren Williams were named WCHA Scholar-Athletes, the league announced Thursday.
It marks the third time that Ryan, a two-time alternate captain, has received the honor while Pankowski, UW's leading scorer this year, earns the honor for a second-straight year. Both Badgers have received the NCAA Elite 90 Award for having the highest cumulative grade-point average at the NCAA Frozen Four.
To earn recognition as a WCHA Scholar-Athlete, conference-member student-athletes must have completed at least one year of residency at their present institution prior to the current academic year and must also have a grade-point average of at least 3.50 on a 4.0 scale for the previous two semesters or three quarters, or may qualify if his/her overall GPA is at least 3.50 for all terms at his or her present institution.
Learn more here.Â
The series against Minnesota Duluth
This weekend's series marks the 83rd and 84th times the Badgers and Bulldogs have met.
The Badgers lead the all-time series with the Bulldogs, 40-30-12.
Wisconsin suffered its first loss of the season against Minnesota Duluth in November before earning a win against the Bulldogs the following day to split the series.
UW holds a 17-11-7 record at home against UMD.
Desbiens named WCHA Defensive Player of the Month
Wisconsin women's hockey goaltender Ann-Renee Desbiens was rewarded Friday for her tremendous play in the Badgers' net, as the senior was named the WCHA Defensive Player of the Month for January.
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This marks the first time this year that Desbiens, the reigning WCHA Player of the Year, has collected defensive player of the month honors from the league.
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Desbiens started six of UW's seven games in the month, posting a 6-0-0 record while recording three shutouts, which paced the NCAA during January.
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A native of La Malbaie, Quebec, Desbiens' save percentage of .962 in January was the second-best in the country, while her goals-against average of 0.67 paced the NCAA. Desbiens' six wins led the WCHA and ranked second in the NCAA during January.
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On the season, Desbiens leads the NCAA in wins (20), save percentage (.958), goals-against average (0.72), winning percentage (.932) and shutouts (11).
Roque earns WCHA weekly honors
After a three-point weekend against Bemidji State, Wisconsin women's hockey freshman Abby Roque was named the WCHA Rookie of the Week. It marks the third time this year that Roque, a native of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, has received weekly honors from the league.
Roque tallied a pair of goals and an assist during the Badgers' 6-1 win against Bemidji State on Friday, which marked UW's 500th program victory.
The performance marked Roque's second multi-goal game of the season, as she also tallied two goals on Nov. 6 against Bemidji State.
Roque's +3 plus/minus rating on the weekend was the second-best mark in the league among rookies.
Hitting the Mark:
Wisconsin head coach
Mark Johnson became the first coach in WCHA history to record 400 career wins in the Badgers sweep of Clarkson. Johnson is only the third coach in NCAA Division I women's hockey history to collect 400 career triumphs.
