MADISON, Wis. – The top-ranked Wisconsin women's hockey team hits the road to northern Minnesota to take on No. 7 Minnesota Duluth this weekend. Puck drop on Friday at AMSOIL Arena is at noon while Sunday's series finale begins at 1 p.m.
Both games can be seen in the Madison area on the CW Madison (15.2) while fans can also watch the games online via B1G+.
1. LAST TIME OUT: UW is coming off of an emphatic sweep of St. Cloud State, earning a 6-0 win on Saturday before claiming a 6-1 win on Sunday afternoon.
Daryl Watts scored four goals during the weekend while
Makenna Webster,
Sophie Shirley and
Sarah Wozniewicz all scored multiple goals to help UW to their 26th and 27th straight wins over the Huskies. The Badgers also recognized their 2021 NCAA Championship Game prior to puck drop on Saturday afternoon and dropped the 2021 NCAA Championship Banner.
2. AWARD WINNERS: Kennedy Blair earned WCGA Goaltender of the Week after posting a shutout against St. Cloud State last Saturday and only allowing one goal on Sunday. She saved 36 of 37 shots to lead the WCHA with a .973 save percentage in league play and .987 in all games. She also leads the NCAA in shutouts with three and has the second-best save percentage.
3. A STELLAR START: The Badgers are off to a 6-0 start for the fourth-time in five years, but the most impressive part of their run is that they have outscored their opponents 39-2 in the process. The 39 goals scored is tied for the most through six games in school history with the 2008-09 team, while the two goals against is also tied for the fewest given up with the 2015-16 squad. The Badgers lead the country in goals scored with 39, shorthanded goals with 3, and faceoff percentage with a 65.5 percent clip.
4. ON DULUTH: Wisconsin will face its toughest test of the season so far as the top-ranked team will meet with its first ranked opponent, No. 7 Minnesota Duluth. The Bulldogs are currently 2-2-0 in league play and split a series with Minnesota over the weekend, losing the first game 1-3 and winning the second 5-4. Wisconsin leads the all-time series against Minnesota Duluth 53-32-15.
Sophie Shirley has six goals and six assists in 11 career games against the Bulldogs while Watts has six goals and 11 assists in seven games. Two of Watts' six goals have been OT game-winning goals.
5. WOW: Casey O'Brien,
Daryl Watts and
Makenna Webster have combined for 22 goals and 50 points to hold down their spot as one of the best lines in the country. The trio is +55 through the first six games of the season and each has had at least one multi-goal game. They are also the only three Badgers with double-digit points as O'Brien has 15, Watts 16 and Webster leads the team with 19 points. The trio also take the top three spots in NCAA scoring leaders.
