Wisconsin

Lacey Eden gets 100th goal, Wisconsin hockey moves closer to WCHA title

Published

1 week ago

February 21, 2026

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Lacey Eden gets 100th goal, Wisconsin hockey moves closer to WCHA title

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.

A lot of Badgers in the mix. Six players had multi-point performances. Senior Vivian Jungels and junior Laney Potter set single-game career highs with three and four assists, respectively. Freshman Charlotte Piekenhagen scored twice for her first multi-goal game.

Not bad considering when the teams last met Nov. 14 they skated to a 4-4 tie.

UW is 5-2 since its top players left for the Olympics.

“The group that we have right now, they’ve come together,” Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson said. “Out of the seven games we’ve played, this was one of their best from start to finish.”

Eden joins Hilary Knight, Brianna Decker and Meghan Duggan as Badgers with 100 goals. Her pursuit of the milestone has been steady this season. She has scored a goal in 18 of 33 games and has put one on the board in nine of the last 11.

Goal No. 100 came off assists from sophomore Emma Venusio and Potter and gave the Badgers a 3-1 edge at the 3-minute 43-second mark of the second period.

Goal No. 2, which proved to be the game-winner, came 20 seconds into the third period and the third goal came at the 10:47 mark.

Eden has much respect for the players in the group she joined.

“Those three are girls that I’ve looked up to since I was a little kid and I’ve had the honor to play with two of them,” Eden said. “They’ve just been such big inspirations for me as a Badger and just throughout my hockey career so it’s it’s really cool to be on that shortlist with them.”

While Eden has been on a hot streak, Gorbatenko hadn’t scored in six games. Saturday she had the most consequential score of the day when she found the back of the net with less than 1 second to play at the end of the first period.

The power play goal was the difference between leading, 2-1, and 1-1 tie after one period. A flood of goals ensued.

Ohio State’s 6-3 win at Bemidji State on Feb. 21 assured the need for the Badgers to get a win in the season finale, which will begin at 11 a.m. Feb. 22 at LaBahn to win the league title. A loss gives the Buckeyes, who completed their regular season, the tie. An overtime loss would leave the teams tied for first.

The game is expected to be the last the Badgers play without its Olympians, who are expected to return to town Monday.

“It’s going to feel like playoff hockey where you just have to do the little things right to kind of just get some momentum going,” Gorbatenko said. “We want that trophy. We know what’s at stake.

“The B squad will be ready to go. We’ve done such like a great job, like with our Olympians gone and been able to hold on the fort. We’re just one, one game away from a trophy and so we don’t want to let it slip through.”

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Wisconsin

Sister Bay, Wisconsin: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards

Published

8 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Sister Bay, Wisconsin: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards

Located in scenic Door County, Wisconsin, the town of Sister Bay is a waterfront town directly on Green Bay. Outdoor enthusiasts head to Sister Bay for its access to hiking trails, nature preserves, and water pursuits such as boating, fishing, and ice-skating during winter. The town hosts a number of seasonal festivals including a film fest, marina fest, outdoor concert series, and the Door County Festival of Fine Arts. The annual Roofing of the Goats Parade is a popular event tied to Al Johnson’s, a local restaurant known for goats that graze on its rooftop during summer months.

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Wisconsin

Vote: Who is Wisconsin High School Boys Basketball’s Top Guard of 2025-26?

Published

20 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Vote: Who is Wisconsin High School Boys Basketball’s Top Guard of 2025-26?

With the action-packed Wisconsin high school boys basketball regular season completed and March Madness beginning, it’s time to take a look at some of the outstanding players and cast your vote for the best.

We began by looking at the most prolific individual scoring threats, talented 3-point shooters,strong rebounders, and top free-throw shooters so now it’s time to take a look at the high-caliber guards from throughout the state.

There are hundreds of high-caliber boys basketball players in Wisconsin, and these lists are not intended to be comprehensive.

Voting remains open until March 9 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

(Players are listed in alphabetical order and all nominees are leaders from the 2025-26 season as compiled by Bound.com, and WIAA; the poll is below the list of athletes)

Castillo is averaging 25.4 points per game with 5.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals for Greendale (18-6 overall record).

Collien is averaging 15 points per game with 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists for Oakfield (21-3 overall record).

Edwards is averaging 14.1 points per game with 7.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists for D.C. Everest (21-3 overall record).

Gray Jr. was averaging 24.3 points per game with 6.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals prior for West Allis Central (22-2 overall record).

Hereford is averaging 36.4 points per game with 9.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 4.1 steals for Beloit Memorial (22-2 overall record).

Johnson is averaging 27.3 points per game with 8.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 3.6 steals for Milwaukee Juneau (22-1 overall record).

Jones is averaging 23.3 points per game with 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.6 steals for Germantown (15-9 overall record).

Kern is averaging 16 points per game with 6.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists for New Berlin West (21-3 overall record).

Kilgore is averaging 14.6 points per game with 7.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 3.0 steals for Kewaunee (24-0 overall record).

Kohnen is averaging 16.3 points per game with 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.3 steals for Slinger (20-4 overall record).

Knueppel is averaging 17.4 points per game with 7.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 1.4 steals for Wisconsin Lutheran (24-0 overall record).

Loose is averaging 18.2 points per game with 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.3 steals for Port Washington (23-1 overall).

Manchester is averaging 35.8 points per game for Mount Horeb (19-5 overall record).

Platz is averaging 19.5 points per game with 7.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists, and 1.4 steals for Brookfield East (19-5 overall record).

Prochnow is averaging 21.3 points per game with 11.1 assists, 4.8 assists, and 3.2 steals for Reedsville (21-3 overall record).

Resch is averaging 21.3 points per game with 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals for Arrowhead (18-6 overall record).

Schultz is averaging 27.4 points per game with 6.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.0 steals for Plymouth (17-7 overall record).

Schwalbach is averaging 15 points per game with 4.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals for Kaukauna (21-3 overall).

Sweeney is averaging 15.5 points per game for Appleton North (20-4 overall record).

Vandenberg is averaging 13 points per game with 2.3 assists and 2.0 rebounds for Freedom (23-1 overall).

About Our Player Poll Voting
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.

— Jeff Hagenau | jeffreyhagenau@gmail.com

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