Wisconsin

Wisconsin women’s hockey can’t match OSU’s energy, falls out of first

Published

3 weeks ago

February 7, 2026

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Wisconsin women’s hockey can’t match OSU’s energy, falls out of first

MADISON – The Wisconsin women’s hockey team fell flat in its attempt to take control of the WCHA race Saturday, Feb. 7.

In a matchup of the nation’s two top-ranked teams, the second-ranked Buckeyes scored a 4-1 victory over the Badgers at La Bahn Arena to move ahead of UW and into first place.

The teams left the ice with Ohio State (26-3, 20-3 WCHA) leading Wisconsin (24-3-2, 18-3-2) by one point, 58-57.

The game was played without several key players on both sides. Wisconsin’s Caroline Harvey, Kirsten Simms, Laila Edwards and Ava McNaughton are competing for Team USA at the Olympics while Adela Sapovalivova represents Czechia. Ohio State played without leading scorer Joy Dunne, one of four players on the roster at the Olympics.

The Badgers can climb back to the top of the standings with a victory in the series finale at 2 p.m. Sunday, but they’ll need to come out of the gates better, do a better job of avoiding penalties and be more effective at finishing their chances.

“Generally with everybody we need a little bit better effort,” Badgers coach Mark Johnson said. “If you watch the game like I was watching it they seemed to in a lot of situations give a little bit extra effort and that to me over the course of 60 minutes probably made the biggest difference.”

The Badgers would have been shut out were it not for junior Ava Murphy’s goal with 3 minutes, which required an extra attacker.

The matchup was penalty filled. Ohio State had four, UW had five, including two that were almost back-to-back late in the first period. The Badgers survived the first despite struggling to get the puck out of their zone but not the second.

Senior Sloane Matthews’ power play goal with 31 seconds to go in the first period coupled with sophomore Jordyn Petrie’s unassisted goal at the 5:40 mark gave Ohio State all the scoring it would need.

The Badgers, who were outshot, 17-7, in the first period, flipped that total in the second but couldn’t get one through a Buckeyes defense that allows 1.68 goals per game.

“A couple bounces here or there could have changed the entire course of that game,” said senior Lacey Eden, who led UW with eight shots. “That’s just hockey and that’s how it goes sometimes. We definitely had our opportunities. It’s being able to capitalize on those, which is something that we want to focus on tomorrow.”

But in order to do that the Badgers will have to match the energy of a chief rival.

The stakes are huge. A Wisconsin win puts it back in first with two series against fifth-place Minnesota State on Feb. 13-14 and seventh-place St Cloud State on Feb. 21-22.

“I think we need to have a little more pep in our step from the hop,” Eden said. “I think we led them dictate the pace of play immediately. That doesn’t start you on the best foot for the rest of the game.

“I think tomorrow our focus is going to be those first 5 minutes, maybe putting one in by the first media timeout.”

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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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