2007-08 Season Outlook
The Wisconsin women's hockey team enters its 10th season as a program with a .750 all-time winning percentage. In addition the Badgers have reached the national championship game in each of the past three seasons, taking home two championships in 2006 and 2007.
Wisconsin has established a tradition of success and even more, a tradition of winning in the past three seasons. Since the start of the 2005-06 season, Wisconsin has recorded 101 wins, which is more than any other team in the nation.
Losing only three seniors, the Badgers welcome back 18 letterwinners to compete for their third national championship. With so many returners, Wisconsin will rely on its depth to stay a national title contender.
Wisconsin will have to make do without Jinelle Zaugg who shared the team lead in points and broke multiple school records in her career including career goals (89), NCAA tournament points (12) and games played (160). Zaugg, an All-WCHA third-team selection was an offensive threat for the Badgers and provided leadership as an assistant captain.
Also leaving a gap on the roster is Emily Morris, who ranked second in career games played (159). As a defender Morris still managed eight goals and 33 assists. Morris was also a team captain for the 2007-08 season.
Filling the holes for the Badgers will be four freshmen, Brooke Ammerman, Brittany Haverstock, Nikki Kaasa and Carolyne Prevost. Competing for playing time at the forward position will be Ammerman and Prevost, along with Haverstock as a defender and Kaasa will try to get time in the net. Ammerman and Prevost have both played on national teams and are rated among the top forward prospects from the United States and Canada, respectively.
The freshmen look to make a big impact on the team as they have so many times in the past for the Badgers. The rookies of the 2007-08 season saw a lot of action that was rightfully earned. Hilary Knight, Kelly Nash, Malee Windmeier and Olivia Jakiel played in all 41 games while Mallory Deluce only missed two. Knight and Deluce were both named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team and were fourth and fifth in scoring for UW and in the WCHA, respectively.
Goaltender Jessie Vetter returns for her senior campaign in hopes of reaching her fourth-straight national championship game. Vetter is 8-1-0 in NCAA tournament contests, owns two national championships and holds school records for most career shutouts (25) and shutouts in a season (10). Vetter also claimed the 2007-08 WCHA goaltending champion while also becoming the WCHA leader in career shutouts.
Backing up Vetter is junior Alannah McCready who posted shutouts on each of the three games she played in.
Returning on a defense that had 13 shutouts are seniors Rachel Bible, who was a team-leading plus-30 in plus-minus last season, and Alycia Matthews. Sophomores Olivia Jakiel, Anne Dronen and Malee Windmeier gained valuable experience and look to step up in 2008-09.
The Badgers return five WCHA award winners, including Meghan Duggan and Jessie Vetter who were All-WCHA first team honorees. Senior Erika Lawler was named to the second-team while Mallory Deluce and Hilary Knight were named to the WCHA All-Rookie team.
Meghan Duggan returns as one of the leading scorers from last season after tying Jinelle Zaugg with the team-high 43 points. Entering her third season, Duggan is on track to a record-breaking career. Duggan ranks sixth in career goals with 46, only seven goals from making the top five also cracking the top ten for points with 95.
Erika Lawler has had a successful run, and ranks eighth in career points at Wisconsin with 110. One of her most memorable games came in the semi-final game in the 2008 NCAA Frozen Four against Harvard. Lawler was seen all over the ice while tallying a goal and an assist, becoming the only Badger to be named to the Frozen Four All-Tournament Team.
The offense will remain a threat with all of the top scorers returning with the exception of Jinelle Zaugg. Seniors Erika Lawler and Angie Keseley will lead the offense with Meghan Duggan, Hilary Knight and Mallory Deluce by their side. Knight was second on the team in power play goals with six, totaling 20 goals and 18 assists on the season. Deluce has etched her name in the top of the statistics chart for the 2008 season with 12 goals and 19 assists making her a vital playmaker for the Badgers.
Depth is working in Wisconsin's favor with seven Badgers recording at least 10 goals last season, and the top three lines all scoring in double digits. The second and third lines were both major contributors while Kyla Sanders and Jasmine Giles had 20 and 23-point seasons, respectively.
Four Badgers were chosen to play on the Under-22 Select Team. Three Badgers will represent the USA which faces Canada in a three-game series. Playing for team USA is Meghan Duggan, Hilary Knight and Erika Lawler. Freshman Brittany Haverstock was selected to play for Canada.
Wisconsin will face New Hampshire, Quinnipiac and Syracuse in its non-conference schedule. UW fell to the then-No. 2 New Hampshire 2-1 in both games last season. New Hampshire completed the 2008 season with an impressive 33-3-1 record.
Unusual to the women's hockey schedule will be the home series against New Hampshire which will be played in Fort Myers, Fla. at the Fort Myers Skatium on Nov. 21 and 22.
