BEMIDJI, Minn. – The No. 1 Wisconsin women's hockey rocked the Sanford Center in its season opener, taking down Bemidji State, 9-2 for the team's first victory.

The Badgers (1-0-0) scored nine times in their first game of the season. After collecting one goal in the first period, Wisconsin came back out hot, scoring eight goals in the next twenty minutes of game time. 

Sophomore Maggie Scannell secured her first career hat trick, putting two in the net during the second period, before scoring the last goal of the game with 10:06 remaining in the third.
 
Fifth year Lacey Eden and senior Kirsten Simms each put in two goals of their own. Simms got the Badgers on the board with five minutes remaining in the first, picking up a pass from Eden and taking it in to make it 1-0.

Eden then got one of her own in the second. The Beavers were able to score shortly after to make it, 2-1, but Wisconsin broke it open after that. Scannell put in back-to-back goals in a three-minute span, before Simms added in her second of the game just 50 seconds after to make it 5-1. Junior Cassie Hall added in another tally for Wisconsin's fifth goal of the period.

Freshman Charlotte Pieckenhagen opened up the third period by scoring her first goal as a Badger in her very first game, sending one past the goalie with a smooth backhand.

 After another Bemidji score, another freshman, Adéla Šapovalivová, got her first point with an assist off Lacey Eden's second goal of the night. Eden put one in while coming around the back of the net.

Ava McNaughton stayed behind the net the all three periods, saving 14 goals from the Beavers. 

Notes of the Game

• Sophomore Maggie Scannell earns her first career natural hat trick, scoring three goals across two periods.
• Wisconsin outshot Bemidji 16-4 in the first period and had a 42-16 advantage by the end of the game. The Badgers have increased their win streak against Bemidji to 20 games, and have outscored the Beavers 20-0 in their last two matchups.
• Two Badgers made their debuts, with Charlotte Pieckenhagen and Adéla Šapovalivová both hitting milestones. Pieckenhagen scored her first goal, while Šapovalivová collected her first point off an assist to Lacey Eden.
• Lacey Eden now has 16 career multi-goal games, tying her with Kirsten Simms for the most on the team.

Up Next: Wisconsin wraps up its series against Bemidji on Saturday with a 3:02 p.m. contest at the Sanford Center. Fans can listen to Paul Braun and Mark Greenhalgh on The Game 1070 AM or watch on TV with Fox9+. The game will also stream on B1G+.