Saturday the real task of repeating as National Champions gets underway as the Wisconsin Women’s Hockey team (31-4-2) will take on the Mercyhurst Lakers in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Women’s Ice Hockey Championships.
Wisconsin earned the #1 overall seed in the eight team tournament despite dropping their semifinal game in the WCHA tournament and thus play host to the 8th seeded Lakers. The game is this Saturday, March 10th at 7pm.
Mercyhurst also won their regular season championship (College Hockey America), but dropped the tournament title to Robert Morris. They enter the NCAA tournament sporting a 27-7-3 record.
These two teams have only met twice before, both Badger wins in the NCAA tournament, with the last meeting coming in the 2009 championship game. That was a 5-0 Wisconsin victory to allow them to lift yet another National Championship trophy.
However, these two teams did not meet this regular season and have only two common opponents with the Lakers holding a 5-1-0 record against Minnesota State (a split) and Lindenwood. Overall Mercyhurst is just 4-3-0 against teams qualifying for this years NCAA tournament field.
Coming off a loss entering the NCAA tournament is a new feeling for the Badgers and may have an affect on how this team comes out early on in this game. But that may not make much of a difference according to Head Coach Mark Johnson.
“Every game teaches you something and if you take some things away from Friday night’s game in preparation for Saturday’s game,” said Johnson. “It can be a helpful tool knowing that if you win the game you move onto the Frozen Four. If you lose, your season’s over. So I’m not any differently concerned.”
Mercyhurst isn’t going to be a pushover this season, as they are led by the top four scorers in the CHA and have 5 of the top 6 scorers in the conference. The Lakers are led by CHA points and goals leader in senior Forwad Kelley Steadman who has 25 points, 15 goals, and 10 assist on the season so far. Following her on the scoring list are fellow seniors Bailey Bram (20 points – 6 goals, 14 assists), Jesse Jones (19 points – 4 goals, 15 assists), and sophomore Christine Bestland (19 points – 9 goals, 10 assists), all are forwards.
Defensively Mercyhurst is very good as a team, only allowing 2.36 goals a game on average. However, they may be vulnerable between the pipes. They are backstopped by senior goaltender Hillary Pattenden who has a .894 save percentage, a 2.34 goals against average and a record of 8-2-3 with just 1 shutout on the season.
That stat line has to be music to the ears of the nations most potent offense in Wisconsin. Look for the likes of Hilary Knight, Brianna Decker, Carolyne Prevost and the rest of the Badgers offense to possibly have a field day against this netminder.
Backing up the Badgers is also one of if not the nation’s best goaltender, Alex Rigsby, who comes in with a .952 save percentage and a 1.35 goals against average. She’s played nearly every minute of every game in net and sports the same 31-4-2 record as the Badgers as a result of her steady play.
The winner of this game advances to the Women’s Frozen Four and should it be Wisconsin it’s a chance at redemption in a building that cost them last weekend, the Amsoil Arena in Duluth, MN. The Women’s Frozen Four is scheduled for March 16-18
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