Women’s Division I College Hockey: The PodKaz Offseason interview – A visit with 2-time defending NCAA championship coach Joe Cranston of UW-River Falls

The offseason series of PodKaz interview episodes begins with a discussion with Wisconsin-River Falls coach Joe Cranston. It took Cranston 25 seasons to win a Division III NCAA championship with the Falcons, but his team did it in style in 2023-24 with a 31-0 record. They went back to back in 2025, with both championship … Read more

Wisconsin’s Simms, McNaughton, Minnesota’s Primerano take home final women’s hockey HCA monthly honors for ’24-25 season

The Hockey Commissioners Association has announced the final women’s hockey monthly honors for the 2024-25 season. Wisconsin’s Kirsten Simms is player of the month, while Minnesota’s Chloe Primerano is rookie of the month and Wisconsin’s Ava McNaughton is goaltender of the month. Simms’ line of 6-6-12 in six games is reason enough to be this … Read more

Women’s Division I College Hockey: Wisconsin’s Mark Johnson named 2025 USCHO Coach of the Year

Sometimes the choice for these awards comes from detailed and nuanced viewing of the season as a whole and we pick a coach whose team made massive strides. Boston University’s Tara Watchorn and Cornell’s Doug Derraugh both would have been worthy choices this season. They certainly deserve and receive an honorable mention here. But sometimes … Read more

Women’s Division I College Hockey: The PodKaz Episode 45 – Wrapping up the 2024-25 season with USCHO’s awards and storylines we’ll remember

Nicole Haase and Todd Milewski from USCHO.com wrap up the 2024-25 NCAA women’s hockey season on this episode of the PodKaz. The All-USCHO teams and individual awards are out, and Nicole explains the process and how this year’s winners were chosen. Then we take a look back at some big storylines from the season, including … Read more

Women’s Division I College Hockey: 2024-25 All-USCHO Teams

Twelve different programs are represented on the All-USCHO Women’s Division I teams this year. Congratulations to all the players on their spectacular season First Team F: Casey O’Brien – Wisconsin F: Kirsten Simms – Wisconsin F: Laila Edwards – Wisconsin D: Caroline Harvey – Wisconsin D: Haley Winn – Clarkson G: Ève Gascon – Minnesota … Read more

Hockey Humanitarian Award Finalist Feature: By spearheading organ donor awareness events, Fortin’s ‘desire to make an impact to help others is a really great legacy that she leaves here at Bemidji State’

Like innumerable kids, Kendra Fortin grew up with a list of ideas as to what she may want to do for a profession once she was out of school. What separates the Bemidji State senior defenseman in that regard is how her ultimately chosen career route tied into something that happened to her family when … Read more

Women’s Division I College Hockey: Wisconsin’s Casey O’Brien named USCHO Player of the Year for second straight season

We’re not sure what more we can say about Wisconsin fifth-year forward and co-captain Casey O’Brien. We thought she was the best player in the country last season and then she came back and had a historic, record-breaking season, won the Patty Kazmaier Award and led her team to its third national championship during her … Read more

Women’s Division I College Hockey: Minnesota Duluth’s Caitlin Kraemer is USCHO’s 2025 Rookie of the Year

One of the most prolific players internationally at the U18 level, Minnesota Duluth freshman Caitlin Kraemer entered the NCAA having set high standards for herself. She had a tournament-high ten goals in back-to-back U18 World Champinships and owns the all-time scoring record for Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 Team with 37 goals and 53 points in … Read more

Hockey Humanitarian Award Finalist Feature: Volunteering her service to special education individuals means Boston College’s Clougherty ‘doing it for others and for the smiles on those people’s faces’

The thread through nearly everything Boston College senior Keri Clougherty does is relationships. The youngest of three and an incredibly outgoing, generous and gregarious person, Clougherty always seems to be in the center of a group of people. She draws them in with her warmth and ability to meet everyone she meets where they are. … Read more

Hockey Humanitarian Award Finalist Feature: With Sticks Together non-profit, St. Lawrence’s Thompson introducing game of hockey to all parts of the globe

After committing to Syracuse early in her high school career, Sarah Thompson thought she’d close out her hockey career with the Orange. But she has always been adaptable and when the opportunity came to use her last year of eligibility playing at St. Lawrence, Thompson couldn’t pass it up. After graduating from Syracuse with a … Read more

Hockey Humanitarian Award Finalist Feature: A star on the ice at Merrimack, Szott, ‘she’s the type of person you hope to have in your life,’ finding greater calling with off-ice initiatives

As Merrimack defenseman and captain Raice Szott’s collegiate career draws to a close, it’s becoming clearer all the time that her legacy at the North Andover, Mass., college will last far beyond her playing days there. A native of Daysland, Alta., Szott is a finalist for the Hockey Humanitarian Award for the second year running. … Read more

Women’s Division I College Hockey: The PodKaz Episode 44 – Looking back on an incredible Frozen Four and Wisconsin’s late rally for its 8th NCAA title

Nicole Haase and Todd Milewski from USCHO.com are back from the Frozen Four in Minneapolis, where Wisconsin won its eighth NCAA championship with a last-minute rally to force overtime and a 4-3 win over Ohio State. The show looks back at Friday’s semifinal games, where Ohio State defeated Cornell and Wisconsin ousted host Minnesota. Then … Read more

Women’s Division I College Hockey: The Wisconsin Badgers are 2025 National Champions!

MINNEAPOLIS — The Wisconsin Badgers earned their eighth title on Sunday, coming from behind to defeat Ohio State 4-3 in overtime at Ridder Arena on the campus of the University of Minnesota. The Badgers tied the game on a penalty shot with just 18.9 seconds left on the clock after Mark Johnson’s coaches challenge revealed … Read more

Wisconsin women’s hockey team leads the way with quartet of players named first team All-American for 2024-25 season

Wisconsin dominates the 2025 AHCA/CCM All-American teams announced Saturday by the American Hockey Coaches Association and chosen by the nation’s Division I head coaches. First Team Ève Gascon, SO, Minnesota Duluth (Mascouche, PQ) Goalie Caroline Harvey, JR, Wisconsin@* (Salem, NH) Defense Haley Winn, SR, Clarkson+ (Rochester, NY) Defense Laila Edwards, JR, Wisconsin (Cleveland Heights, OH) … Read more

Women’s Division I College Hockey: The PodKaz Bonus interview with 2025 Patty Kaz winner Casey O’Brien

On a bonus episode of the PodKaz from the Frozen Four in Minneapolis, Nicole Haase and Todd Milewski from USCHO.com chat with 2025 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner, Wisconsin forward Casey O’Brien. The PodKaz is a production of USCHO.com. Have a question for our mailbag? Reach out to Nicole (@NicoleHaase) or Todd (@ToddMilewski) on social … Read more

Wisconsin’s Casey O’Brien named winner of 2025 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as top player in NCAA Division I women’s hockey

MINNEAPOLIS — Wisconsin fifth-year forward Casey O’Brien was announced as the 2025 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner on Saturday, March 22.  “It’s a surreal feeling. It’s one of those things that you dream of as a little kid, but you’re not sure it’s ever going to quite happen. This year, with the amazing team that … Read more

Women’s Division I College Hockey: Wisconsin takes down Minnesota 4-2 to set up a national championship rematch with Ohio State

MINNEAPOLIS — It will be a rematch of the last three national championship games at No. 1 Wisconsin takes on No. 2 Ohio State Sunday at Ridder Arena on the University of Minnesota campus as the top-ranked Badgers defeated home team Minnesota 5-2 Friday evening to advance to their third-straight title game. An early hit … Read more