Wisconsin women's hockey surprisingly falls from unanimous No. 1

Despite remaining undefeated, the Wisconsin Badgers' streak as the undisputed top-ranked team in women's college hockey has ended

Wisconsin center Cassie Hall (11) celebrates her goal in the second period of a game Friday, October 3, 2025, at LaBahn Arena in Madison, Wisconsin. | Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The reigning national champion Wisconsin women's hockey team remains undefeated through four games. Head coach Mark Johnson's Wisconsin Badgers entered the season as the unanimously-voted number one team in the country in both the USCHO and USA Hockey polls. For the first time in nearly a year, however, there is a dissenting vote in the ranks.

October 15, 2024, was the last time a women's college hockey team other than Wisconsin claimed a No. 1 vote in either major poll. For 25 consecutive weeks of poll releases, the Badgers had been the undisputed top-ranked team in the country. In that time, UW set a program wins record, swept the WCHA conference regular season and tournament titles, and won an NCAA-best eighth national championship.

A 4-0-0 start to the 2025-26 season, including a season-opening sweep of WCHA conference foe Bemidji State, was apparently not enough for one voter to keep the Badgers in pole position.

Wisconsin women's hockey loses one ballot to Ohio State Buckeyes

Wisconsin goaltender Ava McNaughton and defender Emma Venusio and Ohio State left wing Joy Dunne (16) and defender MIra Jungaker battle in front of the Wisconsin net during the second period of the NCAA women's hockey Frozen Four chamionship game Sunday, March 23, 2025, at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota. | Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Wisconsin posted back-to-back 5-0 victories over the Maine Black Bears as it raised a national championship banner and sealed the deal with a standout recruit. The Ohio State Buckeyes, however, nabbed a pair of more impressive victories, sweeping the top-10 Colgate Raiders on the road in Hamilton, New York.

For Ohio State's efforts, it did not surpass Wisconsin in either poll, but it did earn one number-one vote in the USCHO rankings. The Badgers and Buckeyes have met in each of the past three national championship games. No team other than UW or OSU has been ranked at the top of either poll since February 14, 2023.

The Wisconsin Badgers look to capture wins in a top-five matchup this weekend when the No. 4/5 Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs visit Madison. Wisconsin and Duluth drop the puck for Game 1 on Saturday, October 11, at 11 a.m. Game 2 is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday, October 12.

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