After a sluggish beginning to the season, the No. 8 UW women's hockey team has exploded on the ice recently, earning four consecutive victories, the season high for the team.
This includes a sweep of the University of Minnesota-Duluth, a team that had been undefeated since February 2001 before meeting the Badgers Jan. 6 and 7.
The Badgers faced UMD on the road and swept the series, defeating the Bulldogs 3-1 on Jan. 6 and 3-2 on Jan. 7.
Junior forward Kendra Antony, freshman forward Amy Vermeulen and sophomore forward Meghan Hunter all put points on the board on Sunday, while junior goaltender Jackie MacMillan had 35 saves.
In Monday's contest, the Badgers held UMD to two goals while Wisconsin dominated on the ice.
Sophomore forward Stephanie Millar, freshman forward Jackie Friesen and Hunter each scored a goal and MacMillan warded off the puck 34 times.
Returning home, the Badgers faced Findlay in the Kohl Center Jan. 12 and 13, easily sweeping that series as well. MacMillan had 40 saves in the series and Antony reached 52 career goals while earning a hat trick Jan. 12.
Junior forward Kathy Devereaux also led the Badgers with one goal and four assists. For her outstanding play in the series, she earned the title of Western Collegiate Hockey Association Rookie of the Week.
\I think we've really come together as a team and taken it upon ourselves to dig ourselves out of a hole ... we came back [from vacation] and played two great weekends."" said junior defender Sis Paulsen.
The victory over rival Duluth gave the team a boost in confidence.
""I think everybody knows what we can achieve if we all work hard all the time,"" MacMillan said.
She also said the level of play the Badgers have been demonstrating will continue throughout the season.
""The fact that we're all having fun and we're all working hard all the time ... I think it's just a big change from the first half of our season and if it continues, we're just going to keep having the success that we have been the last few weeks,"" she said.
Another factor that can be attributed to the team's success is the much-needed winter recess to rest.
""The break ... was a really good thing for us,"" junior defenseman Kerry Weiland said. ""Things were up and down the first half of the year but we came in and had a clean slate.""
""We all came back refreshed and we came back ready to go have fun, and that's been the biggest component to our wins in the last few weeks,"" MacMillan said.
The Badgers, 8-5-1 in the WCHA and 11-8-2 overall, suffered five straight losses to the University of New Hampshire, St. Lawrence and the University of Minnesota before splitting the series with Bemidji State Dec. 8 and 9.
""I think the team was a little frustrated before break, just because we weren't beating teams that we should have been beating,"" Weiland said.
MacMillan's powerful goaltending also plays into the recent success of the Badgers. After her 69 total saves against the Bulldogs, MacMillan was named WCHA Player
of the Week, as well as the U.S. College Hockey Online National Defensive Player of the Week.
""I think Jackie's been playing great,"" Paulsen said. ""She's just been there every game for us and as long as she's solid between the pipes, we're confident in her. As long as she's playing well, she's going to bring the whole team up.""
Another reason for the team's success is a combination of the maturity level of the younger players and the chemistry they have on the ice.
""Our freshmen have really been a great addition to our team,"" MacMillan said. ""They work hard, they push everybody ... it just makes practices much better.""
""We're playing really well together,"" Weiland said.
