The Badger women's hockey team (10-5-1 Western Collegiate Hockey Association, 15-9-2 overall) will take the Kohl Center ice this weekend for a double header against a familiar WCHA opponent in St. Cloud State (4-11-1 WCHA, 5-20-1 overall). UW returns home after splitting last weekend's games on the East Coast, with a 7-0 win over the Boston College Eagles and a 2-1 loss to the Providence Friars.
Roughly halfway through the season, the Lady Badgers were a somewhat disappointing 7-8-2. Since then, the women have turned it around, winning seven of their last eight and improving to 14-9-2.
\Our level of practice has become much more intense,"" junior goaltender Jackie McMillan said. ""I really think we're coming together as a team.""
The Badgers are led offensively by a pair of Canadian forwards, junior Kendra Antony and sophomore Meghan Hunter. Antony leads the team with 31 points, while Hunter has scored the most goals on the team this season with 13.
The team will rely on these two to put up big numbers against the Huskies' porous defense as St. Cloud State has given up 114 goals this season.
The Badgers opened the season against the Huskies, taking both games from them in St. Cloud, Minn., by scores of 5-1 and 4-2. The Huskies, by all accounts, are having a disappointing season, having lost 17 of its last 19 games.
McMillan may have something to say about that. McMillan has been instrumental in the team's late success, posting shutouts in four of the last five games.
""With Jackie behind us, we know that we can take more risks and really push our offense,"" junior forward Kelly Kegley said.
Offensively, the Huskies have only one player with double-digit goals. Junior forward Roxanne Stang leads the team in both goals and points with 16 and 25, respectively.
This doubleheader gives the women's hockey team an opportunity to take two important games from an undermatched St. Cloud State team.
""We know they're a better team than they were when we played them for the first time, but we also feel we've improved,"" Kegley said. ""We like our chances.\
