Game One Coverage
Friday, Feb. 26 | 5:07 pm CT — Duluth, Minn.
Game Two Coverage
Saturday, Feb. 27 | 2:07 pm CT — Duluth, Minn.
MADISON, Wis.— The No. 1 Wisconsin women's hockey team is heading to No. 7 Minnesota Duluth for the final series of the regular season this weekend. Friday's puck drop is set for 5 p.m. and Saturday's for 2 p.m. Both games at AMSOIL Arena will be streamed on FloHockey.
Here are five things to know before the final puck drop of the regular season.
1. LAST TIME OUT: Wisconsin swept Bemidji State two weekend ago. Both games were shutouts with Friday's ending 4-0 and Saturday's ending 7-0. Between the two games,
Lacey Eden,
Grace Shirley,
Sophie Shirley and
Makenna Webster all scored two goals each. Goaltender
Kennedy Blair also notched her fourth and fifth shutouts of the season. Coming off the weekend, Webster was named WCHA Rookie of the Week and
Grace Bowlby earned WCHA Defenseman of the Week.
2. TITLE ON THE LINE: The Badgers are looking to bring home their ninth WCHA regular-season title. With two or more points this weekend, the team would capture the title outright. With one point, the team would split the title and if UMD sweeps, then the Bulldogs would take the title. This is the second straight year that the Badgers head to Duluth in hopes of securing the Julianne Bye Cup.
3. GONE STREAKING: Wisconsin is currently running an eight-game unbeaten streak, the third longest streak in the NCAA and the longest active streak by a WCHA team. In the last eight games, Wisconsin has outscored opponents 42-10. The team is also scoring .250 on power plays with six goals on 24 power plays.Â
4. WATTS GOING ON: Daryl Watts continues to make noise this season. The 2018 Katty Kazmaier winner has been raking in the honors this season. She has been named WCHA Preseason Player of the Year, WCHA Forward of the Week three times, won WCHA Forward of the Month in January, Hockey Commissioners Association National Player of the Month in January is also on the watchlist for the 2021 Patty Kazmaier. Watts is ranked 17th nationally for career points with 231. She has scored 27 so far this season with 13 goals and 14 assists.
5. AGAINST THE 'DOGS: The No. 1 Badgers end the regular season with a top-10 matchup against the No. 7 Bulldogs for the second-straight year. Wisconsin took four out of five games against UMD last season and leads the series against UMD 52-31-15. Since the 2013-24 season, the Badgers are 26-1-4 against the Bulldogs.
Sophie Shirley and Watts prove to be a dymanic duo against Minnesota Duluth with Shirley having six goals and five assists in nine games against UMD and Watts having four goals and eight assists in five career games against UMD.
