1. EIGHT IS GREAT
The Badgers are coming off of their eighth NCAA National Championship, winning 4-3 in overtime during an all-time thriller against No. 2 Ohio State last March. The team completed the 2024-25 season with a 38-1-2 record, securing the most wins in program history. 

UW's eighth championship is the most of any NCAA women's hockey team, winning all eight under the guidance of head coach, Mark Johnson. This latest win marks the team's fourth championship in the last seven years - previously winning in 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2025.

Wisconsin returns a large part of the Championship roster, with 20 players coming back for this upcoming season. Alternate captain Lacey Eden returns to seek her fourth championship, while seniors Chloe Baker, Laila Edwards, Caroline Harvey, Kirsten Simms, Claire Enright, Marianne Picard and Vivian Jungels all look for ring number three.

2. PRESEASON HONORS

UW accrued several awards in the offseason, including recently being ranked No.1 in the USCHO and USA Hockey polls. The Badgers collected every first-place vote in each of the national polls, continuing a streak of 27-straight weeks of holding the No. 1 ranking from USA Hockey going back to last season.

On a conference level, the Badgers were also selected to finish first in the WCHA Preseason Poll, collecting seven of the eight first place votes. Captain Caroline Harvey was voted to be WCHA Preseason Player of the Year, while freshmen Adéla Šapovalivová was named as the WCHA Rookie of the Year. Seniors Kirsten Simms and Caroline Harvey were also added to the All-WCHA preseason team.

3.  NEW BADGERS ON THE BLOCK

Wisconsin’s six freshmen are set to make their debut with the team this season. Freshmen goaltender, Rhyah Stewart, will be joined by defenders Mackenzie Jones and Rachel Gorbatenko, as well forwards Nicole Gorbatenko, Charlotte Pieckenhagen and Adéla Šapovalivová. 

Šapovalivová, the WCHA's Preseason Rookie of the Year, has multiple years of experience for the Czechia National Women's Hockey team, Nicole and Rachel will be joining their sister, Kelly, this season - putting three Gorbatenko's on the roster.

4. AGAINST THE BEAVERS

The Badgers lead the all-time series against Bemidji State, 98-7-5. The Badgers have won their last 19 matchups against the Beavers, including the last eight in Bemidji. Wisconsin last met Bemidji State on March 1, 2025. Here, the Badgers bested the Beavers, 11-0. In the previous series, Caroline Harvey broke Wisconsin's program record for most points by a Wisconsin defender in a single season.

Senior forward McKayla Zilisch transferred to Wisconsin last year from the Beavers making this her third game back at Bemidji. She played in five of the six total matchups that the Badgers had against the Beavers last season, in which UW took down BSU in all six games. Goaltender Ava McNaughton started five of those games, going a perfect 5-0, and going 51-for-52 on save opportunities.

5. CONSECUTIVE CAPTAINCIES FOR CAROLINE

Senior Caroline Harvey will lead the Badgers for the 2025-26 season, being named Captain for the second-straight year. She joins Sis Paulsen, Carla MacLeod, Grace Bowlby and Britta Curl as the only Badgers to have worn the “C” for consecutive seasons. 

Harvey will be joined by alternate captains Lacey Eden, Laila Edwards, Kelly Gorbatenko and Marianne Picard. Eden and Edwards both have experience as alternates, each of them sporting the title during last season. Picard, a fifth-year player, earns the “A” for the first time in her career. Gorbatenko is the only junior in the group, coming off a breakout sophomore campaign in which she put up 38 points in 41 games.