Badger women's hockey Olympians' dominant, shutout return
All five of Wisconsin women's hockey's Olympians recorded a point — even goaltender Ava McNaughton
Madison, WI — With five Olympians returning to compete for the Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team this weekend, those international stars were almost certainly going to be the focal point of this weekend in Madison. Before half of Friday’s game had been played, that group of five left no doubt they would be the story, as all five got their way on the scoresheet.
Yes, even the goalie.
“The kids were fired up to play,” UW head coach Mark Johnson said in a post-game interview. “Obviously it’s a new season and I was very impressed with the way we came out. The energy, the speed, and the offensive zone time we created.”
The Badgers (30-3-2, 22-3-2 WCHA) added two goals less than two minutes apart to break a 0-0 tie just before nine minutes had passed in the first period. That led to a barrage, ending in a 7-0 victory over the Bemidji State Beavers (6-26-3, 3-24-1 WCHA) to open WCHA Tournament play.
Leading the way for Wisconsin was, predictably, its Olympians, who returned to a raucous sellout crowd inside LaBahn Arena.
Olympians return to Madison
After four weeks away from college hockey, Wisconsin’s five Olympians (four of them gold medalists) returned for the Badgers’ postseason run. In their last time out for UW, Caroline Harvey and Kirsten Simms each tallied a hat trick.
The international stars again provided fireworks against the Beavers on Friday evening.
All five of Wisconsin’s Olympians recorded a point. Laila Edwards completed the “bingo” with an assist on Adéla Šapovalivová’s second goal of the game just before the midway mark of the second period.
Yes, even Badgers goaltender Ava McNaughton logged a first-period assist on a power-play goal by defender Laney Potter.
“Pretty much happens like once a season for me,” the junior said after her third-career assist. “So it’s cool to check that off the list.”
As impressive as Wisconsin’s full roster looked on Friday night, Johnson believes his headliners, Edwards and Olympic MVP Harvey, have more to give.
“They played good tonight, but, you know, there’s still another step in both of them,” Johnson said. “The emotional drain of what they’ve experienced and transpired in the last week in their lives, and all of a sudden, you’ve got to jump back on the ice and play a playoff game. I mean, that’s asking a lot.
“But, you know, they did well. It’s nice to get them back into our fold. There’s more in their tank, and hopefully, tomorrow we might see a litle bit more.”
When Harvey adds more, she will be doing so as the player with the second-most assists in program history. With a trio of helpers on Friday night, she surpassed Sara Bauer’s 138. Harvey’s 141 only trails program record-holder Casey O’Brien’s 177.
Badgers win by displaying lineup depth
The dominant forces at the top of Wisconsin’s lineup can sometimes obscure the tremendous talent throughout its roster. UW’s “B-Squad” showcased just how much individual talent the Badgers have outside of the Olympians. Those secondary contributions have not yet slowed down, even with the “A-Squad” back in town.
When Wisconsin forward Maggie Scannell scored to put her team up 5-0, her line became the fifth different unit to find the back of the net. Each of Wisconsin’s first three forward groups scored, in addition to both of its power play units.
“The big thing is trying to get everybody on the same page, and playing together, pushing in the same direction, and working together,” Johnson said of the challenge of fitting all the pieces on his roster, something he has often compared to resetting the pieces of a puzzle, back together. “For most of the game, it was pretty good.”
Whether it was Potter looking like a worthy successor to Harvey, Badgers forward Lacey Eden adding her nation-leading 69th point, or Maggie Scannell getting her fifth goal in as many games against Bemidji State this season, UW showcased that its roster is full of championship-worthy talent.
“The team pulled off a lot of great wins and really held their own and really proved the team they are,” McNaughton said of Wisconsin’s players who remained in Madison to finish the regular season during the Olympics. “We were able to just reintegrate back in.”
Up next for Wisconsin women’s hockey
The Badgers look to complete a series sweep of the Beavers and advance to the WCHA Final Faceoff with a win tomorrow, Saturday, February 28th. UW will host that game inside LaBahn Arena. That game begins at 3:00 p.m. Central and will be televised on Big Ten Plus.
If necessary, Wisconsin and Bemidji State will play a series finale of their best-of-three series on Sunday, March 1st at 2:00 p.m.
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