MADISON – History and a hat trick? It was all in a day’s work for Lacey Eden.

On the way to record her second career hat trick, the senior forward for the Wisconsin women’s hockey team became the fourth player in program history to score 100 goals.

Eden also recorded two assists for her first five-point game.

“It was a really fun game to play,” she said. “I think we played a complete game. We played 60 minutes. They came out pretty hard in the first period and gave us some competition there and we were able to get over that (hump) and just work hard and it showed up on the scoreboard today for us.”

The accomplishment was part of an eventful afternoon for the nation’s No. 1 ranked team.

First and foremost, the Badgers (28-3-2, 22-3-2 WCHA, 69 points) defeated St. Cloud State, 9-2, at LaBahn Arena to move within one victory of the WCHA regular-season title.

And individually Eden wasn’t even the team’s top goal scorer. That distinction went to junior Kelly Gorbatenko, who finished with four goals, two better than her previous single-game high.

Debt is not inherently irresponsible. Schools need safe, functional facilities. But when debt becomes permanent, it stops being a tool and starts being a constraint.

Advertisement

Each year, Wisconsin property taxpayers contribute more than $6.5 billion in local school levies. Those dollars are commonly understood to support classrooms, teachers and student services. In reality, a large — and growing — portion is diverted to debt service, a non-negotiable financial obligation before a single classroom dollar is spent.

In fact, the debt-service share of the local levy continues to grow, not because students are receiving more, but because past borrowing decisions increasingly dictate today’s budgets. Fortunately, at least one school district is showing that a debt free future is possible.

Statewide, nearly 18% of all local school levies — about $1.18 billion each year — are used to service debt. In practical terms, almost one out of every five local school tax dollars is unavailable for instruction or student support because it has already been committed elsewhere. Unfortunately, long-term debt has become a routine feature of school finance rather than an exception.

The weather is looking a bit more cooperative for Saturday’s American Birkebeiner ski race in northern Wisconsin. Officials earlier this week had to change the date and location of a few events due to the unusual warmth. NEXT Weather meteorologist Adam Del Rosso spoke to an executive director about the condition of the race trails.