If the 2008-'09 Wisconsin women's hockey team was defined by what is lost, this year's squad must be about what it is getting back.
At this point last season, the Badgers were heading into the season having lost four of their top five scorers, their world-class goaltender and their head coach to a mix of graduation and the 2010 Winter Olympics. The result: A disappointing year that saw the defending national champions' seasons come crashing to an end in the first round of the WCHA playoffs.
As the 2010-'11 campaign begins Wisconsin has not entirely rebuilt that national title-winning team, but they have made big strides. Head coach Mark Johnson is back behind the bench, and the Badger offense will benefit from the return of junior forward Hilary Knight and senior forward Meghan Duggan, who played for Johnson on Team USA last year.
Duggan said she plans to pick up where she left off in April of 2009.
""That's all I've known so far since I've been here,"" Duggan said of the Badgers' success, but added the team has to avoid looking too far ahead.
""You can't just be looking at that 40th game right now. We haven't even played our first yet,"" Duggan said.
With Knight and Duggan back the Wisconsin offense that struggled to find the back of the net at times last season should come out a lot stronger. The Badgers' top scorers last year, junior forward Brooke Ammerman, senior forward Mallory Deluce and sophomore forward Brianna Decker were more than capable, but the team's lack of depth hurt its offense.
According to Ammerman, the return of Knight and Duggan makes the offense much deeper, giving the Badgers more threats than their top line.
""The pressure is now off of everybody,"" Ammerman said. ""We can kind of dish the puck other places, they're not going to know who to cover if we're all playing our best every night.""
While Knight and Duggan's return will be important, they are just two players returning to what is still a young, if more experienced, Wisconsin team. Sophomore forward Saige Pacholok, one of the breakout stars of the Badger defense last year, said this year is an opportunity for the team's younger players to make a name for themselves.
""We can grasp this moment to develop,"" Pacholok said. ""If we have this young team we know we will have a couple more years now, and we just have to work on our development as a team.""
Behind that young defense will be an equally young goaltending duo fighting for the No. 1 spot. In her freshman year, Becca Ruegsegger split playing time with senior Alannah McCready, who graduated in the spring. Ruegsegger will have to earn starting role this season as well, as she and highly-touted freshman Alex Rigsby will push each other for playing time.
Johnson said both players will start in the team's season-opening series against Rensselaer Polytechnic.
""They'll both be playing, it's a great asset for us to have,"" he said. ""We have two good goalies that are pushing each other the end result is they both become better.""
