Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson
For the sixth time in program history, the Wisconsin women’s hockey team will begin a season ranked No. 1 in the country as the Badgers earned top billing in the preseason USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Women’s Poll.
UW earned nine of the 19 first-place votes and 178 total points, while Cornell checked in at number-2 with 153 points and seven first-place votes.
The Badgers were one of four teams from the WCHA ranked in the preseason poll, joined by Minnesota at number-4, Ohio State at number-5 and Minnesota-Duluth at number-8.
Wisconsin won its eighth WCHA regular-season title and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the 14th time in program history before the 2019-20 season was called off due to COVID-19.