MADISON, Wis. – The reigning NCAA champion Wisconsin women's hockey team tied for the top spot in the 2023-24 WCHA Preseason Coaches' Poll, while sophomore
Caroline Harvey was named the WCHA Preseason Player of the Year, as announced by the league on Tuesday.
The Badgers and rival Ohio State, last year's WCHA regular-season champion, both garnered 46 points and four first-place votes in the yearly preseason poll done by the eight WCHA head coaches.
Border Battle rival Minnesota finished in third place with 35 points, while UMD finished fourth with 31 points. St. Cloud State was picked to finish fifth with 27 points, followed by Minnesota State and St. Thomas tied for sixth with 17 points. Bemidji State rounded out this year's poll with seven points.
Harvey became the seventh Badger picked as the WCHA Preseason Player of the Year, but is the first Badger blueliner to garner the recognition. The 2023 WCHA Rookie of the Year, Harvey was a second-team All-American last season, becoming just the second Badger freshman to earn All-America honors after leading UW to its seventh NCAA title. She also powered the United States to gold at the 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship, posting 14 points during the seven-game tournament and was named the USA Hockey Bob Allen Women's Player of the Year.
Harvey wasn't the only Badger to earn preseason league honors, as senior
Casey O'Brien and sophomore
Kirsten Simms were named to the Preseason All-WCHA Team along with Harvey. A third-team All-USCHO selection last year, O'Brien posted a team-best 48 points during the 2022-23 season. Simms recorded the game-winning goal in the national championship game against Ohio State and was named to the All-USCHO Rookie Team.
The Badgers open their 2023-24 season on Sept. 28-29 with a road trip to Lindenwood. Puck drop on Thursday, Sept. 28 is set for 7:10 p.m. at the Centene Community Ice Rink in Maryland Heights, Missouri. The series finale is scheduled to take place on Friday, Sept. 29 at 3 p.m.
UW opens its home slate with a non-conference showdown against Boston College on Oct. 5-6 at LaBahn Arena. Both games will start at 7 p.m. and UW will raise its 2023 National Championship Banner prior to puck drop on Friday, Oct. 6.
With the college hockey season less than a month away, single-game tickets for UW home games will go on sale on Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 9 a.m. on UWBadgers.com.
2023-24 WCHA Coaches Poll
Coaches could not vote for their own team. First place votes are in parentheses
1. Wisconsin (4) 46 points
2. Ohio State (4) 46
3. Minnesota 35
4. Minnesota Duluth 33
5. St. Cloud State 27
6 Minnesota State 17
St. Thomas 17
8 Bemidji State 7
WCHA Preseason Player of the Year
Caroline Harvey, So., D, Wisconsin (7 votes)
Others receiving votes: Hannah Bilka, F, Ohio State (1).
Preseason WCHA Rookie of the Year
Joy Dunne, F, Ohio State (5 votes)
Others receiving votes: Eve Gascon, G, Minnesota Duluth (2);
Kelly Gorbatenko, F, Wisconsin (1)
Preseason All-WCHA
F: Jen Gardiner, Sr., Ohio State (tie)
F: Kirsten Simms, So., Wisconsin (tie)
F: Abby Murphy, Jr., Minnesota
F: Casey O'Brien, Sr., Wisconsin
D: Kayla Barnes, Sr., Ohio State
D: Caroline Harvey, So., Wisconsin
G: Amanda Thiele, Sr., Ohio State
Others receiving votes (listed alphabetically by position):
Forwards – Hannah Bilka, Sr., Ohio State; Jenna Buglioni, Sr., Ohio State;
Britta Curl, Sr., Wisconsin; Lacey Eden, Jr., Wisconsin; Jamie Nelson, Sr., Minnesota State; McKenna Webster, Sr. Ohio State.
Defense – Nina Jobst-Smith, Sr. Minnesota Duluth; Madeline Wethington, Sr., Minnesota.
Goaltender: Jojo Chobak, ; St. Cloud State; Skylar Vetter, Jr., Minnesota;.
