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Ph: 608-263-1983 Fax: 608-262-8184 WISCONSIN Website: UWBADGERS.COM 2002-03 Women’s Hockey Release, Mar. 3 Contact: Paul Capobianco

UPCOMING EVENTS STORYLINES 2003 WCHA Women’s Final Five, Ralph Engelstad Arena, Grand Forks, N.D. • Wisconsin has won 20 games for the third- Friday March 7 No. 2 Seed Minnesota 4:05 p.m. consecutive season. Saturday March 8 Third-Place/Championship Game 4:05/7:05 p.m. • Wisconsin has three wins against Minnesota in 19 meetings between the schools, the lowest total BADGERS SEARCH FOR FIRST WCHA WOMEN’S FINAL FIVE TITLE against any WCHA opponent. The Badgers are 2- No. 5 Wisconsin (21-7-5, 14-6-4 WCHA) faces No. 3 Minnesota (26-5-1, 19-4-1) for the 4-1 over the last six games of the series. third-straight time when the teams meet in one semifinal of the 2003 WCHA Women’s • 2002 Olympian Krissy Wendell is expected to Final Five. The Badgers and Gophers skate on Friday, March 7 at 4:05 p.m. The tourna- miss this weekend’s series for Minnesota with a ment will take place at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, N.D. The Badgers finished fourth at the 2000 WCHA Championship, third at the 2001 broken clavicle. WCHA Championship and second at the 2002 WCHA Women’s Final Five. • Wisconsin is the third seed for the WCHA post- season tournament for the third time in four WISCONSIN HEAD COACH MARK JOHNSON years. Mark Johnson, former men’s assistant coach, is the new head coach of • Wisconsin is 4-4-0 all-time in WCHA postsea- Wisconsin women’s ice hockey. son play. Johnson joins the staff after serving the men’s program as an assistant coach since • Senior defender Sis Paulsen, who scored the 1996. Prior to his time with the Badgers, he coached the Madison Monsters and earned game-winning goal against Minnesota last Firday, Colonial Hockey League Coach of the Year honors during 1995-96. He also head coached finished the season as Wisconsin’s leading scorer at Verona High School and assisted at Memorial. with 29 points on seven goals and 22 assists. Most recently, Johnson served as an assistant coach with the 2002 U.S. Men’s • Wisconsin is 2-0-0 this season with its full ros- National Team that competed in the 2002 International Ice Hockey Federation World ter including a 7-1 win at Ohio State and a 2-1 Championship. victory at home against Minnesota. The Badgers One of Wisconsin’s most decorated athletes in any sport and a 1991 charter member of the National W Club Hall of Fame, Johnson helped the Badgers to the 1977 national were without defender Molly Engstrom for last championship as a frosh. The first Badger to win WCHA Rookie of the Year that season, Saturday’s 2-0 loss to the Gophers. he went on to become the school’s second all-time leading scorer. • Thirteen Badgers have scored at least one Johnson has played USA Hockey in 13 international tournaments and had a suc- game-winning goal, while no Badgers have scored cessful 11-year National Hockey League career. He began his pro tenure with the more than three. Pittsburgh Penguins before moving onto the Minnesota North Stars. He also played for the St. Louis Blues and the New Jersey Devils. QUICK FACTS A 1999 inductee into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame, Johnson is the son of legendary Wisconsin men’s head coach Bob Johnson (1966-82) and brother 2002–03 Record: 21-7-5 of former men’s assistant coach Peter Johnson (1987-91). Johnson, 44, earned his bache- WCHA Record: 14-6-4 lor’s of science degree in kinesiology from Wisconsin in 1994. Johnson and wife Leslie reside in Madison with five children: Douglas, Christopher, Patrick, Mikayla and Megan. USCHO Rank/USA Today Rank: 5th/5th SCOUTING THE GOPHERS Head Coach: Mark Johnson The Badgers face a familiar foe when they play No. 3 Minnesota (26-5-1, 19-4-1 Alma Mater: Wisconsin, 1994 WCHA) at the 2003 WCHA Women’s Final Five this week. The Badgers and Gophers Record at UW: 21-7-5 split last weekend in Wisconsin, with the Badgers winning 2-1 and the Gophers claim- Career Record: 21-7-5 WCHA WOMEN 2002–03 STANDINGS Assistant Coaches: Tracey Cornell, Dan Koch Vol. Assistant Coach: Forrest Karr Conference Overall Captain: Sis Paulsen Pts GP Record GF-GA GP Record GF-GA 1 Minnesota-Duluth 43 24 21-2-1 166-42 32 27-3-2 206-56 Assistant Captains: , Kathy 2 Minnesota 39 24 19-4-1 101-41 32 26-5-1 144-60 Devereaux 3 Wisconsin 32 24 14-6-4 79-50 33 21-7-5 105-63 4 Ohio State 19 24 8-13-3 56-76 34 11-20-3 82-101 For Interviews contact: Paul Capobianco 5 Bemidji State 16 24 5-13-6 49-104 32 9-16-7 72-119 608-263-1983 6 St. Cloud State 10 24 5-19-0 48-124 34 11-23-0 75-149 7 Minnesota State 9 24 3-18-3 41-103 34 10-21-3 77-118 ing a 2-0 victory. RECORD WIN STREAK USA TODAY/AMERICAN HOCKEY The Gopher offense is paced by The Badgers’victory last Friday at home MAGAZINE POLL frosh forward . The against Minnesota was the team’s ninth- March 4 2002 U.S. Olympian has 30 goals and straight victory. The victory set a school 34 assists for 64 points, ranking first record, breaking the old record of eight- Last Overall among WCHA rookies and second consecutive victories set in the inaugural Ranking Record among all League skaters. season. The Badgers also extended their 1 Harvard, 120 (12) 1 26-1-1 Fellow frosh Olympian Krissy unbeaten streak to 10 games with the 2 Minnesota-Duluth, 108 2 27-3-2 Wendell, with her 53 points, recently win, tying the record set earlier this 3 Minnesota, 96 3 26-5-1 broke her clavicle and is expected to season. 4 Dartmouth, 77 4 22-7-0 miss the tournament. Wendell was the 5 Wisconsin, 75 7 21-7-5 team’s second-leading scorer. CLUTCH IS EVERYTHING 6 St. Lawrence, 57 5 21-7-4 A pair of defenders in seniors Senior Sis Paulsen (Eau Claire, Wis.) 7 New Hampshire, 54 6 26-6-2 Winny Brodt and Ronda Curtin, rank scored her team-leading third WCHA 8 Providence, 36 8 22-6-6 third and fourth on the Gopher scoring game-winning goal of the season last 9 Princeton, 25 9 18-8-2 chart. Brodt has 37 points, while Curtin Friday to lead the Badgers to a 2-1 victo- 10 Mercyhurst, 12 10 23-8-1 boasts 34 points to give the UM a ry over No. 3 Minnesota. Paulsen, stand- threat from the blue line. ing at the right point, took a pass from Others receiving votes: None. Minnesota also has Kelly frosh forward Grace Hutchins (Winnetka, Stephens, a sophomore forward, to rely Ill.). The captain fired a slap shot that USCHO.COM POLL on for scoring. Stephens has 17 goals found the far side on Minnesota goalie March 3 and 30 points for fifth on the team. Jody Horak at 9:25 of the third period. In addition to the absence of Paulsen finished the regular season School (1st Place) Record Pts LW Wendell, Kristy Oonincx, a 14-goal, 25- as Wisconsin’s leading scorer with 29 1 Harvard (15) 26-1-1 150 1 point performer through 24 games, is points on seven goals and 22 assists. 2 Minnesota-Duluth 27-3-2 135 2 transferring to St. Cloud State, accord- 3 Minnesota 26-5-1 120 3 ing to published reports. The forward FROZEN FOUR BOUND? 4 Dartmouth 22-7-0 100 4 5 Wisconsin 21-7-5 85 6 was suspended indefinitely on Feb. 6 Wisconsin remains in contention for one 6 St. Lawrence 21-7-4 75 5 for conduct detrimental to the team. of the four spots at the 2003 NCAA 7 New Hampshire 26-6-2 65 7 Junior forward La Toya Clarke is Women’s Frozen Four. The Badgers, cur- 8 Providence 22-6-6 45 8 also dangerous. Clarke scored both rently sixth in the USCHO.com pairwise 9 Princeton 18-8-2 33 9 goals in Minnesota’s 2-0 victory last rankings, need to climb to at least fourth 10 Mercyhurst 23-8-1 17 10 Saturday and has nine goals and 20 in the pairwise rankings before the close points on the year. of the season. The pairwise rankings Others receiving votes: None In goal, sophomore Jody Horak mimic the selection process used by the sees the majority of the action. Horak is NCAA in choosing the field. 2002-2003 DIVISION I 22-4-0 with a .932 save percentage and The Badgers open this week’s action WOMEN’S PAIRWISE RANKINGS 1.65 goals-against average in 26 games. at the 2003 WCHA Women’s Final Five 1 Harvard Head coach Laura Halldorson is in against No. 3 Minnesota. Should the 2 Minnesota-Duluth her fifth season at the reigns of Badgers win, they would face the winner Minnesota and sports a 159-35-16 of No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth and Ohio 3 Minnesota record at the school. For her career, State/Bemidji State for the WCHA post- 4 Dartmouth which includes a stint at Colby, season title. If Wisconsin wins the tour- 5 New Hampshire Halldorson is 218-110-25. nament with victories over Minnesota 6 Wisconsin Wisconsin is 3-17-1 all-time and Minnesota-Duluth, they would be in 7 St. Lawrence against Minnesota. The Badgers were position for the fourth and final bid to 8 Providence swept, 3-1 and 2-1, in Minneapolis in a the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four. 9 Princeton series earlier this season, but split in The Badgers would still likely need 10 Mercyhurst Wisconsin last weekend, 2-1 and 0-2. help for a bid. First, Dartmouth, the cur- 11 Brown rent No. 4 in the pairwise rankings, must 2003 WCHA WOMEN’S FINAL FIVE finish no better than second at the ECAC The Pairwise Ranking attempts to mimic the method Wisconsin has earned the third seed for tournament. No 1 Harvard won the used by the NCAA Selection Committee to determine the 2003 WCHA Women’s Final Five and ECAC regular season with an unbeaten participants for the NCAA Division I women's hockey will face second-seed Minnesota on conference record. Secondly, Brown must tournament. The PWR compares only those at or above Friday, March 7. The teams will meet at lose its quarterfinal best-of-three .500, judging them by five criteria: record against 4:05 p.m. at Ralph Engelstad Arena in matchup at St. Lawrence. common opponents, record in last 16 games, head to Grand Forks, N.D. The above combination would likely head competition, record against other teams at or The third-place finish is the third move the Badgers into fourth in the pair- above .500, and the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI). such placement for the Badgers in their wise, though the pairwise rankings only four years in the WCHA. Last season, mimic the selection and are not official. Complete rankings at Wisconsin tied for second place in http://www.uscollegehockey.com/ League standings with eventual NCAA champion Minnesota-Duluth. PLAYING WITH A FULL LINEUP SENIOR FAREWELL walk-on still on the Wisconsin roster. The It took 30 games, but Wisconsin finally Eight student-athletes will skate their Eden Prairie, Minn., native is a two-time fielded its full lineup last Friday at Ohio last contests with the Wisconsin women’s WCHA All-Academic and Academic All- State. hockey team when the Badgers play their Big Ten selection. Due to injuries, other Badger sports final contest of the 2002–03 season. The Sis Paulsen, the first recruited player and various national team commitments, Badgers must replace Kendra Antony, from the State of Wisconsin, has served Wisconsin went the first 29 games this Kathy Devereaux, Kelly Kegley, Jackie the team as a three-year captain. She is season missing at least one of its skaters. MacMillan, Julia Ortenzio, Sis Paulsen, the WCHA's all-time leading defense The full lineup lasted just one game, Michelle Sikich and Kerry Weiland. scorer and has been an All-WCHA first- however, as senior Michelle Sikich Kendra Antony began her career by team selection and WCHA All- missed last Saturday’s contest after an scoring the first four goals in Wisconsin Tournament pick.The Eau Claire, Wis., injury in Friday’s game with OSU. history and remains the school's all-time native recorded the first hat trick in leading scorer with over 150 career Badger history and was one of two PAIRWISE RANKINGS points. She was the first Badger to reach women's hockey recipients of the inau- The 2002–03 Division I Women’s Pairwise both 100 and 150 points and is a two- gural W Club Community Service Award. Rankings have been released by time WCHA All-Academic and Academic She was one of four Badgers named a USCHO.com and the Badgers are cur- All-Big Ten player. The Yorkton, WCHA All-Star, competing against the rently rated sixth. The rankings mimic Saskatchewan native led the Badgers in U.S. National Team in 2001. the formula used by the NCAA Selection scoring the inaugural season and has Michelle Sikich served as team co- Committee when choosing the field for ranked second the past two years. She captain for the 2000-01 season after join- the 2003 NCAA Frozen Four in Duluth, was one of four Badgers chosen to the ing Wisconsin as a transfer the year Minn., March 21 and 23. WCHA All-Star team that played the before. The program's all-time sixth- Harvard leads the rankings, followed 2001-02 U.S. National Team. leading scorer, this Apple Valley, Minn., by Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota and Kathy Devereaux, one of the team's native has been WCHA All-Academic Dartmouth. New Hampshire and assistant captains, was a WCHA Rookie and Academic All-Big Ten. A WCHA Wisconsin round out the top six. of the Week last year after joining Player of the Week in 1999, she holds the The latest rankings are available at Wisconsin for her junior season. One of school record for short-handed goals in a USCHO.COM. the Badgers top-two centers, she is the game with two. Michelle also scored the team's nominee for WCHA Student- game-tying goal in 1999 against No. 10 ALL-AMERICANS Athlete of the Year. A Seaforth, Ontario Princeton giving the Badgers their first- Wisconsin returns two All-Americans for native, she has played for Canada's ever point against a nationally ranked the second-consecutive season. Senior Under-22 National Team. She also won opponent. Additionally, Michelle was the defender Kerry Weiland returns as the the team's Badger Award, given to the first women's hockey UW athletic board UW’s first first-team All-American. She team's most inspirational player. scholar. is joined by junior forward Meghan Kelly Kegley shared the team lead in Kerry Weiland, the program's first- Hunter, a second-team All-American. scoring her rookie season despite miss- ever First-Team All-American, led the Both are two-time selections. ing the start of the season with an injury. nation's defenders with 49 points during The leading scorer among all league her sophomore season. Wisconsin's only NEW LOCKER ROOM COMPLETE players at the 2000 WCHA Women's three-time All-WCHA skater, the Palmer, The women’s hockey team has a new Championship, the Inver Grove Heights, Alaska native is also the school's first area to call its own as the 2002–03 sea- Minn., native holds the UW record for Academic All-District women's hockey son begins. A new locker facility was fastest goals with two in 10 seconds. She player. The two-year assistant captain has added to the team’s practice facility, The had a team-best four hat tricks, including been an Academic All-WCHA and All- Shell, that includes a skate-sharpening three in seven games during the first Big Ten selection, a UW Athletic Board room, equipment room, coaches room, season and ranked fourth in the league Scholar, a WCHA All-Star, WCHA All- classroom complete with practice goal in goal scoring. She has since become a Tournament and is a member of the 2003 and boards, as well as dress down and WCHA and Big Ten All-Academic skater. U.S. National Team. She is also one of locker rooms for the athletes. The addi- Jackie MacMillan is the original four Badgers to have scored at least 100 tion coincided with the expansion of the women's hockey Badger, practicing with career points. Wisconsin Wall of Fame. the men a year before the first women's hockey game. Since then, she has WCHA ALL-TIME LEADERS become the WCHA's all-time leader in Two Badgers rank first on the career wins, shutouts, games and minutes WCHA charts heading into the weekend. played. A first and second-team All- Senior goaltender Jackie MacMillan WCHA player, she leads the Badgers leads all-time league goaltenders in all with seven WCHA Player of the Week games with 119 games played, 6881:20 awards. The Buffalo, Minn., native led the minutes played, 74 wins and 15 shutouts. country with a 1.30 goals-against average Senior defender Sis Paulsen is the last season and ranks among the nation's WCHA all-time leading defense scorer, top-10 goaltenders again this season. both overall and in league games, with Julia Ortenzio is one of two Badgers 128 points and 92 points, respectively. that played in every game the first two years of the program. Julia, a walk-on, remains as the only inaugural-season