The season is young, and when it comes to high-level collegiate experience, this Wisconsin Badgers team is even younger. They got their first big test with last weekend’s trip to Columbus for a two-game series against then-No.2 Ohio State. Despite losing both games, I came away thinking Wisconsin (4-2, 0-2 WCHA), now ranked second in the nation, is further along than anticipated.
Badger fans have been blessed with the privilege of expecting Mark Johnson to put perennially polished products on the ice.
Down years aren’t a thing for Wisconsin women’s hockey, and the aspirations remain the same year after year. The Badgers are expected to compete for national championships, and anything less than a Frozen Four is typically considered a failure of a season.
The flipside of those expectations means it stings a little more being swept. It doesn’t happen often, and when it does, it’s a real kick in the pants. But it was the way Wisconsin performed in their first two matchups with Ohio State that has me feeling optimistic ahead of this weekend’s series against Minnesota State.
Wisconsin scored first in both games, the first being a low-scoring affair before some first-period fireworks in game two. Both contests featured a tie game heading into the third period, and that’s where Ohio State’s experience slammed the door. The Buckeyes outshot Wisconsin 19-3 in the final frame on Friday, scoring twice on the power play and netting the game-winning goal with just under four minutes to play. On Saturday, Ohio State posted a 17-6 advantage in third-period shots and scored twice to claim a 5-3 win.
Teams often learn more from losing than they do winning, and you can bet that Mark Johnson will be focused on getting his young team ready to go a full 60 minutes with the elite teams throughout conference play. Losing stinks, but it provides valuable learning experience.
The Buckeyes are a great team, and I was honestly a bit surprised they slotted in behind Wisconsin in the rankings to start the year. I wrote about it in both the season preview and the Ohio State preview last week, but the Buckeyes brought back plenty of high-powered experience while the Badgers are in the midst of a sizable overhaul. It’s no surprise that Ohio State looks a bit more polished and deserving of the top ranking.
While Wisconsin lost all-world defender Caroline Harvey, former NCAA goal leader Laila Edwards, former NCAA points leaders Kirsten Simms and Lacey Eden, Ohio State brought back their two leading scorers and 2026 Olympians Hilda Svensson and Joy Dunne. Junior defender Mira Jungåker is back and playing her best hockey, nearly halfway to her point total from last season in just a fifth of the games. That is the type of veteran leadership that shows up in the third period.
It feels a bit dirty to give Wisconsin a participation prize for hanging around for two periods in both games, but last weekend was always going to be a measuring stick. The Badgers were not run off the ice; in fact, it was quite the opposite. They forced the Buckeyes to elevate their play to come away with two wins on home ice. But the fact remains that this young Wisconsin team was competitive in both games.
Two losses in October will not define Wisconsin’s season—at least not in the way one might think. Ohio State comes to town in February for a game at LaBahn and an outdoor contest at Lambeau Field. The Badgers will play No. 3 Minnesota four times between now and then, as well as four games each against No. 10 St. Cloud State and No. 12 Minnesota Duluth. This weekend’s opponent, Minnesota State, also appears on the schedule four times before seeing the Buckeyes again, and they are currently the first team outside the rankings.
Wisconsin will not be short on opportunities to develop into the dominant team we are used to seeing, and aside from two periods against the Buckeyes, there is no reason to think they aren’t already one of the two best teams in women’s hockey. More than in recent years, the Badgers will continue to conjure up some chemistry week after week, and by the time February rolls around, they will be a much more dangerous team.
Genius by the WCHA schedule makers, honestly. Pitting Wisconsin against Ohio State to both open and close conference play is exactly what I think Mark Johnson would prefer for his team. He now gets to learn about their identity and where the energy needs to be focused in practice before having another go at the Buckeyes before the playoffs.
There will be plenty of consequential tests before then, but for now the Badgers need to bounce back at home against Minnesota State, who just suffered a sweep at the hands of St. Cloud State.
The WCHA season is a marathon, but Wisconsin can put the pedal to the metal in a dead sprint for the next 120 minutes before enjoying a bye next weekend. We’ve only just begun.
Game Info
Game 1
Date: Friday, October 16
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Madison, Wis. | LaBahn Arena
TV: B1G+ | Radio: 1070 AM
Game 2
Date: Saturday, October 16
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Place: Madison, Wis. | LaBahn Arena
TV: B1G+ | Radio: 1070 AM
