Seven WCHA teams will be in action this week against non-conference opponents. #1 Wisconsin will host Boston College on Oct..5-6. Games slated for Oct. 6-7 include #12/13 St. Cloud State at Mercyhurst, Lindenwood at St. Thomas and RPI at Bemidi State. WCHA teams opening up their seasons on Oct. 6-7 include Minnesota State at Sacred Heart, LIU at #6/7 Minnesota Duluth and #4 Minnesota at RIT.
Upcoming Games:
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5
Boston College at Wisconsin - 7:00 p.m. CT/8:00 p.m. ET
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6
Boston College at Wisconsin - 7:00 p.m. CT/8:00 p.m. ET
St. Cloud State at Mercyhurst - 5:00 p.m. CT/6:00 p.m. ET
Lindenwood at St. Thomas - 6:00 p.m. CT/7:00 p.m. ET
Minnesota at RIT - 6:00 p.m. CT/7:00 p.m. ET
RPI at Bemidji State - 6:01 p.m. CT/7:01 p.m. ET
LIU at Minnesota Duluth - 6:01 p.m. CT/7:01 p.m. ET
Minnesota State at Sacred Heart - 7:00 p.m. CT/8:00 p.m. ET
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7
St. Cloud State at Mercyhurst - 1:00 p.m. CT/2:00 p.m. ET
Lindenwood at St. Thomas - 6:00 p.m. CT/7:00 p.m. ET
Minnesota at RIT - 6:00 p.m. CT/7:00 p.m. ET
RPI at Bemidji State - 3:01 p.m. CT/4:01 p.m. ET
LIU at Minnesota Duluth - 3:01 p.m. CT/4:01 p.m. ET
Minnesota State at Sacred Heart - 7:00 p.m. CT/8:00 p.m. ET
Last Week's Results:
Thursday, Sept. 28
Wisconsin 6, at Lindenwood 0 (NC)
Friday, Sept. 29
Ohio State 2, at Colgate 3 (NC)
Franklin Pierce 2, at St. Thomas 7 (NC)
Wisconsin 16, at Lindenwood 1 (NC).
Saturday, Sept. 29
Ohio State 3, at Colgate 2 OT (NC)
Franklin Pierce 2, at St. Thomas 5 (NC)
WCHA WEEKLY NOTES (PDF format)
WCHA NEWS AND NOTES:
POLL POSITION: In The Rink Live/USA Hockey poll this week, the WCHA checks in at No. 1 (Wisconsin), No. 2 (Ohio State), No. 4 (Minnesota), No. 7 (Minnesota Duluth), and No. 13 (St. Cloud State). In the USCHO.com poll released this week, Wisconsin was ranked #1 and Ohio State was #2. Minnesota moved to #4 and Minnesota Duluth moved up a spot to #6 and St. Cloud State moved up one spot to #12. Minnesota State also received votes in both polls.
LAST WEEK: In a battle of top five teams, #2 Ohio State split a weekend series at #4 Colgate. The Buckeyes lost 3-2 in game one before charging back to earn a 3-2 OT win on Sept. 30 at Colgate. St. Thomas opened its season with a 7-2, 5-2 home series win against Franklin Pierce and #1 Wisconsin had a record setting trip to Lindenwood with a 6-0 and 16-1 series sweep on Sept. 28-29.
THIS WEEK: Seven WCHA teams will be in action this week against non-conference opponents. #1 Wisconsin will host Boston College on Oct..5-6. Games slated for Oct. 6-7 include #12/13 St. Cloud State at Mercyhurst, Lindenwood at St. Thomas and RPI at Bemidi State. WCHA teams opening up their seasons on Oct. 6-7 include Minnesota State at Sacred Heart, LIU at #6/7 Minnesota Duluth and #4 Minnesota at RIT.
NCAA CHAMPS: Wisconsin won the 2023 NCAA Division I women’s hockey championship. The Badgers scored a 1-0 victory over WCHA rival Ohio State in the championship game. The Badgers will celebrate its 2023 title with a special NCAA championship banner ceremony in Madison on Friday, Oct. 6 when the Badgers host non-conference rival Boston College.
Cassie Hall
HOWIES HOCKEY TAPE TOP PERFORMANCE: The WCHA Howies Hockey Tape Performance of the Week award went to Wisconsin’s Cassie Hall for her play against Lindenwood. The first year forward from South Lyon, Mich. had four goals in the Badgers’ 16-1 win at Lindenwood on Sept. 29.
STERLING EFFORTS: This week’s Sterllng Trophy WCHA Players of the Week included Wisconsin’s Lacey Eden (Forward), Caroline Harvey (Defender) and Cassie Hall (Rookie). Ohio State’s Raygan Kirk was named the WCHA Goaltender of the Week for play in the Buckeyes’ OT win at #4 ranked Colgate. The same four players were also selected as the Sterling Trophy WCHA Players of the Month for September.
25th FACT: The WCHA has won four consecutive NCAA championships since 2019 and it has won 19 NCAA titles since 2001. Minnesota won the AWCHA national title in 2000 and the national championship has won by a non-WCHA team five times since 1998. Wisconsin and Minnesota have both won seven national titles, while Minnesota Duluth has won five and Ohio State one.
RECORD BROKEN: Wisconsin set a new league record for most goals scored in a game with 16 in the win at Lindenwood on Sept. 29. This effort broke the old record of 15 goals in a game scored by Minnesota Duluth at St. Cloud State on Nov. 6, 1999 and 15 by Bemidji State in a win against Wayne State on Dec. 4, 1999.... UW’s 16 goals were one shy of the NCAA record of 17 goals, set by Harvard against Boston College on Jan. 28, 2003, and are also a WCHA record.
RECORD BROKEN PART II: The 17 total goals scored in the UW-Lindenwood game ranks second in the WCHA records. BSU and Wayne State scored 18 goals in their 1999 game, while Wisconsin (14)and Bemidji State (4) had 18 goals in a game on Nov. 18, 2000. The 14 goals scored by Wisconsin in that game were a school record for the Badgers prior to the win at Lindenwood this past week. Wisconsin also set a WCHA record with 28 assists in the game and 44 points scored in a game.
A HAT TRICK OF HAT TRICKS: In the 16-1 win at Lindenwood, three Wisconsin players scored hat tricks. Cassie Hall led with four goals in the game, while Lacey Eden and Sophie Helgeson each had three goals in the game. This was the first time in team history that Wisconsin had three players score a hat trick in the same game.
MOST GOALS: St. Thomas set a new Division I era record for goals in a game during its 7-2 win at home over Franklin Pierce on Sept. 30. A total of 11 different players had a point in the victory for UST.
WORKING OVERTIME: Ohio State’s Jenna Buglioni scored the OT game winner at 2:32 of the extra session to lift the #2 Buckeyes past #4 Colgate. Raygan Kirk had 31 saves in the nets to earn the victory for OSU.
STAT LINE: WCHA teams own a 7-3 (.700) record this season and they have outscored their opponents 52-18 in 2023-24.
SAVE THE DATE: Mark your calendars for March 8-9 and the 2024 Kwik Trip WCHA Final Faceoff tournament at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis.