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Wisconsin women's hockey clinging to No. 1 ranking, top-seed

Just days before the NCAA Tournament, Wisconsin women's hockey could slip out of the No. 1 overall seed
Kedrick Stumbris|
Wisconsin defender Emma Venusio (21) plucks a puck out of the air in a game against Ohio State on Sunday, February 8, 2026, at LaBahn Arena in Madison, Wisconsin.
Wisconsin defender Emma Venusio (21) plucks a puck out of the air in a game against Ohio State on Sunday, February 8, 2026, at LaBahn Arena in Madison, Wisconsin. | Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Madison, WI — In the opening round of the WCHA conference tournament, the regular-season champion Wisconsin Badgers women's hockey team was pushed to the brink by the last place team in the conference. UW surrendered a game-tying goal in the final minute of regulation to the Bemidji State Beavers on Saturday, and voters took notice.

Ultimately, the Badgers (31-3-2, 23-3-2 WCHA) prevailed thanks to Laila Edwards' game-winning goal in overtime, sending Wisconsin to the WCHA Final Faceoff. There, at the University of St. Thomas' Lee & Penny Anderson Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota, UW is seeking to win its third-straight conference tournament title.

If the Badgers leave Minnesota with a trophy, they will also do so with the top-seed in the NCAA Tournament secured. A loss in the final or championship game, would confirm some voters' doubts about Wisconsin.

Wisconsin women's hockey loses No. 1 votes after miscues vs. Bemidji

Although UW remains the No. 1 overall team in the country for now, it lost a vote for the top spot in both the USCHO and USA Hockey polls. In each case, a voter swapped Wisconsin with the Ohio State Buckeyes in the top spot.

The Badgers and Buckeyes have met in each of the past three national championship games. They appear to be on a similar collision course after spending nearly the entire season in the top two spots of the polls. UW owns a 3-1 record over OSU this season. Wisconsin swept Ohio State in Columbus, but the two college hockey powerhouses split a pair of games in Madison.

At the WCHA Final Faceoff this weekend, Wisconsin and Ohio State will both get one more shot to secure the top-seed in the NCAA Tournament before Selection Sunday. UW opens play in Thursday's semifinals against the No. 13 Minnesota State Mavericks, who advanced after upsetting the No. 10 Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs in the opening round. If the Badgers win on Thursday, they will face either No. 2 Ohio State or the No. 4 Minnesota Golden Gophers in the tournament final.

To clinch the first-place finish in the NCAA Percentage Index (NPI), and in turn the top seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Badgers must win the WCHA Tournament. If Wisconsin were to lose in the semifinal or fall to either Ohio State or Minnesota in the championship game, the Buckeyes will finish first in the NPI and receive the number-one overall seed in the NCAA Tournament when the bracket is revealed on Sunday.

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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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