Wisconsin Women's Hockey 2024-2025

[Timothy A]

Yes, but it improved significantly. And compared to the men's game tonight . . . .

Was I scared they were going to lose 1-0? No. But if you give them a goal and they score one on their own, and it's 2-2 going into the 3rd period. that is not a good set-up. The goalie crumbles under the pressure and their goalie doesn't.

That BSU play by play guy is HORRIBLE. I was cooking in the kitchen listening to/watching the game the last period and a half and I missed 2 goals because his voice had zero inflection when UW scored. I don't expect him to be jacked up, but Mr. Monotone can be professional. And then when UW scored goal 1, he says "there goes the shutout" in the second period - early. Come on. You say that late in the 3rd period, go for it. Then later he was wondering what times they will be playing next weekend. The whole world knows but you apparently.

 

[robertearle]

Notice for Tim, because he said the emails go to an account he rarely looks at:

with no advance warning, today starts 'request for NCAA tickets'. Just request, nothing billed to credit card yet, etc. $15 per ticket.

 

[StPaulSam]

That BSU play by play guy is HORRIBLE.

we all miss Kelly a lot.

there was a game a few weeks ago vs. Mankato in Bemidji where he apparently looked at a paper and suddenly the Beavs had scored. This was the result, sorry for the poor quality.

 

[Timothy A]

Notice for Tim, because he said the emails go to an account he rarely looks at:

with no advance warning, today starts 'request for NCAA tickets'. Just request, nothing billed to credit card yet, etc. $15 per ticket.

Luv you man. Tx,

 

[Timothy A]

Notice for Tim, because he said the emails go to an account he rarely looks at:

with no advance warning, today starts 'request for NCAA tickets'. Just request, nothing billed to credit card yet, etc. $15 per ticket.

The email didn't go to my wife's work email, it went to our home email. So when I went through the process it sent the confirmation to my wife's work email. Makes no sense.

 

[Ooftah]

1. Did anyone get hurt this past weekend in ways that will affect them in future games?
2. Did Greenie see something and Kuntz learn something from what happened on Saturday?

If the answers are no and yes, we should stay calm.

Now, about those NCAA first round tickets...

 

[Timothy A]

UW is playing in the Ice Breaker next season in October hosted by Union, and includes Vermont and St. Anselm. I hope they didn't give up home games for this or don't these count against the normal allotment of games?

 

[pgb-ohio]

UW is playing in the Ice Breaker next season in October hosted by Union, and includes Vermont and St. Anselm. I hope they didn't give up home games for this or don't these count against the normal allotment of games?

I believe they count as non-conference games. I don't believe they "tie UW's hands" in any relevant way. UW certainly isn't shy about playing non-conference road games.

Looking at the last 4 seasons, the Badgers have voluntarily played more non-conference games on the road than at home:

2024-25
2 Home (Lindenwood)
4 Road (Boston College & Maine)

2023-24
4 Home (Boston College & Merrimack)
2 Road (Lindenwod)

2022-23
2 Home (Lindenwood)
4 Road (Penn State & Quinnipiac)

2021-22
2 Home (Quinnipiac)
4 Road (Lindenwood & Merrimack)

*Note that there were no non-conference games in the 2020-21 Regular Season due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

What I take from the above is that in a normal year, there are six non-conference games. They can be played home or away; you just need to cut deals with other schools to fill out your nc slate. Since 2 Home/4 Road seems to be the most common result, the only way UW would be truly "giving up" something is if all 6 non-conference games were played on the road.

Someone from UW may have a more authoritative answer on the Badger's scheduling policies. But from the outside looking in, that's how it appears.

 

[robertearle]

UW is playing in the Ice Breaker next season in October hosted by Union, and includes Vermont and St. Anselm. I hope they didn't give up home games for this or don't these count against the normal allotment of games?

Reminds me of when they opened the season playing at LIU, when it was LIU's first season as a DI team. IIRC, MJ was doing somebody at LIU a favor.

Union is currently #26, Vermont #33, and St Anselm #40 in NPI. How's they rope Wisconsin into it? MJ doing somebody a favor?

 

[Timothy A]

Reminds me of when they opened the season playing at LIU, when it was LIU's first season as a DI team. IIRC, MJ was doing somebody at LIU a favor.

Union is currently #26, Vermont #33, and St Anselm #40 in NPI. How's they rope Wisconsin into it? MJ doing somebody a favor?

He does seem to use the non-conference games for generous reasons. It doesn't really bother me. They play enough tough games in conference. I do get aggravated by the two home four-way setup.

 

[Ditra]

UW is playing in the Ice Breaker next season in October hosted by Union, and includes Vermont and St. Anselm. I hope they didn't give up home games for this or don't these count against the normal allotment of games?

The games don't count against number of allowed games. The tournament has a NCAA exemption for both men's and women's teams.

https://hockeycommissioners.com/ice-breaker/womens-ice-breaker.php

 

[BowWowWow]

So far as I've noticed, teams will typically play a series of two non-conference games at one school, and then the next year (or 2), switch up who is hosting the match-up for another series. (So, this time a road series rather than a home series, or vice versa, against the same team.) This may be something you already are familiar with -- but in short, I don't think anything is odd about a pair of road non-conference games. Wisconsin may have more road games than home games certain years because of playing in other four-team tournaments like this -- when these are hosted at other rinks.

As for whether the tournaments count toward allowed non-exhibition games in the season, I think they usually do. The 4-team tournament in Connecticut for example has been counting for those teams' standard games (the Nutmeg). This year Ohio State hosted the Ice Breaker and played 34 regular-season games, including those, and that is standard. Ivy League teams play 29 regular-season games because of their regulations.

Wisconsin does seem like the odds-on favorite to be winners at this particular tournament.

 

[BadgerPete]

The Ice Breaker Tournament is exempt from counting towards the number of matches in a season according to the NCAA Regulations Manual, 17.14.5.3.

(m) Hockey Commissioners Association/Ice Breaker Tournaments. Competition in the men's or women's Ice
Breaker Tournament sponsored by the Hockey Commissioners Association.

Which is definitely this match according to the release:
Union College announced today, in partnership with the Hockey Commissioners Association and College Hockey Inc., that the Union women's hockey team will serve as host for the 2025 Ice Breaker Tournament at the Mohawk Harbor Event Center, Union's new arena set to open later this year.

The University of Wisconsin, the University of Vermont and Saint Anselm College will join Union in the annual tournament, scheduled for October 17-18, 2025. On day one, Wisconsin and Vermont will face off at 12:07 p.m., followed by Union and Saint Anselm at 3:37 p.m. The consolation and championship game will take place on Saturday at the same times.

So this match is basically two free games. No reason not to take it. They would still be able to play 34 regular season contests, 28 to do the WCHA season, leaving 6 potential non conference games.

 

[BowWowWow]

Okay, interesting; these Ice Breaker games are ones that you can add onto your other games.

 

[Bonzo]

The Ice Breaker Tournament is exempt from counting towards the number of matches in a season according to the NCAA Regulations Manual, 17.14.5.3.

(m) Hockey Commissioners Association/Ice Breaker Tournaments. Competition in the men's or women's Ice
Breaker Tournament sponsored by the Hockey Commissioners Association.

Which is definitely this match according to the release:
Union College announced today, in partnership with the Hockey Commissioners Association and College Hockey Inc., that the Union women's hockey team will serve as host for the 2025 Ice Breaker Tournament at the Mohawk Harbor Event Center, Union's new arena set to open later this year.

The University of Wisconsin, the University of Vermont and Saint Anselm College will join Union in the annual tournament, scheduled for October 17-18, 2025. On day one, Wisconsin and Vermont will face off at 12:07 p.m., followed by Union and Saint Anselm at 3:37 p.m. The consolation and championship game will take place on Saturday at the same times.

So this match is basically two free games. No reason not to take it. They would still be able to play 34 regular season contests, 28 to do the WCHA season, leaving 6 potential non conference games.

Since the Badgers recruit quite a few players from the east, playing out there often makes a lot of sense. Basically a home game for Maggie Scannell who is from the Albany area. KK's home of Salem, NH also isn't far from there. Nice that some of kids get a chance to play close to home for a weekend.

 

[Timothy A]

Since the Badgers recruit quite a few players from the east, playing out there often makes a lot of sense. Basically a home game for Maggie Scannell who is from the Albany area. KK's home of Salem, NH also isn't far from there. Nice that some of kids get a chance to play close to home for a weekend.

Yeah it's good for recruiting to take the circus to the east once and a while. This year it was Maine and Bauwstin, next year New Yowrk.

 

[pgb-ohio]

The Ice Breaker Tournament is exempt from counting towards the number of matches in a season according to the NCAA Regulations Manual, 17.14.5.3.

(m) Hockey Commissioners Association/Ice Breaker Tournaments. Competition in the men's or women's Ice
Breaker Tournament sponsored by the Hockey Commissioners Association...


... So this match is basically two free games. No reason not to take it. They would still be able to play 34 regular season contests, 28 to do the WCHA season, leaving 6 potential non conference games.

Appreciate that you took the time to find the authoritative answer.

But one question remains: Will UW use those extra two games? If yes, more power to MJ & the Badgers. But I can understand the argument that, at 34 games, the season is already demanding enough. Guess we'll find out when the 2025-26 schedule comes out.

 

[Timothy A]

we all miss Kelly a lot.

there was a game a few weeks ago vs. Mankato in Bemidji where he apparently looked at a paper and suddenly the Beavs had scored. This was the result, sorry for the poor quality.

You seen familiar with him. How so?

 

[Timothy A]

Appreciate that you took the time to find the authoritative answer.

But one question remains: Will UW use those extra two games? If yes, more power to MJ & the Badgers. But I can understand the argument that, at 34 games, the season is already demanding enough. Guess we'll find out when the 2025-26 schedule comes out.

I don't think any coach is going to turn down the chance to play 2 extra games. 2 games a week is not really that much.

 

[robertearle]

I don't think any coach is going to turn down the chance to play 2 extra games. 2 games a week is not really that much.

Next year will be 'different' because of the Olympics break in the schedule. Will the overall schedule be 'longer' October-to-March such that 'two more games' would make it even longer? Would MJ and UW look at scheduling a non-conf pair of games during the break and play them 'short-handed'? Dunno... but next year will be 'different'.