Badgers Women's Hockey Holds Steady in USHCO Rankings

The Wisconsin Badgers remain in their spot in the first USHCO poll since the team returned to action in 2024.

The Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team held steady in this week’s USHCO Division I women’s poll, released on Monday.

The Badgers (16-4-0) remained at No. 3 after a weekend blowout of Merrimack.

The Badgers did not receive any first-place votes. The only team in the poll to receive first-place votes was Ohio State, as the Buckeyes received all 20 cast in the poll.

The Badgers beat up Merrimack at home winning both games by a score of 6-1. The two-game series was a break from WHCA action and their program’s first games since December.

The Badgers started the season 12-0 before they ran into Ohio State in Columbus on Nov. 17 and 18 and lost both games, 3-0 and 1-2. That started the one rough stretch of the season so far, as Wisconsin lost four of six games, all in WHCA action.

As a result, Wisconsin is looking up at both the Buckeyes and the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the WHCA standings. The Buckeyes have 37 points and the Golden Gophers have 33 points. The Badgers are in third with 31 points.

The Badgers finish their regular season with two games against Minnesota on Feb. 16-17 and two games against Ohio State on Feb. 23-24. All four games are in Madison.

The Badgers return to WHCA action this weekend when they host St. Thomas at La Bahn Arena. Saturday’s game is set for 3 p.m. while Sunday’s is set for 2 p.m.

USCHO Division I Women’s Poll - January 8, 2024

(first-place votes in parenthesis)

1. Ohio State (20)

2. Minnesota

3. Wisconsin

4. Clarkson

5. Colgate

6. Quinnipiac

7. Minnesota Duluth

8. Cornell

8. St. Cloud State

10. St. Lawrence

11. Princeton

12. Connecticut

13. Boston College

14. Northeastern

14. Yale