Wisconsin women's hockey heroes nearly retired early
Knee injuries, as recently as January, almost retired Wisconsin Badgers duo Claire Enright and Marianne Picard before tallying a national-title-winning goal
University Park, PA — “All I remember is being so out of breath, basically having a panic attack.”
When you score a game-winning goal in the national title game, with one of your best friends and teammates, after you both nearly retired due to injuries, the emotions can be overwhelming, or so Wisconsin women’s hockey forward Marianne Picard says.
“Assisting Claire [Enright] was the best way to go out,” the fifth-year senior added.
“Me and [Picard] have been through so much together,” Enright added. “We were just in disbelief that we were the ones to do it when we’ve always had belief in each other.”
Wisconsin women’s hockey needed everyone
In 124 games with the Wisconsin Badgers, Enright had only ever scored one game-winner in a regular-season contest last January.
The Farmington, Minnesota native said she does not remember that goal “at all.”
Her second game-winner for UW, one that came in the final minutes of the 2026 national title game, is a different story.
“I will remember this one forever,” the senior said. “Especially with this team. I’m just so proud of everyone.”
The player who had only scored nine goals all season, and 20 in her career, brought her head coach’s pre-game speech and prediction to life.
“When I talked to them this morning, it was that we’re going to need a team effort today,” Mark Johnson said. “It’s going to take everybody.”
“I gave her a big hug at the end of the game,” Johnson added. “And I said, you probably don’t realize that, you know, you scored the game-winning goal in the national championship game. And, like, two or three years ago, we didn’t know she was going to play any more hockey in her career.”
Unlikely hero nearly gave up hockey
Every season Enright has played for Wisconsin, she has ended it with a national title. Now a senior, she missed her sophomore year with a knee injury, one that almost ended her career.
“You have no idea how close I was,” Enright said about her consideration given to medically retiring during a year-long recovery process.
Instead, she opted to undergo surgery again, taking “one more shot” at a return to the ice.
“It was very tough mentally, but I’m so glad that I came back,” Enright added. “I can’t thank [athletic trainer] Stef [Arndt], [strength and conditioning coach] Paul [Valukas] enough. The whole training staff, all the doctors, everyone, they really pushed me and they believed in me.”
After Wisconsin surrendered a two-goal lead in the third period of the 2026 national title game, Enright put UW back in front, with an assist from Picard—a duo with a shared history of season-ending knee injuries that the longtime linemates have “bonded through.”
“Once you’ve worked through an injury, you kind of understand each other on a deeper level,” Picard added. “That’s why I think me and Claire are so close and we have a special chemistry, because we understand what it takes to get back.
“It’s hard to miss a year and then come back to that level of play, playing against Olympians. So I’m happy, I’m so happy for her, and no one deserves it more than her.”
Claire Enright shares praise for Marianne Picard
Enright was not short on compliments for Picard either. Earlier this season, it appeared that Picard had suffered another season-ending, and thus career-ending, knee injury in her final season of eligibility.
After further medical evaluation, doctors found that Picard had suffered an MCL injury rather than an ACL tear. So, the Quebec native, who had already accepted a full-time job on campus at UW-Madison for after her graduation, gave hockey one more shot. She rehabbed the injury and returned to the ice just a month later.
“It’s honestly just so inspiring to see her go through it too,” Enright said about Picard. “I’m just so happy for her, and we just—we did it together!”
In an interview before the Frozen Four, Picard admitted that the month of recovery was hard, and her knee still hurt “a little bit, but when you play, you kind of forget about it with the adrenaline.”
When you tally a hard-earned assist from your backhand in the waning minutes of the national championship game, the knee probably feels just fine.
“I didn’t have to come back to play those last few games,” Picard said in an interview after winning Wisconsin’s ninth national championship.
“Thank goodness she did, bro!” Laila Edwards added, shouting from the background.
“But I knew this group was special,” Picard continued with a chuckle. “And the only reason why I came back is for the girls, to get to spend my last hockey games with them and I don’t regret a thing.”
Another ride for Claire Enright?
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