For the first time this season, the No. 1 University of Wisconsin women’s hockey team is hitting the road. The undefeated Badgers (4-0-0) face the Syracuse Orange (0-1-1) in the Tennity Ice Pavilion in Syracuse, NY at 3 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday.
UW enters the weekend coming off of home sweeps of Mercyhurst and Lindenwood, during which it outscored its opponents 16-2. In its opening series at Bemidji State, Syracuse tied the Beavers 0-0 before losing 5-0 the next game.
Their last time out on the ice, former high school teammates and forwards, sophomore Alexis Mauermann (one goal, three assists) and freshman Brette Pettet (three goals) combined for seven points to lead Wisconsin to a 5-1 victory over Mercyhurst.
Pettet was named the WCHA Rookie of the Week and is tied for the NCAA lead in goals following her hat trick.
Sophomore forward Abby Roque has also been a sparkplug for the Badgers, ranking second in the country with six points. Junior forward Sam Cogan is tied with Mauermann for third, with five points.
Sophomore goaltender and North Dakota transfer Kristen Campbell has already stood out in her first four starts in the Cardinal and White, boasting a .971 save percentage and only allowing two goals thus far.
UW swept Syracuse at the Kohl Center during the 2008-’09 season, the only previous meetings between the two programs.
The Orange went 16-13-5 overall last season and 14-4-2 in the College Hockey America conference.
The Badgers are 32-1 all-time against the CHA following their Mercyhurst sweep.
Syracuse returns both its leading scorer in senior Stephanie Grossi and its starting goaltender in senior Abbey Miller. Grossi led the Orange with 14 goals and 16 assists last season, while Miller compiled 575 saves for a .923 save percentage.
On Monday, Wisconsin rose from No. 2 to No. 1 in the latest USCHO poll. UW sits atop the rankings with 145 points and 10 of 15 first-place votes. Previously first-ranked and defending national champion Clarkson dropped to the No. 2 spot after tying Northeastern 1-1 last Friday. Wisconsin, last season’s NCAA runner-up to Clarkson, also took over the No. 1 spot in the latest USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll with 186 points and 15 first-place votes.
