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A hallmark of the 2024-25 Wisconsin women’s hockey team has been its players’ propensity for sharing the credit with teammates.
There’s something to be said for balance. Heading into the Frozen Four this weekend, eight Badgers have scored in double digits in goals, seven have at least 20 assists and seven have more than 35 points.
More: How does the 2024-25 Wisconsin women's Frozen Four team compare to those of the past? Let us count the ways
“This is the first time that I felt like we are completely deep, meaning we can put out any line, any D pair, and they’re going to get the job done,” said UW co-captain Casey O’Brien, who is trying to win a third national title this weekend. “They can produce, they can hold down the D zone, whatever it is.
“So I think when you have that kind of team where you’re not just heavily reliant on maybe one line or one D pair, it’s super special, because when one line’s not doing well, the next line is going to step up. And so every single person on this team is valued for their contributions.”
Still, there have been some particularly outstanding players new fans ought to know before Wisconsin meets Minnesota at 7:30 p.m. Friday in a Frozen Four semifinal. Here are six.
One of the Badgers who locked up the three finalist spots for the Patty Kazmaier Award as player of the year, the graduate student forward leads the nation in scoring with 85 points and in assists with 60. She also ranks eighth in goals and second in faceoffs won.
O’Brien, who missed training and Team USA opportunities in the offseason following surgery on her left wrist, broke the program’s all-time scoring record 271 points and impresses with her quickness, passing precision and end-to-end play.
O’Brien is a four-time all-WCHA selection.
A versatile player, the junior has mostly played forward but also filled in on defense when the need dictated and still managed to spend much of the season as Division I’s leading goal scorer. She enters the semifinal with 31 goals, two behind leader Abbey Murphy of Minnesota.
Edwards’ 66 points rank third nationally, and her 35 assists are fourth-most.
She is another of UW’s three Kazmaier finalists and one of five members of this Badgers team set to play for the U.S. national team at the International Ice Hockey Federation world championships next month.
The first Black woman to suit up with the senior national team in 2023, Edwards was the MVP at the world championships a year ago, a performance that included a hat trick against Finland in the semifinals.
A two-time WCHA defender of the year, Harvey is the Badgers’ other Kazmaier finalist and co-captain. She was on the top-10 list last season when she also was a first-team All-American even after missing nine games while recovering from a knee injury.
The junior leads the nation in scoring by a defender this season (58 points on 16 goals and 42 assists), set personal bests for goals, assists and points and broke UW’s single-season record for scoring by a defender.
Harvey’s work ethic draws effusive praise from coach Mark Johnson, as does her leadership.
In addition to her contributions to Wisconsin’s 2023 national championship team, she also has an Olympic silver medal from the 2022 Games and a gold from the 2023 world championships.
After splitting time through the regular season as a freshman in 2023-24, McNaughton became the Badgers go-to goaltender in the postseason and hasn’t let go.
This season McNaughton leads the nation in goals-against average (1.17) and ranks second with a save percentage of .947. She has eight shutouts and has allowed more than two goals just five times.
A Patty Kazmaier top-three finalist and All-American last season while leading the nation in goals and points, Simms has been able to diversify her game and focus on defense and aggressive play.
Although the junior forward counted on less for scoring while playing on a line with O’Brien and Edwards, Simms still ranks second on the team in points (67) and assists (42) and third in goals (25). Her assist and points totals also rank second nationally.
A redshirt senior forward, Eden ranks fifth on the team in overall scoring and leads in power-play goals (eight) and game-winning goals (seven). She is tied for the lead in short-handed goals with two and her 22 blocked shots are the most for a fulltime forward.
The assistant captain also is a “goofball,” O’Brien says, a player capable of providing teammates with an emotional boost when they need it most.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin women's hockey players to watch in 2025 NCAA Frozen Four
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There’s something to be said for balance. Heading into the Frozen Four this weekend, eight Badgers have scored in double digits in goals, seven have at least 20 assists and seven have more than 35 points.
More: How does the 2024-25 Wisconsin women's Frozen Four team compare to those of the past? Let us count the ways
“This is the first time that I felt like we are completely deep, meaning we can put out any line, any D pair, and they’re going to get the job done,” said UW co-captain Casey O’Brien, who is trying to win a third national title this weekend. “They can produce, they can hold down the D zone, whatever it is.
“So I think when you have that kind of team where you’re not just heavily reliant on maybe one line or one D pair, it’s super special, because when one line’s not doing well, the next line is going to step up. And so every single person on this team is valued for their contributions.”
Still, there have been some particularly outstanding players new fans ought to know before Wisconsin meets Minnesota at 7:30 p.m. Friday in a Frozen Four semifinal. Here are six.
Casey O’Brien
One of the Badgers who locked up the three finalist spots for the Patty Kazmaier Award as player of the year, the graduate student forward leads the nation in scoring with 85 points and in assists with 60. She also ranks eighth in goals and second in faceoffs won.
O’Brien, who missed training and Team USA opportunities in the offseason following surgery on her left wrist, broke the program’s all-time scoring record 271 points and impresses with her quickness, passing precision and end-to-end play.
O’Brien is a four-time all-WCHA selection.
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Laila Edwards
A versatile player, the junior has mostly played forward but also filled in on defense when the need dictated and still managed to spend much of the season as Division I’s leading goal scorer. She enters the semifinal with 31 goals, two behind leader Abbey Murphy of Minnesota.
Edwards’ 66 points rank third nationally, and her 35 assists are fourth-most.
She is another of UW’s three Kazmaier finalists and one of five members of this Badgers team set to play for the U.S. national team at the International Ice Hockey Federation world championships next month.
The first Black woman to suit up with the senior national team in 2023, Edwards was the MVP at the world championships a year ago, a performance that included a hat trick against Finland in the semifinals.
Caroline Harvey
A two-time WCHA defender of the year, Harvey is the Badgers’ other Kazmaier finalist and co-captain. She was on the top-10 list last season when she also was a first-team All-American even after missing nine games while recovering from a knee injury.
The junior leads the nation in scoring by a defender this season (58 points on 16 goals and 42 assists), set personal bests for goals, assists and points and broke UW’s single-season record for scoring by a defender.
Harvey’s work ethic draws effusive praise from coach Mark Johnson, as does her leadership.
In addition to her contributions to Wisconsin’s 2023 national championship team, she also has an Olympic silver medal from the 2022 Games and a gold from the 2023 world championships.
Ava McNaughton
After splitting time through the regular season as a freshman in 2023-24, McNaughton became the Badgers go-to goaltender in the postseason and hasn’t let go.
This season McNaughton leads the nation in goals-against average (1.17) and ranks second with a save percentage of .947. She has eight shutouts and has allowed more than two goals just five times.
Kirsten Simms
A Patty Kazmaier top-three finalist and All-American last season while leading the nation in goals and points, Simms has been able to diversify her game and focus on defense and aggressive play.
Although the junior forward counted on less for scoring while playing on a line with O’Brien and Edwards, Simms still ranks second on the team in points (67) and assists (42) and third in goals (25). Her assist and points totals also rank second nationally.
Lacey Eden
A redshirt senior forward, Eden ranks fifth on the team in overall scoring and leads in power-play goals (eight) and game-winning goals (seven). She is tied for the lead in short-handed goals with two and her 22 blocked shots are the most for a fulltime forward.
The assistant captain also is a “goofball,” O’Brien says, a player capable of providing teammates with an emotional boost when they need it most.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin women's hockey players to watch in 2025 NCAA Frozen Four
Continue reading...
