Biography
Awards and Honors: Patty Kazmaier Award Recepient (2024-25), AHCA First-Team All American (2024-25), WCHA Player of the Year (2024-25), WCHA Forward of the Year (2024-25), All-WCHA First Team (2024-25), WCHA Final Faceoff All-Tournament Team (2024-25), WCHA Final Faceoff MVP (2024-25), HCA Forward of the Month (Sept.-Oct 2024) Forward of the Month (Sept., Oct., 2024-2025), WCHA Forward of the Week (Sept. 30, Oct. 7, Feb. 10) ... First-Team All-American (2023-24) … Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Top-3 Finalist (2023-24) … All-WCHA First Team (2023-24) … USCHO National Player of the Year (2023-24) … First-Team All-USCHO (2023-24) … WCHA Forward of the Year Finalist (2023-24) … WCHA Final Faceoff All-Tournament Team (2023-24) … WCHA Final Faceoff MVP (2023-24) … WCHA Forward of the Month (Jan. 2024) ... Preseason All-WCHA Team (2023) ... Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Top-10 Finalist (2021-22) ... All-USCHO Third-Team (2023) ... Second-Team All-WCHA (2022-23) ... Third-Team All-WCHA (2021-22) ... WCHA Forward of the Week (Sept. 27, 2021, Jan. 30, 2023, Jan. 15, 2024, Jan. 22, 2024) ... WCHA All-Academic Team (2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25) ... WCHA Scholar Athlete (2023-24, 2024-25) ... Academic All-Big Ten (2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25)
2024-25: Skated in all 41 games as co-captain of the National Championship team ... recorded the most points of any Badger in history in a season with 88 on 26 goals and 62 assists, the most assists in a season in school history ... broke the school career assists and points records ... started the season with four points in three straight games ... went on an 11-game poin streak in the first 11 games ... then earned a 17-game point streak which included 11 multi-point games ... recorded the four assists and five points in a single period against Bemdiji State on March 1, both single-period school records ... tallied a season-high six points in that game on March 1 .. posted 1 goal and 2 assists against Minnesota to help the Badgers to the WCHA Final Faceoff title ... recorded a goal and two assists in the Frozen Four Semifinal against Minnesota ... posted 3 or more points in 15 games ... enjoyed a total of 26 multi-goal games in the season ... recorded a plus/minus of +66 ... scored 4 power-play goals and two shorthanded goals ... tallied seven game-winning goals
2023-24: Played in all 41 games for the Badgers in her senior season … posted a career-best 73 points on 23 goals and NCAA-leading 50 assists … became the first Badger in school history to record 50 assists in a season … enjoyed 22 multi-point games, recording three or more points in 13 of the games … finished the season with a +53 plus/minus rating … recorded 508 wins from the face-off dot, ending the season with a .592 face-off win percentage … enjoyed a four-point game against Boston College on Oct. 6 … recorded back-to-back five-point weekends against St. Thomas and Minnesota State in January … tallied two points in the 2-1 overtime win over Minnesota Duluth on Jan. 26 … enjoyed two goals in the 4-2 victory against Ohio State on Feb. 24 … posted 13 points in the WCHA conference tournament, including a late goal against Minnesota in the conference semifinal game to send the game to overtime and four against Ohio State in the championship game … tallied two assists in the 3-1 victory over Colgate in the national semifinal game
2022-23: Saw the ice in all 41 games for the National Championship team as an assistant captain … led the team in most offensive categories, including points with 48 … recorded a team-leading 19 goals and 29 assists … scored all three short-handed goals for the Badgers … tied for the lead in game-winning goals with four … enjoyed a .563 faceoff percentage and a plus-minus rating of +39 … posted a career-high six points against Bemidji State on Dec. 2 … recorded three or more points in six games throughout the season … posted her 100th career point on Jan. 27 … tallied the game-winning goal against Minnesota on Feb. 11
2021-22: Was named a Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award top-10 finalist after posting 27 goals and 28 assists for 55 points her sophomore season ... her +38 plus/minus rating ranked second on the team while her 9 game-winning goals led the country and ranked third in school history ... recorded six goals during UW's sweep of Lindenwood, including a four-goal game on Sept. 25 ... recoded three points in a 5-0 win at Merrimack on Oct. 2 ... tallied three points off a goal and two assists in a 3-1 win against Ohio State on Oct. 23 ... scored both goals for UW in its 2-2 tie against Minnesota on Dec. 4 ... enjoyed a five-point game against Bemidji State on Feb. 26
2020-21: Saw the ice in all 21 games... had 10 points, including a goal at Minnesota State-Mankato and another in the Frozen Four game against Ohio State... scored a game-winning point with an assist to take down Ohio State in the Frozen Four... finished with a rating of +11
Prep: From Milton, Massachusetts, O'Brien suited up for Team USA in 2018 and 2019 at the IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championships in Dmitrov, Russia and Obihiro, Japan. O'Brien played a crucial part in helping Team USA win gold at the 2018 tournament, posting three goals and two assists in five games and was named the U.S. Player of the Game after a shootout win over Canada. In 2019, she helped Team USA to the silver medal in 2019, tallying one goal and two assists in Japan.
O'Brien led Noble and Greenough School to gold at the New England Championships her freshman year thanks to a 42-point season. She joined fellow Badger recruit Makenna Webster at Shattuck St. Mary's her sophomore year and O'Brien led her team in points with 80 (37G-43A) in 56 games played and earned a spot on the USA Today All-USA Girls Hockey Third Team. She was named the USA Today High School Player of the Year her junior season after posting a team-best 96 points (52G-42A) in only 49 games. During her shortened senior year, she posted 48 points in only 23 contents for SSM.
Personal: Daughter of Erika and James O'Brien … has two older brothers, Jack and Max … shoots left … started playing hockey at age 4 … helped U14 hockey team to gold medal at national championships … played soccer, lacrosse and track in high school … earned high distinction and high honors academically in high school … coached Faribault's youth kids, tutored underprivileged students in elementary and middle school (Boston) and managed Shattuck hockey's social media … cites Kendall Coyne as role model … likes playing guitar, surfing and snowboarding … can juggle … likes steak, AC/DC, Kicking & Screaming and Black Mirror
Why Wisconsin?
