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Historic Wisconsin women's hockey rookie wins preseason honor

Adéla Šapovalivová, the first European-born Wisconsin Badger in program history, is expected to make an immediate impact in Madison
Kedrick Stumbris|
Czechia's Adela Sapovalivova stays focused at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, NY on Friday, April 5, 2024.
Czechia's Adela Sapovalivova stays focused at the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, NY on Friday, April 5, 2024. | Daniel DeLoach/Utica Observer-Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

With a plethora of returning stars, one might think it easy to overlook the newcomers to the Wisconsin women's hockey team. After all, three Badgers who earned first-team All-American honors last season return to Madison again this fall.

Despite all the returning superstars, head coach Mark Johnson's rookie recruiting class is hard to ignore. Johnson brought six new faces into his program. With UW's All-Americans slated to miss time during the season to take part in the 2026 Olympic Games, Johnson's younger players will get more opportunities.

One of his rookies, however, will be busy with Olympic ambitions of her own.

Adéla Šapovalivová named WCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year

The first European-born player in Badgers women's hockey history has arrived in Wisconsin with some fanfare. Adéla Šapovalivová was named the WCHA Preseason Rookie of the Year. She is the first Badger to earn the honor since defender Caroline Harvey in 2022. Harvey went on to win the trophy at the season's conclusion.

Šapovalivová's path to the award might be complicated by her participation in the upcoming Olympic Games. She has skated for the Czech senior national team in every world championship since 2022. and should be a shoe-in for the 2026 Olympic roster. Former Badgers defender and current PWHL Ottawa Charge head coach Carla MacLeod is the current head coach of the Czech national team.

The 5-foot-4 forward has spent the past two seasons playing for MoDo Hockey in the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL). No stranger to rookie of the year awards, Šapovalivová earned that honor at the conclusion of her first year in the SDHL.

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Kedrick Stumbris
KEDRICK STUMBRIS

Kedrick Stumbris has covered the Wisconsin Badgers since 2022 with a focus on the Badgers football, men's basketball, and women's hockey programs. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science.

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