Game One Coverage
Friday, Nov. 16 | 7 pm CT — LaBahn Arena
Game Two Coverage
Saturday, Nov. 17| 2 pm CT — LaBahn Arena
MADISON, Wis. – The No. 1 Wisconsin women's hockey team comes of its bye week to take on Bemidji State at La Bahn Arena this weekend. Puck drop on Friday is set for 7 p.m. CT at the with the series finale starting Saturday at 2 p.m.
Parking for Friday's game is free in Lot 91 while parking for Saturday's contest is available in Lots 29, 46 and 91 for $5. Fans are asked to leave immediately following game due to UW's men's basketball game at 7 p.m.
1. THE COMPETITION: Wisconsin battles WCHA rival Bemidji State for the first time this season starting Friday. The Beavers are just 2-9-1 (2-5-1 WCHA) but have put up notable performances against top competition this year. Last weekend, Bemidji State swept the No. 4 Ohio State at home, defeating the Buckeyes 2-1 on Nov. 9 and 4-2 on Nov. 10. The Beavers also put up an impressive outing against the No. 2 Minnesota Golden Gophers Nov. 2-3, putting up four goals in the series despite being swept. The Beavers are led by sophomore forward Claire DeGeorge, who has led Bemidji States with four goals and two assist over 12 games.
2. D GETS AN "A": The Badgers have locked down on defense over their past four games, limiting teams to three total goals over that period. UW's dominance in the back-half of the ice is drawing in some well-deserved recognition. Last Tuesday, Wisconsin women's hockey juniors Mekenzie Steffen and Kristen Campbell were named WCHA Defenseman of the Week and WCHA Goaltender of the Week for their efforts in the series sweep on the road over Minnesota State. The duo helped limit the Mavericks to a single goal in 32 shot attempts.
3. RETURNING BADGERS Wisconin will get a rejuvenated roster this weekend against Bemidji State. UW welcomes back seniors captains Mikaela Gardner and Annie Pankowski to the ice after the duo participated in the 2018 Four Nations Cup last week. The two Badgers helped lead Team USA to gold thanks to a 5-2 victory over Canada. Senior Emily Clark was also selected to participate in the tournament for Team Canada, but was forced to decline the offer due to injury.
4. MATCHUP AGAINST THE BEAVERS: UW has had its share of dominance when it comes to their history with the Bemidji State Beavers. Wisconsin has an impressive 71-5-4 overall record against the Beavers. The Badgers enter the weekend series with 14-0-1 record in the team's last 15 contests.
5. HOME COOKING: The Wisconsin women's hockey team won't be leaving Madison anytime soon. The Badgers begin a six-game home stretch starting this weekend against Bemidji State, followed by a Nov. 23-24 series against Harvard and capped off with a Dec .1-2 battle with Syracuse. Opponents are no fan of traveling to play in Madison, UW is an incredible 103-12-5 in the team's seven seasons playing at LaBahn Arena.
