After winning two consecutive NCAA championships, the Wisconsin women's hockey team will dawn the preseason No. 1 ranking for the third-straight season.
Released Tuesday, the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll awarded all 19 first-place votes to the Badgers.
Wisconsin has now held the No. 1 spot for five straight weeks, to go along with the 13 total weeks last season, as well as nine straight weeks to open the year.
However, UW is not the only WCHA team to crack the top 10. Minnesota-Duluth comes in ranked fifth, Minnesota holds the seventh spot, and Ohio State finishes out with No. 10.
Mercyhurst earned the No. 2 spot, with New Hampshire and St. Lawrence rounding out the top four.
Wisconsin was also named the favorite Tuesday to win the WCHA conference title by the conference's coaches. The Badgers received seven of the eight first-place votes.
The WCHA coaches also acknowledged freshman forward Hilary Knight as the preseason WCHA Rookie of the Year.
Overall, two Badgers have earned the honor at the end of their freshman season, one of them being current sophomore forward Meghan Duggan, who won it last season.
The Badgers start their WCHA season Oct. 13 when the Ohio State Buckeys come to the Kohl Center.
UW ends the regular season Feb. 24, 2008, at Minnesota.
The Frozen Four will be held at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center March 20, 2008, with the championship game coming March 22, 2008.
- uwbadgers.com contributed to this article.
