Tag: Wisconsin women’s hockey

Wisconsin women’s hockey legend to be inducted to USA Hockey Hall of Fame

Wisconsin women’s hockey legend to be inducted to USA Hockey Hall of Fame

Wisconsin women’s hockey legend Brianna Decker will be inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame this year, per an announcement from USA Hockey on Thursday.

Decker will join Matt Cullen, Frederic McLaughlin, Kevin Stevens and the gold medal-winning 2002 Paralympic Sled Hockey Team as 2024 inductees this winter. Her induction will mark the first time a Wisconsin women’s hockey alum will enter the USA Hockey Hall of Fame.

As a Badger, Decker played four seasons in Madison under legendary head coach Mark Johnson from 2009-13. During her collegiate tenure, the Dousman, Wisconsin native helped guide Wisconsin to an NCAA Championship in 2011 and scored 115 goals, enough for No. 2 all-time in program history.

Decker also pocketed the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, the highest individual honor across women’s collegiate hockey and Western College Hockey Association Player of the Year nods as a junior in 2012. 

Following her stint in Wisconsin, Decker played professionally in the National Women’s Hockey League and the Canadian Women’s Hockey League. She also earned a gold medal as a member of Team USA in 2018 and two silver medals in 2014 and 2022.

Decker was inducted into the UW Athletic Hall of Fame in 2023 and now contributes to bettering the next generation of hockey stars as an associate head coach at her alma mater.

The ceremony will take place on Dec. 4, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

LOOK: Wisconsin women’s hockey announces updates to 2024-25 slate

Wisconsin women’s hockey announces updates to 2024-25 schedule

Wisconsin’s women’s hockey program announced updates to its 2024-25 schedule on Monday.

The crew, captained by dynastic head coach Mark Johnson, will play a total of 34 regular season games before embarking on its quest for an eighth NCAA Tournament championship this winter.

The schedule includes seven home series and 15 total home contests from Sept. 27 through Feb. 22. Wisconsin kick-starts its season against Lindenwood on Friday, Sept. 27 and Saturday, Sept. 28, a few weeks before they welcome Minnesota Duluth to Madison’s La Bahn Arena.

UW also hosts Bemidji State in October, St. Thomas in November, Ohio State, Minnesota State and St. Cloud State in January and Minnesota in February.

Puck drop times for all of these matches will be released in the next few weeks. For more information about Wisconsin’s home schedule, click here.

The Badgers will also travel to Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts to play Boston College the weekend of Oct. 4 and Minneapolis, Minnesota to play the Golden Gophers the weekend of Oct. 18.

St Cloud State (Nov. 1-2), Ohio State (Nov. 15-16), Maine (Nov. 29-30), Minnesota State, (Dec. 6-7) St. Thomas (Jan. 17-18), Minnesota Duluth (Jan 31-Feb. 1) and Bemidji State (Feb. 21-22) are included on UW’s away game list as well.

Wisconsin went 35-6 a season ago before falling to Ohio State in the NCAA title game. The program, which embodies consistency on the ice, will aim to reach the pinnacle of college hockey once more in late March.

Wisconsin hockey to compete in outdoor event at Wrigley Field

Wisconsin hockey to compete in outdoor event at Chicago’s Wrigley Field

Wisconsin’s men’s and women’s hockey programs will participate in ‘The Frozen Confines: Big Ten Hockey Series,’ an outdoor event at Chicago’s Wrigley Field this January, per Thursday’s release.

The two-day event features several Big Ten teams, including Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State and Michigan. Mark Johnson’s women’s platoon will square off against the Buckeyes while Wisconsin’s men’s team will play the Spartans on Saturday, Jan. 4.

The contests are slated for 4:30 and 8 p.m. with the game order still awaiting a final scheduling.

This marks the first outdoor match for UW’s women’s group in 14 years while the men will showcase their skills for viewers outside for the first time since 2013.

The Badger men enter the 2024-25 campaign fresh off an impressive 26-12-2 overall record in 2023-24. The group secured multiple top-5 victories over both Minnesota and Michigan early in the season, Mike Hastings’ first year as head coach.

UW’s women, who amassed an incredible 35-6-0 mark in 2023-24, cruised to the NCAA Frozen Four title game against Ohio State. The Badgers ultimately dropped the contest 1-0. Nonetheless, Johnson’s cadre will aim to ride its momentum into this winter.

Tickets for January’s doubleheader will become available for public purchase on Friday, Aug. 30 at 10 a.m. CT through Wrigley Field. For more details, visit UWBadgers.com.

Former Wisconsin Badgers multi-sport athlete wins bronze medal in Olympic rugby

Former Wisconsin Badgers multi-sport athlete wins Bronze medal in rugby

The U.S. women’s rugby team defeated Australia 14-12 in the bronze-medal match at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, capturing the nation’s their first ever rugby sevens medal. Part of the winning squad was former Wisconsin Badgers women’s soccer and women’s hockey player Alev Kelter.

Kelter was a member of the United States women’s national under-16 soccer team and the United States women’s national under-18 ice hockey team prior to arriving in Madison in 2009.

While at Wisconsin, she excelled at both sports for four years, earning All-Big Ten honors in soccer in both 2009 and 2010 while scoring 17 goals in her time as a defender with the women’s hockey team.

Kelter made the switch to rugby after college and she’s appeared the Summer Olympics, the Pan American Games and Women’s Rugby World Cup, amongst other events in her career.

Kelter is just another example of the long list of fantastic athletes who have played for the Badgers and gone on to do spectacular things.

Wisconsin multi-sport alumnus earns two Olympic victories in women’s rugby

Wisconsin multi-sport alumnus pockets two Olympic victories in women’s rugby

Wisconsin women’s hockey and soccer alumnus Alev Kelter helped guide USA rugby to two wins on the second day of competition at the Olympic Games.

USA Rugby kicked off its day at 9:30 a.m. CT with a 36-7 victory against Japan. Kelter did not record any points in her first match but responded with a spectacular performance later in the day.

Kelter started against Brazil in her second Olympic appearance of 2024 and executed on a try fewer than 45 seconds into the match. The former Badger followed the earlier try by scoring on a conversion at the 8:09 mark before yet another conversion late in the second half.

USA Rugby would go on to a 24-5 win and finish 2-0 on the day.

At UW, Kelter represented both the women’s hockey and soccer teams from 2009-13. She was named second-team All-Big Ten on the pitch in 2012 and NCAA Frozen Four All-Tournament Team member during her sophomore season in 2011.

The top two teams in each pool, as well as the best two teams placed third in their pools, will qualify to the quarterfinal round. The United States is competing alongside Brazil, France and Japan as a member of Pool C.

Kelter and the United States will continue action at 9:30 a.m. ET on Monday, July 29.

Former Wisconsin women’s hockey star earns another honor for 2023-24 performance

Former Wisconsin women’s hockey star earns another honor for 2023-24 output

Former Wisconsin women’s hockey standout Britta Curl was named a first-team Academic All-American by College Sports Communicators on Tuesday.

This marks the second consecutive year Curl has secured first-team Academic All-American selection, and she joins former Badger Sara Bauer as the second UW women’s hockey player ever to earn the award in back-to-back seasons.

The honor arrives roughly one month after PWHL Minnesota selected Curl with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 Professional Women’s Hockey League draft.

Curl played five seasons at Wisconsin and was named a two-time captain for the Badgers during her tenure from 2018-24. The forward played for three Badger NCAA title teams during her tenure and left Wisconsin with a program-record 181 appearances.

The Bismarck, North Dakota native tallied 86 goals and 93 assists for 180 points at UW, the ninth-most in Badger program history. During her final season at Wisconsin, Curl registered 62 points on 22 goals and 40 assists while recording 55 blocks at the forward position.

Curl also pocketed a gold and two silver medals over the last three International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championships for the U.S. Women’s National Team.

Two Wisconsin women’s hockey standouts selected in 2024 PWHL Draft

Two Wisconsin women’s hockey standouts selected in 2024 PWHL Draft

Former Wisconsin women’s hockey standouts Britta Curl and Anna Wilgren were selected in the 2024 Professional Women’s Hockey League Draft on Monday.

Founded in 2023, the PWHL encompasses six teams. Three (PWHL Boston, PWHL Minnesota and PHWL New York) are concentrated in the United States with the other three (PWHL Montreal, PWHL Ottawa and PWHL Toronto) in Canada.

The two join 16 other former Badgers in the PWHA. Natalie Buchbinder, Mellissa Channell and Sophia (Shaver) Kunin captured the league’s inaugural title with Minnesota last year.

Minnesota selected Curl with the ninth overall pick while Montreal snagged Wilgren in the draft’s fifth round.

Curl, a two-time captain for the Badgers, was a member of three NCAA title teams during her tenure in Madison. The Bismarck, North Dakota native left Wisconsin with a program-record 181 appearances and tallied 180 points for UW, the ninth-most in Badger program history.

The forward has also earned a gold and two silvers over the last three International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championships for the U.S. national team.

Wilgren, on the other hand, played in 40 contests for the Badgers last year as a mainstay in Wisconsin’s defense. The Hudson, Wisconsin native tied a career high with 24 points in 2023-24 and notched 14 goals and 52 assists during her collegiate career with UW and Minnesota State.

Wisconsin women’s hockey retains a pair of key contributors

Wisconsin women’s hockey retains a pair of key contributors

Wisconsin’s women’s hockey program announced the return of Casey O’Brien and Katie Kotlowski next season via social media on Wednesday.

Last season, O’Brien centered the Badgers’ front line as a First-Team All-American. The Milton, Massachusetts native was also a finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, signifying the best female college ice hockey player in the nation.

O’Brien appeared in all 41 games for the Badgers during her senior season, registered a career-high 73 points on 23 goals, and became the first Badger in program history to notch 50 assists in a season.

The forward has played in 142 career games for Wisconsin and has been a part of two championship teams in 2021 and 2023. 

Kotlowski, meanwhile, has been a multi-year contributor on defense for Wisconsin. The La Crosse product is another two-time national champion with the program.

This will be Kotlowski’s sixth year in Madison. Over her celebrated tenure, she has nine goals and 21 assists for 30 points in 138 career games.

The news arrives fewer than seven days following the departure of former Wisconsin women’s hockey forward Maddi Wheeler to Ohio State via the transfer portal.

For head coach Mark Johnson and company, maintaining this pair is a huge boost for a program that has punched a ticket to the championship game in four of the last five seasons.

Former Wisconsin women’s hockey staple transfers to Big Ten rival

Former Wisconsin women’s hockey staple transfers to Big Ten rival

Former Wisconsin women’s hockey forward Maddi Wheeler committed to Ohio State via the transfer portal on Thursday. 

Entering her fifth year of collegiate eligibility, Wheeler elected to enter the transfer portal last week for a change of scenery. The Erinsville, Ontario native appeared in 137 contests during her four-year tenure in Madison. 

During her senior campaign, Wheeler notched 10 goals and 14 assists in 39 games played. In her four seasons with the Badgers, Wheeler was a key piece for both the 2021 and 2023 title teams.

Wheeler scored her first goal at Ohio State on Nov. 28, 2020 and recorded four total points in 20 games during her freshman campaign. Over the next three seasons, she registered a combined 78 points and 31 goals in 117 games for UW. 

Wheeler was the third Badger to enter the transfer portal alongside goaltender Jane Gervais and defender Sophie Helgeson, both of whom entered the portal in March following UW’s final contest. Wheeler is the only former Badger to publicly share her decision for 2024-25.