The Badgers returned from their winter break over three weeks ago and have since tallied four straight road wins in Mankato, Minn., and Columbus, Ohio. That extends their overall winning streak to six games, which came after a 1-5-1 stretch.
In the last four games the biggest offensive threat for UW has been junior forward Erika Lawler. The Massachusetts native has scored seven points in those games and either assisted on or scored three of the four game-winning goals.
The Badgers also welcomed back one of their top scorers, Meghan Duggan, who missed three games due to a concussion. She contributed three goals and an assist in her first weekend back.
The team is looking to improve upon the first half of the season during which it finished third in the standings and lost three of four games to rivals Minnesota and Minnesota-Duluth.
“As far as an identity, I’m not sure what it is right now, but I know one thing is that we’re a much better team now than we were in November,” head coach Mark Johnson said. “We seem to be doing the little things in practices and that carries over into games.”
Whatever identity the Badgers find, it will likely be built around the play of junior goaltender Jesse Vetter. She was named WCHA defensive player of the week and has not allowed more than three goals in any game this season.
Saturday, the Badgers will try to “Fill the Bowl” when it hosts St. Cloud State at the Kohl Center.
Last season the Badgers led the NCAA in attendance, and nearly set the single game crowd record when it hosted 5,125 fans for a four-overtime NCAA quarterfinal victory over Harvard.
The women’s hockey team is looking to help raise money for the Second Harvest Food Bank during Saturday’s game against St. Cloud. Becker Law Office, Packerland Securities and Badger Mortgage will donate $1 for each fan in attendance.
“It’s an opportunity to give back to the community,” Johnson said in his press conference. “The more people that will come in, the more money that they’ll be able to raise … and that’s exciting.”
Fans can also get a coupon for free chicken wings at Quaker Steak & Lube if they bring non-perishable food items to donate.
