Game One Coverage
Saturday, Dec. 1 | 2 pm CT — LaBahn Arena
Game Two Coverage
Sunday, Dec. 2 | 12 pm CT — LaBahn Arena
MADISON, Wis. – The No. 1 Wisconsin women's hockey team ends its six-game homestand with a series against the Syracuse Orange at LaBahn Arena this weekend. Puck drop on Saturday is set for 2 p.m. with the series finale at 12 p.m. on Sunday.
Parking on Saturday is available for $5 in Lots 29, 46 and 91 and fans are asked to leave immediately following the conclusion of the women's hockey contest. Parking in Lot 91 on Sunday is free for women's hockey fans.Â
1. CALIFORNIA LOVE: Senior Annie Pankowski, the Laguna Hills, California native, had a historic past weekend for the Badgers. The Wisconsin veteran was named WCHA Co-Forward of the week after becoming the first player in program history to score consecutive overtime game-winning goals in last weekend's sweep of Harvard. Pankowski finished the weekend series with three goals, a season-high for the senior this season.  Two of Pankowski's goals were both featured on ESPN's Sportscenter Top Ten over the weekend. Her game-winner checked in at No. 9 on the countdown, while her short-handed goal on Friday was No. 3. Her game-winning goal on Saturday was also the top play on the NCAA's Ice Hockey Plays of the Week.
2. ABOUT THE ORANGE: Wisconsin takes on College Hockey America Conference (CHA) opponent Syracuse for just the third series matchup between the two programs. The Orange are 4-10-1 (4-3-1 CHA) in 2018-19 and are led by sophomore forward Emma Polaski who currently leads the team with 11 points off of eight goals and three assists in just 30 shots. Syracuse is trying to escape a four game losing streak, most recently falling to No. 8 ranked St. Lawrence, 4-0, last Saturday.Â
3. GOING CAMPING: Five current Badgers were selected to take part in USA Hockey's Women's Winter Training Camp. Britta Curl, Annie Pankowski, Maddie Rolfes, Abby Roque and Sophia Shaver will join former Badgers Brianna Decker, Hilary Knight and Alex Rigsby at the five-day camp. The annual training camp, at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Michigan, serves as an opportunity to help the top players prepare for upcoming international events, including the 2019 IIHF Women's World Championship.
4. HISTORY AGAINST 'CUSE: The Badgers know nothing but winning when it comes to the series between UW and Syracuse, sweeping the two series matchups that date back to the 2008 season. Most recently, in 2017, Wisconsin squeezed the Orange in Syracuse, New York with a 1-0 and 5-2 series sweep on Oct. 6-7. The weekend matchup will be the first-ever series between the squads at LaBahn Arena, the first two matchups occurred at the Kohl Center in 2008 and at New York's Tennity Ice Pavilion in 2017.
5. HEADING BACK INTO CONFERENCE PLAY: The Syracuse series will be the last non-conference games for the Badgers during the regular season. Following the series finale against the Orange on Sunday, Dec. 2, UW will play 16 straight WCHA conference matchups starting with a road trip to St. Cloud State on Dec. 8-9. As it stands today, Wisconsin (No. 1) is among the three WCHA teams in the current USCHO Top 10 in the country. Border-rival Minnesota is ranked at No. 2 and Ohio State sits currently at No. 6.
