Jesse Compher leads Wisconsin women's hockey into the postseason; WCHA announces all-conference honors
MADISON – A weekly look at the Wisconsin women’s hockey team.
FOR THE RECORD
The Badgers remained ranked sixth in the USCHO and USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine polls following a split with top-ranked Ohio State. UW defeated the Buckeyes, 6-5, in overtime Saturday and allowed three goals during the final 5 minutes of a 3-1 loss Sunday.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jesse Compher closes regular season on roll
Lost in the excitement of UW’s dramatic finish Saturday was Compher’s three-point afternoon. The senior forward assisted Britta Curl for the team’s second goal in the 11th minute and then reached the back of net for back-to-back scores in the 15th and 18th minutes, goals that sparked the Badgers to a 4-0 first-period lead and laid the foundation for UW's biggest win of the season. Compher didn’t record a point in the Badgers' loss Sunday but still enters the postseason with eight points in UW’s final five games.
NOTEBOOK
Casey O’Brien, Caroline Harvey, Nicole LaMantia lead WCHA honors
No Wisconsin player made first team all-WCHA, but senior Nicole LaMantia, junior Casey O’Brien and freshman Caroline Harvey were second-team selections. LaMantia was a first-team pick last year, while O’Brien made third team.
Here are the rest of the Badgers who were honored: Third team – Britta Curl; All-Rookie – Kirsten Simms, Laila Edwards, Harvey.
Monday the league will announce its three finalists for forward, defender, goalie and rookie of the year, with the winners announced Wednesday. Tuesday the finalists for coach and player of the year will be revealed, with the winners announced Thursday.
Vivian Jungels received rookie honor
For the second time this season freshman Vivian Jungels was named WCHA rookie of the week. The defenseman recorded three assists in last weekend’s split with Ohio State, including two in the win Saturday. The Edina, Minnesota, native's role increased in the wake of Natalie Buchbinder’s season-ending leg injury last month.
BY THE NUMBERS
2 Victories for the Badgers over a No. 1-ranked team this season.
81.2 Percentage of sellouts for UW at LaBahn Arena this season (13 of 16).
+36 Plus/minus rating for Curl, which tied for the best in the WCHA this season.
COMING UP
Postseason starts with a return visit from Minnesota State
vs. Minnesota State, 7 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 3:30 p.m. Sunday (if necessary): UW’s playoff run begins against a Mavericks team that it went 4-0 against this season and outscored, 18-4. Minnesota State is 2-6 since its last series with UW, with the wins coming over Bemidji State. All games can be seen on BTN+.
" I like the way we’re playing," Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson said. "It’s more so how we’re playing and where we are at this particular juncture of the year. I look at the four last games we’ve played against really good opponents and I think we’re where we need to be right now."
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Jesse Compher leads Wisconsin women's hockey into the postseason
