Wisconsin’s senior goaltender Ava McNaughton left the Badgers’ season opener against St. Lawrence with an apparent left leg injury in the second period. The defending national champions were up 3-2 when McNaughton exited at 13:21 after attempting a save. No update on her condition has been provided by the University of Wisconsin.
McNaughton, a 2026 Olympian, was replaced by sophomore Rhyah Stewart, who made 11 saves and kept a clean sheet for the remainder of the game. The Badgers rallied from a 2-0 deficit to secure a 6-2 victory over St. Lawrence at Appleton Arena in Canton, New York, marking their fourth straight season-opening win.
The match began with St. Lawrence scoring twice within 90 seconds after the first 13 minutes. Wisconsin responded before the period ended with Finley McCarthy’s goal off a pass from freshman Rosalie Tremblay. In the second period, senior Kelly Gorbatenko scored twice, including the tying goal in the fifth minute and the go-ahead goal at 8:00, assisted by sophomore Charlotte Pieckenhagen and junior Emma Venusio.
Piekenhagen had a career-high four points with one goal and three assists, while McCarthy, Cassie Hall, and Tremblay each recorded a goal and an assist. The Badgers finished the game with a comfortable lead despite the early deficit and McNaughton’s injury.
St. Lawrence, now 0-2 after the loss, had more recent game experience, having played an exhibition and a regular-season game the previous week. Wisconsin, ranked No. 1, showed resilience in overturning their slow start.
The teams are set to complete their home-and-home series with a rematch scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Badgers await further news on McNaughton’s injury as they prepare for their next challenge.
According to Yahoo Sports.
