NCAA women's hockey series of the week: Minnesota-Duluth vs Wisconsin

Two top-five teams clash on the ice this weekend in an early-season showdown, with No. 5 Minnesota-Duluth traveling to face No. 1 Wisconsin.

The series will open at 11 a.m. Saturday, with game two being played at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

These two teams last met in the 2025 WCHA semifinals, with Wisconsin winning 3-1.

The Badgers are the defending national champions, and as a matter of fact, four of the last six titles reside in Madison.

Wisconsin has picked up right where it left off, opening the season with a 4-0 record via two wins apiece over Bemidji State and Maine. In these victories, the Badgers overwhelmed their opponents by a combined score of 24-2.

Wisconsin’s total goal count and scoring margin of 5.50 are both the second-highest marks in the nation, with only Minnesota having a higher number in both categories.

Forwards Kirsten Simms and Maggie Scannell have led the goal count thus far for the Badgers, each with four to their names. Simms has also recorded four assists this season to lead Wisconsin’s offense with eight points.

Simms, a two-time First-Team All-American selection and 2024 WCHA Player of the Year, was the Badgers’ hero in the national championship game last year. The Plymouth, Michigan native scored the game-tying goal via a penalty shot with 18.9 seconds left on the clock. Simms then netted the game-winner in overtime.

The senior will look to lead the Wisconsin offense once again in its first-ranked matchup of the season.

Minnesota-Duluth has an identical record to the Badgers, with wins over Mercyhurst and Syracuse. In this quartet of games, the Bulldogs outscored their opponents 17-6. Minnesota-Duluth also has a high-power offense, with its total goal mark tied for fourth nationally, and its 2.75 scoring margin ranks seventh.

Through the first four games, the Bulldogs' offense has been led by sophomore forward Caitlin Kraemer. The Waterloo, Ontario, native is the reigning WCHA Rookie of the Year and was also the first player in program history to be awarded the Hockey Commissioners Association’s National Rookie of the Year. Kraemer leads the team with six points and is tied with senior Thea Johansson for a team-high four goals.

Kraemer was Minnesota-Duluth’s hero in its season-opening win over Mercyhurst by scoring the game-winning goal in overtime to carry the Bulldogs to a 4-3 victory.

Ève Gascon has started all four games in net for Minnesota-Duluth. The junior has 83 saves and a .933 save percentage, which is highlighted by a 33-save performance against Syracuse on Sept. 25. Gascon is the reigning WCHA Goaltender of the Year and will have to be at her best to defend the strong Wisconsin offense.

On the other side of the ice, the Badgers have a strong goalie themselves in junior Ava McNaughton. While Gascon was recognized as the conference's best goaltender, McNaughton was named the 2025 HCA National Goaltender of the Year. Last season, McNaughton’s 36 wins marked the most in a single season in Wisconsin program history.

The Seven Fields, Pennsylvania, native has 64 saves through the first four games and a .970 save percentage, a number that places McNaughton fourth nationally. The goalie’s best performance through the first four games was a 25-save effort versus Maine on Oct. 3.

This in-conference clash features two of the nation's strongest offenses, but also two of the best netminders, making it difficult to assess what the outcome will be. However, if one thing is guaranteed, it's that some great hockey will be played and a top-five team will see its first defeat.

This will be the first of two meetings between the Bulldogs and Badgers, with Minnesota-Duluth hosting the second half of the series in early January.

Gianna Dowling is a third-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email gmd5738@psu.edu.