BY AJ HARRISON
UW Athletic Communications

MADISON, Wis. — It's been almost a month since the No. 1 Wisconsin women's hockey team has played a game and the Badgers are ready to ring in the new year with a non-conference series at Lindenwood.

The Badgers have a lot of be excited about. Wisconsin ended 2016 with a 7-0 win at Ohio State on Dec. 11 before blanking OSU 5-0 on Dec. 12. In addition to being ranked No. 1 in the country, the Badgers also have the nation's top offense (3.89 goals per game) and the country's best defense (1.00 goals against per game).

"I think coming off of the holidays everyone is excited to be back at the rink," senior captain Sydney McKibbon said. "We all had a nice break at home with our friends and family, but we're excited to start playing games again."

Following a holiday break, the Badgers reconvened on Dec. 29 for a week of practices, without classes, before making their way to Wentzville, Missouri on Thursday.

"It's really nice having practices without having to worry about school work," freshman Mekenzie Steffen said. "We have spent a lot of time together in the locker room just hanging out, watching world juniors, the Cotton Bowl and The Bachelor. We're just able to relax with one another and it's been a very fun week."
 
UW now meets a surging Lindenwood team that just knocked off No. 10 North Dakota 4-1 in its last game Dec. 20.

"They are a very tough team that loves to battle," McKibbon said. "They just beat North Dakota, so we're expecting them to come out flying against us. We are going to play a full 60-minute game and play hard every shift."

"They are a hard-working team," Steffen said. "They're obviously going to give us their best game, so we have to come out fast right from the get-go."

UW will be slightly shorthanded this weekend, as junior Emily Clark, the WCHA Offensive Player of the Month for December, and senior Sarah Nurse are currently with the Canadian National Women's Development Team at the Nations Cup in Germany.

"Anytime you get to play for Team Canada you want to showcase your skills and help your team win a championship," Nurse said. "I'm expecting some very good competition as the teams we will face in Europe have been improving every year and are tough to beat."

The Nations Cup started on Wednesday as Canada defeated the Czech Republic 6-2 in the opening game. The eight-team tournament wraps up on Saturday with the medal round.