Wisconsin Women’s Hockey Faces High-Octane Offense in NCAAs

Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey is three wins away from back-to-back national championships. Last season, the Badgers were something of an underdog entering the NCAA Tournament. This season, UW enters the big dance one week removed from knocking off the top-ranked team in the country. 

On Saturday, Wisconsin plays its first NCAA Tournament game on home ice since 2019. The second-overall seed in the tournament, head coach Mark Johnson’s squad will play in front of a sold-out crowd. That crowd will be treated to a game between two of the top offenses in Division I women’s college hockey.

How to Watch, Stream, or Listen to Wisconsin Women’s Hockey in the NCAA Tournament

WHERE: LaBahn Arena – Madison, Wisconsin

WHEN: 2:00 PM CDT

WATCH: FREE streaming available for the Badgers women’s hockey NCAA Tournament regional final on Big Ten Plus

LISTEN: 1070AM The Game – Madison or online at 1070 The Game on iHeart Radio

St. Lawrence Saints Bring Potent Offense to Madison

The 2024 Women’s Ice Hockey Bracket 🏒✨#NCAAHockey pic.twitter.com/jNb8IpQbgm

— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 10, 2024

The St. Lawrence Saints, led by head coach Chris Wells, defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions to clinch a spot in the regional final. The Saints played an uncharacteristically low-scoring game to open the NCAA Tournament. After 60 scoreless minutes, the Saints and Nittany Lions went to sudden-death overtime. Penn State goaltender Katie DeSa stopped an impressive 43 shots, but the 44th gave St. Lawrence its first win in the tournament since 2007.

Scoring 3.29 goals per game, St. Lawrence boasts the eighth-highest-scoring offense (of 44 teams) in the country. The offense, led by a pair of forwards with 50 points on the season, has a knack for scoring clutch goals. Center Julia Gosling has tallied 22 goals and 29 assists this season. Her seven game-winning and nine power-play goals rank fourth in the country.

Abby Hustler is the heart and soul of the Saints’ offense. The right winger’s 12 power-play goals are the second-most among all DI skaters. St. Lawrence does a lot of its damage playing on the advantage. The Saints rank fourth nationally with a power play that converts on 31.15% of opportunities—less than one-half of a percentage point behind the Badgers.

Two Wisconsin Women’s Hockey Named Finalists for Nation’s Top Player

Down to three!

Get to know this year’s top-3 finalists for the #PattyKaz Award ⤵️

— USA Hockey (@usahockey) March 13, 2024

The Badgers are no strangers to scoring. Wisconsin, which has battled with top-seeded Ohio State all season, barely edges out the Buckeyes with the most goals per game in the country. Two of the nation’s best forwards power UW’s offense to 5.21 goals per game scoring output.

Casey O’Brien and Kirsten Simms are among the top three finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award, given to the top player in women’s college hockey. The linemates rank first and second in points per game. With 71 points, Simms averages 1.97 PPG, and O’Brien is not far behind with 69 points.

A win on Saturday would send Wisconsin women’s hockey to the Frozen Four in Durham, New Hampshire. The national semifinals are on Friday, March 22nd with the national championship on Sunday, March 24th. The semifinals will be shown at 3:00 PM and 6:30 PM central on ESPN+. The national championship game will air at 3:00 PM on ESPNU.

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