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Wisconsin women's hockey earns double hat trick senior day win

The Wisconsin women's hockey graduating class etched its name in the program record books yet again
Kedrick Stumbris|
Wisconsin Badgers defender Caroline Harvey (4) makes a pass to set up a goal by Casey O'Brien (not seen) against the Bemidji State Beavers in the first period of a WCHA first-round game Saturday, March 1, 2025, at LaBahn Arena in Madison, Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Badgers defender Caroline Harvey (4) makes a pass to set up a goal by Casey O'Brien (not seen) against the Bemidji State Beavers in the first period of a WCHA first-round game Saturday, March 1, 2025, at LaBahn Arena in Madison, Wisconsin. | Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Madison, WI — Despite twice falling behind in the first period, Wisconsin women's hockey secured a dominating 10-3 win over the Bemidji State Beavers (5-17-3, 2-16-1 WCHA) to open the two-game series inside LaBahn Arena. It was a special Saturday in Madison as the Badgers gave an early senior day send off to its graduating class before five UW standouts depart for Italy to compete in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

Six UW seniors scored goals and reserve netminder Chloe Baker added two saves to help the top-ranked Wisconsin Badgers (22-1-2, 16-1-2 WCHA) hold onto their lead atop the WCHA conference standings.

Although Wisconsin trailed twice in the first period, the Badgers managed to enter the first intermission with the game tied at three goals apiece. With 12 seconds remaining in the first period, Bemidji defender Lola Macuiba went to the penalty box for interference after bringing Wisconsin forward Hannah Halverson down to the ice. Laila Edwards scored a power play goal with less than two seconds remaining in the opening frame, which UW head coach Mark Johnson called "key" to getting his team back on track.

"I called it a restart when they went in the locker room," Johnson said in a post-game interview. "So we can restart the game, the only difference is it's a two period game now, it's not a three period game."

Wisconsin outscored Bemidji 7-0 the rest of the way.

First Star: Caroline Harvey

Caroline Harvey picked quite the occasion to log her first career hat trick. The senior captain brought her season total in goals up to 16, just two shy of her career-high, and added three assists for a single-game career-high six points.

Currently second in the nation in scoring with 52 points, the Badgers' all-time leader in points scored by a defender made a memorable day for herself, logging primary assists on goals by fellow seniors Kirsten Simms, Laila Edwards, and McKayla Zilisch.

Perhaps Harvey's most impressive feat on the day, however, was a shorthanded 5-on-3 rush where the New Hampshire native, whose parents drove 17 hours to attend the senior day festivities after their flights were canceled due to weather conditions, did not score.

"We were all on the bench, we were like, 'No chance! There's no way KK [Harvey]'s about to do this,'" Simms said of the effort. "But there is a way, I mean, she almost put it in. You can say the girl had six points, but that doesn't shock me anymore because it's KK. I mean, she's unbelievable."

Second Star: Kirsten Simms

Simms and Harvey each contributed three goals and three assists becoming just the eighth and ninth players in program history to log six points in a single contest.

"I think it's just a testament too to the group and our team," the Michigan native said of the six-point feat. "I mean our team's so talented that if I'm getting a puck from one of the girls in a good spot, more likely it's easier for me to score. If I hand the puck off to Laila, KK, Lacey [Eden], I mean, they're probably going to put the puck in the net so it's pretty easy to get assists in that way as well because you're giving the puck off to such talented players."

Johnson shared his praise for those players around Simms, pointing specifically to her line, Wisconsin's top trio of forwards, for a consistent performance throughout the night.

"I thought Adéla [Šapovalivová]'s line, they were good the whole night," said Johnson. "Then you throw KK and Viv [Jungels] out with those three, you know, each time they were on the ice they scored or created something that could have scored. They gave us a lot of positive things."

Third Star: Lacey Eden

Despite finding herself on the outside looking in on the Olympic roster for Team USA, the third member of the Simms-Šapovalivová-Eden line has not spent any time dwelling on what could have been. The Maryland native has spent the most of her time in Madison since returning for the spring semester. In UW's five games since the beginning of 2026, Eden has scored five goals and contributed seven assists.

One of those goals and three of those assists came Saturday against the Beavers. Eden was rewarded with a goal in the final minutes of the third period after giving another excellent effort on both ends of the ice. The ninth player to ever record 200 career assists for the Badgers is in the midst of an 11-game scoring streak.

"There aren't many games where she hasn't been good," Johnson said of the alternate captain. "Whether it's been killing penalties, with blocking a shot, doing something in our defensive zone and make a play, and then offensively."

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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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