Wisconsin Women's Hockey 2024-2025

[Lindsay]

It only takes a little spark and it can get going quickly. I always encouraged my kids to play multiple sports, and all of them would list hockey as their favorite. After they learned how to skate, they wanted to do it all the time.
Both loved to play flag football as well, so it's funny that you brought that up!

Absolutely! Only takes a little spark, that’s my hope. : - )

yes, I’m a big fan of multiple sports. There is so much to enjoy in life, no need to overcommit early. The pressure is there though, I feel it and always hope I’m doing right for my kids.

 

[Timothy A]

Thinking about the scholarship/funding situation....on 4/7 Bickett committed and a few weeks later Wheeler supposedly leaves due to a lack of funding. I think it's interesting that MJ seems to have picked a 4 year developmental D over keeping a sure thing F for 1 year, then utilize the Wheeler funding the following year. It's probably not as linear as I'm making it out to be. This is the last Covid year so these types of situations will not be occurring in the future. I wonder if MJ perhaps leaves a slot or 2 open per year for portal players? You never know who may end up in there.

 

[robertearle]

Thinking about the scholarship/funding situation....on 4/7 Bickett committed and a few weeks later Wheeler supposedly leaves due to a lack of funding. I think it's interesting that MJ seems to have picked a 4 year developmental D over keeping a sure thing F for 1 year, then utilize the Wheeler funding the following year. It's probably not as linear as I'm making it out to be. This is the last Covid year so these types of situations will not be occurring in the future. I wonder if MJ perhaps leaves a slot or 2 open per year for portal players? You never know who may end up in there.

Getting to keep O'Brien was probably using some of that 'reserved for the portal' money, and was MUCH better spent on O'B than anyone who was in the portal. My guess, anyway.

 

[BadgerPete]

Thinking about the scholarship/funding situation....on 4/7 Bickett committed and a few weeks later Wheeler supposedly leaves due to a lack of funding. I think it's interesting that MJ seems to have picked a 4 year developmental D over keeping a sure thing F for 1 year, then utilize the Wheeler funding the following year. It's probably not as linear as I'm making it out to be. This is the last Covid year so these types of situations will not be occurring in the future. I wonder if MJ perhaps leaves a slot or 2 open per year for portal players? You never know who may end up in there.

I think it's probably not that binary a situation, but even if it is looking at those two the difference between Bickett and Wheeler (presuming the info is accurate and Kotlowski is returning) is the difference between 14 F/6 D and 13 F/7 D, and the latter is a far better situation. I love Maddi and no one has worked harder and more selflessly in her four years here, but I can appreciate the big picture view.

 

[Timothy A]

Getting to keep O'Brien was probably using some of that 'reserved for the portal' money, and was MUCH better spent on O'B than anyone who was in the portal. My guess, anyway.

Absolutely. She was far and away the best player available and it's not even debatable.

 

[Timothy A]

I think it's probably not that binary a situation, but even if it is looking at those two the difference between Bickett and Wheeler (presuming the info is accurate and Kotlowski is returning) is the difference between 14 F/6 D and 13 F/7 D, and the latter is a far better situation. I love Maddi and no one has worked harder and more selflessly in her four years here, but I can appreciate the big picture view.

I agree, I just want the cake and I want to eat it too. Perhaps there would have been a better player available for 25-26 than Bickett, but I'm not going to second guess the recruiting GOAT.

 

[wheel snipe celly]

Thinking about the scholarship/funding situation....on 4/7 Bickett committed and a few weeks later Wheeler supposedly leaves due to a lack of funding. I think it's interesting that MJ seems to have picked a 4 year developmental D over keeping a sure thing F for 1 year, then utilize the Wheeler funding the following year. It's probably not as linear as I'm making it out to be. This is the last Covid year so these types of situations will not be occurring in the future. I wonder if MJ perhaps leaves a slot or 2 open per year for portal players? You never know who may end up in there.

Bickett took Helgesons partial scholarship

 

[Ooftah]

Can we get by with two goalies? I love the idea of Chloe Baker getting playing time but injuries happen.

 

[Huffpluff]

(presuming the info is accurate and Kotlowski is returning)

The team Instagram account just announced that Kotlowski and O’Brien are coming back! Nice to have it be official.

 

[BadgerDad2022]

Can we get by with two goalies? I love the idea of Chloe Baker getting playing time but injuries happen.

Chloe is a nice young lady but an average goaltender for sure. We need to upgrade that position in the future recruiting cycle.

 

[BadgerPete]

Chloe is a nice young lady but an average goaltender for sure. We need to upgrade that position in the future recruiting cycle.

Rhyah Stewart is committed for 25-26 and is in the argument for best goalie in that class. MacNaughton/Stewart is as formidable duo as we could ask for.

 

[Timothy A]

The team Instagram account just announced that Kotlowski and O’Brien are coming back! Nice to have it be official.

I slepted really good last night hahaha.

 

[Timothy A]

Bickett took Helgesons partial scholarship

And did Gervais' go to OB?

 

[Timothy A]

. Chloe is a nice young lady but an average goaltender for sure. We need to upgrade that position in the future recruiting cycle.

If that OSU goalie ends up coming here that will bridge us to the point when Stewart gets here.

 

[Ooftah]

If that OSU goalie ends up coming here that will bridge us to the point when Stewart gets here.

I agree. I saw it posted here that Quinn Kuntz was coming to Madison as a grad transfer. That was a while ago and I have not seen it posted elsewhere or, more important, announced by the team.

In some situations, remaining a free agent for a long time works to the benefit of the team. I am not sure it does in this case.

 

[robertearle]

I agree. I saw it posted here that Quinn Kuntz was coming to Madison as a grad transfer. That was a while ago and I have not seen it posted elsewhere or, more important, announced by the team.

In some situations, remaining a free agent for a long time works to the benefit of the team. I am not sure it does in this case.

I've mentioned this before: I still don't really see how Kuntz has any eligibility remaining. She played in very few games through her four years at Ohio State - so I have no real idea how she'd do in the case of an injury to McNaughton, etc - but she played some in all four years. That precludes any of those years being a 'redshirt' year. The only way I see her possibly having eligibility is if in one of those years when she played in an early season game, she then suffered an injury in practice that could have turned that year into a medical hardship year. But I haven't seen any mention of any sort of injury.

(Four years plus the COVID year; she played during four years that 'counted' and actually did not play during the 2020-21 season which would not have counted.)

 

[BadgerDad2022]

Rhyah Stewart is committed for 25-26 and is in the argument for best goalie in that class. MacNaughton/Stewart is as formidable duo as we could ask for.

Goaltending is everything in hockey. Can never have enough at that position and I would expect/hope that Wiski would be in contention for the top goalies in every recruiting cycle.

 

[BadgerPete]

Goaltending is everything in hockey. Can never have enough at that position and I would expect/hope that Wiski would be in contention for the top goalies in every recruiting cycle.

Given the pedigree of Badger goalies I imagine we always are, but there's a reality to the fact that the top goalies aren't going to look at a situation where they're going to buried on a depth chart favorably no matter the pedigree. For instance, I would be wildly surprised if a top goalie recruit committed this next cycle, as they'd be coming in as a freshman to MacNaughton's senior year with (hopefully) Stewart as a sophomore entrenched as the heir apparent. Especially in the portal era where moving to a different team after getting to play a ton as a freshman is very on the table.

Realisitically, the idea of having a marquee goalie recruit every other year with a developmental third in between is a perfectly acceptable pattern to be in.

 

[BadgerDad2022]

Given the pedigree of Badger goalies I imagine we always are, but there's a reality to the fact that the top goalies aren't going to look at a situation where they're going to buried on a depth chart favorably no matter the pedigree. For instance, I would be wildly surprised if a top goalie recruit committed this next cycle, as they'd be coming in as a freshman to MacNaughton's senior year with (hopefully) Stewart as a sophomore entrenched as the heir apparent. Especially in the portal era where moving to a different team after getting to play a ton as a freshman is very on the table.

Realisitically, the idea of having a marquee goalie recruit every other year with a developmental third in between is a perfectly acceptable pattern to be in.

will be interesting to watch the Morgan Stickney thing play out. Wisconsin is clearly leaning forward but as you point out Ava and Stewart is quite the duo. But Stickney is the #1 2026 goalie for sure

 

[Timothy A]

Given the pedigree of Badger goalies I imagine we always are, but there's a reality to the fact that the top goalies aren't going to look at a situation where they're going to buried on a depth chart favorably no matter the pedigree. For instance, I would be wildly surprised if a top goalie recruit committed this next cycle, as they'd be coming in as a freshman to MacNaughton's senior year with (hopefully) Stewart as a sophomore entrenched as the heir apparent. Especially in the portal era where moving to a different team after getting to play a ton as a freshman is very on the table.

Realisitically, the idea of having a marquee goalie recruit every other year with a developmental third in between is a perfectly acceptable pattern to be in.

Yeah, McN is the starter for the next 3 years, then Stewart for the next 2 so I don't see any other top end G coming here unless they REALLY believe in themselves, that they can beat out McN and or Stewart. I wouldn't complain if that were the case, but I also probably needlessly worry about moral in the G room, though something did go horribly wrong with Cece.