Klara Hymlarova (Photo Prout)
St. Cloud, MN – This could perhaps be the most defining weekend in SCSU women’s hockey history as they face the top-ranked Wisconsin Badgers (10-0-0). As lopsided as this matchup has been over the years, this is a different team, with a different mentality. If any team is going to slow down the Badgers it’s a team with the top-ranked defense in college hockey matched up against the top-ranked offense. It’s an intriguing early-season WCHA battle and could steer the destiny of the team in 2023-24.
#11 SCSU Huskies (9-2-0) vs #1 Wisconsin Badgers (10-0-0)
TV: FOX 9+ (Sat.)
Live Broadcast Stream: BIG+
Radio/Stream: KVSC 88.1 FM (St. Cloud)
Where: Herb Brooks National Hockey Center | St. Cloud, MN
When: Fri., Nov. 3, 3:00 PM CT /Sat., Nov. 4, 1:00 PM CT
Head to Head
Historically, this matchup has been dominated by the Badgers as they hold an all time advantage of 92-9-3 over the Huskies. In WCHA conference play they are 82-9-3 and are 41-5-3 in St. Cloud. SCSU is 1-8-1 in the last 10 and 1-4-0 in the last five.
Last Time Out
The Badgers completed a road sweep vs the UST Tommies last weekend. However, it wasn’t easy in the 5-3 and 3-0 wins. On Friday, the Tommies rallied twice to tie the game at 3-3 midway through period two before the Badgers converted twice on the power play in the two-goal win. In the weekend finale, the Badgers scored a goal in each period and goaltender Ava McNaughton stopped all 17 shots on goal in the 3-0 win.
The Huskies earned their third weekend sweep of the season in topping rival MSU-Mankato by scores of 3-1 and 2-0. On Friday, after falling behind early in the first period, the Huskies responded with three unanswered goals in the 3-1 win. Despite allowing her first goal of the season in six starts, senior goaltender Sanni Ahola earned the victory with 14 saves. SCSU goals were by Grace Wolfe, Emma Gentry, and Tayor Lind. On Saturday, senior, Jojo Chobak earned the shutout making 26 saves while recording her second consecutive shutout and SCSU’s sixth of the season in 11 games. Defenders Dayle Ross and Grace Wolfe led the Huskies with goals. Wolfe blocked a team-leading six shots, while scoring once in each game, and was +3 for the series.
Sanni Ahola, Britta Curl (Photo Prout)
University of Wisconsin Badgers Notes
The top-ranked Badgers enter the series with the top offense in college hockey scoring an incredible 7.40 goals per game while only allowing 1 goal per game. Their total goals scored of 74 nearly doubles that of Ohio State University which is ranked second in that category. The Badger power play is producing at a blistering 42.11% and the penalty kill is an outstanding 91.67%.
Wisconsin women’s hockey senior Britta Curl and freshman goaltender, Ava McNaughton received WCHA October monthly awards, with Curl being named the WCHA Forward of the Month and McNaughton honored as the Rookie of the Month. Curl, the team captain posted an impressive 20 points on nine goals and 11 assists throughout UW’s eight games in October and is currently tied for the school record for longest goal streak with 10 goals in her last nine games. McNaughton, earned a perfect 4-0-0 throughout her second month as a Badger, while her .953 save percentage ranked third among the league and was the best of any freshman.
The potent offense of the Badgers includes six of the top ten points producers in the country with Britta Curl (10-16-26), Krista Simmons (11-13-24), Lacey Eden (12-9-21), Casey O-Brien (5-14-19), Caroline Harvey (2-14-16) and Laila Edwards (3-11-14).
Top-notch goaltending by Ava McNaughton (5-0-0), .951 SV% and .860 GAA, and Jane Gervais (5-0-0), .925 SV% and 1.20 GAA have the Badgers defense ranked 4th in the country.
(Photo Prout)
St. Cloud State University Huskies Notes
The Huskies will counter the Badgers top offense with college hockey’s top defense allowing a paltry .730 goals per game with perhaps the top goaltending tandem in the country with Sanni Ahola (5-0-0, .989 SV%, .200 GAA) and Jojo Chobak (4-2-0, .957 SV%, 1.01 GAA).
Chobak was named the WCHA Goaltender of the Week on October 30 and Ahola was named the WCHA and Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA) Goaltender of the Month for October.
The Huskies will lead with their defense led by their goaltending duo and defenders Ella Anick (1-6-7), Grace Wolfe (3-4-7), Dayle Ross (3-3-6), Devyn Millwater (1-1-2) and Taylor Larson (0-2-2). As a unit, they are 4th in the WCHA in blocked shots averaging 12 per game.
Although 4th in the conference in goals scored per game, they do have some offensive producers at forward in Klara Hymlarova (6-5-11), CC Bowlby (5-3-8), Katie Kaufman (2-6-8), and Emma Gentry 4-2-6.
Series Prospectus
The key for the weekend is to slow down the offense of the Wisconsin Badgers. If anyone can, it’s the Huskies with the top defense in college hockey. This will mean winning faceoffs, maintaining puck possession, blocking shots, and keeping control of the puck out of the hands of the potent scorers of the Badgers.
With the Huskies faceoff percentage on the negative side at 48% vs the Badgers percentage at 61.6% the Huskies will need to do a much better job in the faceoff circle in controlling the puck particularly in the defensive zone.
It’s not going to be easy but the Huskies will also have to solve the goaltending tandem of the Badgers McNaughton and Gervais who lead the Badgers fourth-ranked defense.
If it becomes a special teams battle it will be an interesting matchup with both teams very proficient on the penalty kill. With a power play producing at over 40%, the Badgers would seem to have the advantage although the Huskies are specialists at shot-blocking.
This is a marquee matchup of offense vs defense and there will be a lot of eyes on this series this weekend.
VIEW FROM CENTER ICE 