MADISON, Wis. – Senior captain Casey O'Brien set a new school career points record to help the No. 1 Wisconsin women's hockey team to an 11-0 victory over Bemidji State in a WCHA First Round Playoff Game at LaBahn Arena on Saturday.

O'Brien, who now has 265 career points, enjoyed a six-point night to become the school's all-time points leader, passing Hilary Knight who had the previous record of 262 points for the Cardinal and White. 

With the victory, the Badgers (33-1-2) secured their spot in the WCHA Final Faceoff that will take place in Duluth, Minn. next weekend. Kirsten Simms put together four points against the Beavers (6-30-1) with a hat trick and an assist. Halverson scored two and assisted one while Eden put together three assists. Finley McCarthy scored twice. Maggie Scannell, Kelly Gorbatenko, Cassie Hall, Sarah Wozniewicz, and O'Brien also recorded goals for the Badgers.

Simms opened the scoring with back-to-back goals in the first four minutes of the game. Both goals were assisted by O'Brien and Eden. Scannell scored next, giving Wisconsin a 3-0 advantage four and a half minutes into the first period. McCarthy scored the next goal five minutes into the period, with O'Brien earning another assist. Gorbatenko scored 45 seconds later to give the Badgers a 5-0 lead.

Wisconsin headed to the penalty kill but that didn't stop O'Brien from rewriting the record book. Caroline Harvey and O'Brien broke free and Harvey sent a pass across the slot that O'Brien one-timed into the net to record her fourth point of the game and the school record 263rd career point, passing Hilary Knight who posted 262 points during her time with the Cardinal and White. 

With 1:14 to play, O'Brien made it 264 career points with an assist on Halverson's goal that gave Wisconsin an 8-0 lead heading into the first intermission. 

Simms completed the hat trick halfway through the second frame. O'Brien recorded her sixth point of the game with an assist as Eden recorded her third point of the game with a secondary assist. The Badgers maintained their 9-0 advantage through the remainder of the period.

Wisconsin scored two goals in the last minute of the game Wozniewicz scored with 45 seconds left and McCarthy closed out the scoring with just a second on the clock.

Ava McNaughton started the game, making eight saves before giving way to Quinn Kuntz, who stopped 22 shots during the final 40 minutes. 

"It's remarkable. You have to stay healthy and you have to be consistent for a really long time. You have to have support and you have to have players giving opportunities. They create assists and get goals. When Hilary (Knight) left, it was one of those situations where unless something unique comes along or something special comes along, then you'd probably be talking about it because her numbers were pretty crazy to me from the start. Life happens, you get COVID, and you get an extra year. You still have to be consistent and play those games and produce. It's remarkable, a lot of credit goes to her and the players she's been able to play with over the course of her time here."

"Any time you can get your good players in a position where they're comfortable and they're confident, and they're working hard and there's chemistry with the people they're playing with, that's a real positive as we enter into next weekend."

"Honestly, it's still hard to fully comprehend, but I think it's just a reflection of the teams that I've been on and how good they've been, how good my teammates have been and just the contributions that I was able to make, I'm honored. I think it's more than just an individual award and it should be celebrated for the whole team and each team that I've been on."

"It made me super emotional, honestly. Wisconsin women's hockey has the best fans in the country. I don't think you can question that in women's hockey. Going up after every game at home, even on the road just to see a ton of them there, we get to know them, and they mean so much to us. To feel that in that moment was just so cool, how much they care about us, how much they support us and I don't think any team gets that kind of support. It's really something that makes Wisconsin special, it's the fans."
 

"I'm so proud of her. I mean she's obviously such an incredible player. She's shown that since she came in here her freshman year. She's someone that I've honestly looked up to when I was in youth hockey and before I got here and I was super excited to get the opportunity to play on a team with her. Now I've gotten an opportunity to play aside her for the last two years and it's just been unbelievable. She's so talented and so fun to play with. It's sad that our time comes to an end soon together, but I'm just so proud of her and all the things she's done here. It's truly incredible and she's just amazing."

Up Next: The Badgers will compete at the 2025 WCHA Final Faceoff, March 7-8, at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, Minnesota. UW will face either Minnesota Duluth or Minnesota State on Friday at 1 p.m.