Wisconsin hockey shows resolve in comeback win over No. 1 Ohio State
The second-ranked Badgers erased a two-goal deficit and scored a 4-2 victory over top-ranked Ohio State in the regular season finale.
MADISON – The résumé of the Wisconsin women’s hockey team is as storied as they come.
Seven national championships. Fourteen trips to the Frozen Four. Ten WCHA tournament championships. Eighteen NCAA Tournament berths.
With one of the most explosive offenses in program history, the Badgers could add to that list of accomplishments over the next nine days.
Wisconsin (33-5) heads into its NCAA regional against St. Lawrence (28-10) at 2 p.m. Saturday at LaBahn Arena leading the nation in a handful of categories thanks to a deep core of high-level players, many of whom are having their best seasons as Badgers.
“From top to bottom this is such a talented group from offense to defense,” sophomore Kirsten Simms said. “And not only our on-ice ability, but we’re just so close off the ice. That helps create such a unique culture off the ice and it leads to how successful we are on the ice.”
Wisconsin enters the weekend leading the nation in goals (198), assists (318), scoring offense (5.21) and team points (546). The assists and team point totals are already single-season program records. Wisconsin’s plus/minus rating of +569 is also on track to be a record.
The single-season record for goals (212) may be out of reach, but at the moment UW’s goals per game average (5.21) is ahead of the record set during the 2010-11 season (5.17).
“I think at the beginning of the year we looked at everyone we’ve got and the staff that we’ve got and we recognized how great we could be,” senior Casey O’Brien said. “It was all about putting the puzzle pieces together, the lines or whatever, and I think we’ve been trying to figure that out the entire year. But there has never been a doubt that we can be the best team in the country.”
Kirsten Simms, Casey O’Brien make prolific 1-2 punch
O’Brien and Simms have been at the heart of the Badgers’ production. Simms leads the nation with 71 points (32 goals, 39 assists). O’Brien is No. 2 in that category with 69 points (22, 47) while leading the nation in assists.
The two have been linemates all season and have built a unique chemistry that not only led to prolific statistics, but also to both becoming finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award, which is given to the top player in Division I each year.
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