WCHA Monthly Recap: January 2026

It was a busy January in the WCHA with great performances, awesome locations for games, a hilarious mishap, and heartwarming nominations. Plus, a look at some of the current WCHA players who will represent their countries at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Let's jump in!

Featured Game: No. 3 Minnesota defeats No. 1 Wisconsin ... again.

We begin with Minnesota handing Wisconsin a rare loss. The Badgers returned to play after 34 days off thanks to the holiday break. They were playing perfectly fine hockey this month — well, except for the 1-1 tie against Minnesota Duluth on Jan. 9 that resulted in the Bulldogs taking the extra point in a shootout. It seemed that would be just one flaw in Wisconsin's month of play ... then Minnesota arrived for another edition of the Border Battle.

The Gophers had already defeated this same Badgers team earlier in the season and then did so again behind a 3-2 overtime win on Jan. 30.

The defense did it all for Minnesota. Molly Jordan recorded four blocked shots along with Chloe Primerano. Sydney Morrow recorded a team-leading six blocks herself. The Gophers' 19 blocks kept the Badgers from being able to capitalize on any chances, especially throughout the third period.

This game was a matchup between two teams missing some of their best players due to the Olympics, but that just meant more opportunities for players to step in and step up. Freshman forward Avery Hovland did so by recording one of those 19 blocks and then tying the game with this beauty of a play all by herself.

Besides the defense putting their bodies on the line, Morrow netted the first goal of the game to give Minnesota an early 1-0 lead. But it was Jordan who stole the show by scoring the overtime game winner a little over a minute into OT. It was Jordan's first game-winner of the season.

Goaltender Hannah Clark took advantage of the great defense in front of her and continued her great season, recording 25 saves in the game for her sixteenth win of the season. Clark was also named a nominee for the Hockey Commissioners Association's 2026 National Women’s Goalie of the Year award.

The HCA National Women’s Goalie of the Year Award Watch List is Out. Here’s Who to Keep an Eye On.

Giselle went through the list of 31 goalies chosen by the HCA and picked out some of the best.

The Ice GardenGiselle Velazquez

The following day Wisconsin came back and beat Minnesota, but the Gophers remain the only team in the NCAA to defeat the Badgers twice this season.

Awards Season🏆

Best player: Abbey Murphy

Murphy is currently at the Olympics with Team USA, but before she left, she managed to put together an incredible month of hockey. In January alone, she recorded 27 points on 16 goals and 11 assists. She recorded at least two points in all but one game, where she only had one point, and had a seven point game and a six point game. Not only that, but she also had THREE hat tricks! Murphy didn’t play all of January — she missed the last two games of the month because of the Olympics — but it was enough for most points in all the NCAA in the month. Murphy moved into second all-time in Golden Gophers program history in points and is tied for first with 140 career goals as well. This performance also earned Murphy Hockey Commissioners Association Forward of the Month honors. 

Maybe she’ll continue this scoring prowess in Italy!

Best Team of January: St. Thomas

St. Thomas has been putting together another great season so far. They entered the USCHO rankings for the first time in program history earlier this season. Little by little they have been climbing the standings of the WCHA throughout the past few months. They've been swapping spots with Minnesota State here and there but currently they sit in fifth place with 22 conference points, a WCHA record of 7-15-0, and an overall record of 12-16-0. On Jan. 31 the Tommies recorded their first-ever sweep of St. Cloud, but also set a new record for wins in the Division I era for program. Last season in conference play, St. Thomas managed six wins and in overall play, they managed nine wins in total. Adding a sweep and important points to their record earned the Tommies best team of the month.

Best Goals of the Month

Murphy had a great January — that's been mentioned — but early in the month she also went viral for one incredibly cool goal scored against Minnesota State.

Yeah. That happened. And what's the best part of this, besides bringing so much attention to women's college hockey? Minnesota had Murphy sit down and walk fans through the play. What a great way to teach fans a little about what happens during games!

Another cool moment this month came courtesy of the Badgers.

This was such a nice sequence for the shorthanded goal from Wisconsin's Adéla Šapovalivová against UMD, but the celly was even better.

Šapovalivová also became the first Badger to make Czechia's Olympic team!

Best Locations for a Game

The University of Minnesota Duluth began the new year in Belfast, Northern Ireland for the Friendship Series. This tournament had four women's college hockey teams face off for the chance to win the Friendship Series title. It was a great opportunity to showcase women's college hockey abroad, and though UMD didn't fare well at the tourney, they were still able to represent the WCHA in a brand new place.

Bemidji State and Minnesota State also took part in a game at a cool location in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Women's Faceoff Classic for their weekend finale on Jan. 31. The teams played at Yanmar Arena in Grand Rapids and Bemidji State put on a show by upsetting 13th ranked Mankato with a 2-1 win. The best part of the game? Former Beaver and Maverick Claire Vekich took part in the ceremonial puck drop.

Here are some more nice photos from Yanmar!

The WCHA at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics

The Winter Olympics kicked off this week and the WCHA has 54 players across various countries taking part in the Olympics. There are also 13 staff members from across the conference that are coaching in the Games. While there are a lot of notable alumni, 20 current players are also taking part, too! Wisconsin’s Laila Edwards is in her first Games, along with other notable WCHA players on Team USA, including her teammates Caroline Harvey, Kirsten Simms, and Ava McNaughton. Minnesota’s Abby Murphy and Ohio State’s Joy Dunne will also represent the red, white, and blue. 

Fellow Buckeyes Jenna Raunio, Mira Jungåker, and Hilda Svensson will represent Sweden while Ida Karlsson and Thea Johansson will also be on Sweden’s team as the two Bulldogs make their Olympics debut.

I talked to both UMD players about their journey to the Olympics. You can learn about the call — which came at the worst time imaginable, but also changed their lives — and much more here.

UMD’s Ida Karlsson and Thea Johansson to Represent Sweden at the Winter Olympic Games

The UMD duo will be making their Olympic debuts for Sweden when the games begin on Feb. 5.

The Ice GardenGiselle Velazquez

Germany has only one current player from the WCHA on the roster. While the Germans return to the Olympics for the first time in over a decade, Svenja Voigt of St. Cloud State will be there with fellow former Husky and current Boston Fleet forward Laura Kluge. You can learn more about Voigt and her Olympics journey in the profile feature below!

2026 Olympics Profile: St. Cloud State and Germany National Team Forward Svenja Voigt

Get to know St. Cloud State and Germany forward Svenja Voigt before the start of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

The Ice GardenGiselle Velazquez

You can check out the full list of former and current players plus coaches and staff here.

Also, check out this cool story about all the college players at the Games from staff writer Eli Fastiff here!

College Hockey at the 2026 Olympics

A look at all 42 NCAA and U Sports athletes competing in women’s hockey at the Olympics.

The Ice GardenEli Fastiff

Stay tuned to The Ice Garden as the team recaps each day of hockey at the Olympics throughout the games here.

Interesting Story

Wisconsin’s Lacey Eden was surprisingly not named to Team USA’s roster for the Winter Olympics this year. Eden has been part of The Rivalry Series since the 2022-23 iteration. She even appeared in the last four Women’s World Championships too. So it was a little odd that she wasn’t part of the American team. Nevertheless, Eden is holding down the fort for the defending national champs and top nationally ranked Badgers. She recorded 19 points in the month of January alone, including two games with three points and one game with four. She’s recorded at least one point in every game in January, which is ridiculous to think about because there were eight games in that month — good for fifth in the NCAA. She also has a 14 game point streak dating back to the end of November.

And then she had her letter upgraded from an A to a C — as in Captain!

Congrats Lacey!

Notable Moments

• Morgan Smith of Bemidji State has recorded her second straight 20 point season becoming one of five Beavers to do so in program history.
• Minnesota's Jamie Nelson recorded 16 points in the month of January.
• Ohio State's Hailey MacLeod had a great January going 6-0.
• Bemidji State hosted their own Sophie's Squad game to end the month.

• The Beavers' Hailey Armstrong and Kate Johnson each played their 100th career games on Jan. 30.
• Ohio State's Joy Dunne set a new record for game-winning goals with 18 early in the month. Dunne also recorded four goals against Minnesota Duluth on Jan. 30. And also played defense for the Buckeyes too.
• Speaking of Duluth, Caitlin Kraemer is second in the nation in faceoff wins with 393.
• Adéla Šapovalivová set a new career high in assists in a game when she recorded four on Jan. 23.
• Minnesota State's Hailey Hansen recorded her sixth shutout of the season.

• Lacey Eden extended her point streak to 14 games in January.
• Caroline Harvey recorded her first career hat trick on Jan. 24 which was fittingly senior day. A great way to head into the Olympics for the captain. She also had six points in that game.
• Simms recorded her fourth career hat trick in that same game and also had six points.
• In that game Bemidji scored two goals against the Badgers for the first time since January of 2020.
• Sydney Morrow of Minnesota reached 100 career points on Jan. 23.
• St. Cloud State put together a nice series against UMD by winning in a shootout on Jan. 16 then winning 5-2 the following day. It was the first win for the Huskies over the Bulldogs since December of 2023 and the first road win since February of 2019.
• Abbey Murphy's 256 points so far place her second overall in points in program history, trailing only Hannah Brandt and her 286 points.
• Her teammate Ava Lindsay recorded her first career hat trick on Jan. 17.
• Ève Gascon is now tied for third all-time in career shutouts after recording her 17th against Minnesota State on Jan. 24. That was part of a weekend where Gascon recorded back-to-back shutouts.

Something You May Have Missed

In the Jan. 17 game between the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs and the St. Cloud State Huskies, forward/defender Marie Moran had a little problem during the early moments of the third period — the puck went missing in her equipment!

Moran laughed it off and the game continued with the Huskies tying the game in the third period. They won in a shootout, followed by a regulation win the following afternoon. Moran talked to The Ice Garden days later to tell us what happened in that moment and how big a weekend that was for St. Cloud in this mini Q&A.

THE ICE GARDEN: Take me through what happened in that moment and how the puck ended up in your equipment.

Marie Moran: It's actually really funny because I do not know how it ended up in my equipment because the girl, she was coming at me and I was like, "Okay, I have to pressure her. I have to make sure the puck stays in." Suddenly, my helmet came down. I actually bruised the bridge of my nose. My helmet came down so I couldn't see anything and then my contact flew out. If you look at the clip, I'm taking off my cage and my helmet because I lost my contact so I couldn't even see.

I'm here, all these people are laughing, the UMD bench is laughing at me. My teammates are in the back of my gear trying to find the puck. Then I hear … the ref go, "Well, it has to be in you." I took this as like, you think I have it. I don't have it. She says something to me, I look at her and I start shaking everything out because I'm like, I don't have it. Then I actually felt it when I was doing that weird, extra shake out that I felt it in my chest. It must have hit my helmet and gone down and sat in my chest protector.

TIG: I went back to watch what happened again and saw you take off your cage and touch your eye and I was like oh my gosh, was that a contact?

Moran: Yeah. This is not the first time my contact has come out this year, actually. I was playing defense against Minnesota and a girl hit my shoulder or something and one of my contacts flew out … and I had to run off the bench, run into the locker room, grab an extra contact because it was gone, put it in my eye, and get back into the game.

TIG: I want to know how a contact flies out after getting hit in the shoulder.

Moran: I don't really know. I don't remember because it was, I thought it was this year, but it was actually last year. I guess I'm on a yearly streak of one game each year, I'm gonna lose a contact.

TIG: You had two problems at once with the missing contact and puck.

Moran: Yeah, it was a lot. After I put my contact in, my contact wasn't fully in my eye because it was a little bit dry. So I couldn't see for about a minute. And I'm on the face off, I still can't see.

Of course, later in that game too, I take out the goalie. So everything was happening to me during that game.

TIG: Does that distract you? Does that take you out of the game? St. Cloud was still down 2-0 at this point of the game.

Moran: Honestly, I think that was the comedic break my team needed. I think that moment of laughter, overall, just lifted up the atmosphere.

TIG: St. Cloud comes back and you tie the game and win in a shootout then beat UMD the next afternoon. How big is a weekend like that for the team?

Moran: We haven't beat them before [that] weekend at their rink since 2015. So it's been 11 years. It's been truly a long time. We've had some ups and downs this season, and finally being able to break through definitely is a push in the right direction.

Thanks to Marie for agreeing to an interview, for this of all subjects!

Grace Sadura is a Hockey Humanitarian Award Nominee

Duluth's Grace Sadura was named a nominee for the 2026 Hockey Humanitarian Award. The award is given to college hockey's finest citizen: a student-athlete who makes significant contributions not only to his or her team but also to the community at large through leadership in volunteerism, according to the HHA.

She is UMD Athletics' DEI Co-President and helps with initiatives that promote engagement and inclusivity and lends a helping hand to the surrounding community including through clothing drives.

Sadura is also an alternate captain for the women's hockey team, the volunteer coordinator for the Bulldogs, and volunteers outside of school with 7 Stars Horse Ranch. It is a place that provides growth, healing, and community through hands-on ranch experience for veterans and first responders along with their families.

The finalists for the award will be announced in February and the winner will be announced on April 10.

Looking Ahead

A this weekend’s Wisconsin vs. Ohio State series, the top two nationally ranked teams will face off once again. These teams have faced off as the top two national teams 14 times prior to this weekend — and you can’t forget that these teams also played each other in last year’s national championship game! The biggest difference this time around is both teams are missing a good number of players due to the Olympics. It should still be a fun series between the teams given the talent on both squads runs deep. The last time these two teams played one another was four weeks ago before the holiday break. Wisconsin swept the weekend and held the Buckeyes to two goals all weekend. Game one of that series was close given it ended in a 2-1 final score, so I see that happening again this weekend. I think Wisconsin sweeps the weekend series again, but Ohio State manages to keep it close.

You can check out the full WCHA schedule here.