UW women's hockey works to build a dynasty

MADISON, Wis. Brianna Decker recognizes that there is only so much attention to go around, and on the totem pole of importance in a sports-crazed society, women's college hockey does not rank near the top in the public consciousness. When people do think of women's college sports, Decker said, they might identify with Connecticut's basketball team, which has won seven national championships in the last 17 seasons and recently amassed a record 90-game winning streak. They might also conjure up images of North Carolina's soccer program, even if the record-breaking numbers aren't readily accessible to the brain. The Tar Heels have won 20 of 30 NCAA titles and once had a streak of nine straight championships. What most people probably aren't aware of is that the next great dynasty in women's college sports is developing on the ice in Madison, Wis. That is where Decker, a University of Wisconsin hockey forward, believes the Badgers are slowly wedging their way into the conversation as a program in women's athletics that signifies consistent excellence. "Women's hockey itself is kind of just growing in general," Decker said. "I think that hopefully we can become a program such as UNC for soccer. We'll just keep building and recruiting. I think we'll have no problem doing that." In the past six years, Wisconsin has won four national titles and finished runner-up once. The Badgers are the defending national champion and are currently ranked No. 1 in the country with a 26-2-2 record, just two weeks away from the first round of the conference tournament. While that success hasn't necessarily translated into national attention, folks around town have begun to take notice. On Jan. 28, Wisconsin set a new single-game NCAA women's hockey attendance record, when 12,402 fans showed up at the Kohl Center to support their Badgers. Wisconsin obliged by knocking off Bemidji State 1-0. "Over the last four years, my four years being here, we've grown into a program people pay attention to and people on campus know what we're all about," said Brooke Ammerman, a senior forward for the Badgers. "I think that's awesome. I think it's great for women's sports. Our idols are like the UNC women's soccer team. If we can continue to bring in good players and continue to win, maybe we can create that for ourselves." Unlike the situation in basketball or soccer, most players on Wisconsin's roster don't have an opportunity to showcase their skills on high school teams in their hometown. Decker and Ammerman, for example, drew the attention of the Badgers' coaching staff while playing on prep school teams. Decker, from Dousman, Wis., played at a prep school in Minnesota during high school. Ammerman, from River Vale, N.J., played at the North American Hockey Academy in Stowe, Vt., beginning when she was 16. "It's something that after you're done playing boys hockey and you want to keep playing, you have to go somewhere else," Ammerman said. Part of Wisconsin's success comes in its ability to recruit players from across North America because ninth-year Badgers coach Mark Johnson has an eye for talent. This year's roster includes players from New Jersey, Alaska, Idaho and seven from Canada. "Obviously with the success we've had the last six years," Ammerman said, "it's definitely a place a lot of girls want to come to." Johnson played with five different NHL teams from 1980-90 before beginning his coaching career. He took a one-year leave from Wisconsin in 2010 to coach the U.S. Olympic women's hockey team, which earned a silver medal in Vancouver, Canada. In his career at Wisconsin, Johnson is 273-43-26. "He's an unbelievable coach," Decker said. "He more or less teaches on the ice out at practice. He's one of the smartest coaches I've ever had. At times I honestly think he out-coaches our opponents. He reads the talent that he has in front of him really well. I think that's how we're so successful every game." This season, Wisconsin has been dominant on the ice, except for two one-goal losses against second-ranked Minnesota. The Badgers are outscoring opponents by 3.2 goals per game led by Decker and Ammerman. Decker has 64 total points, scoring 29 goals with 35 assists. Ammerman is second with 58 points (23 goals and 35 assists). In total, seven different players have scored at least five goals. If there is one major difference between the level of competition in women's basketball and soccer compared to hockey, it comes in the number of teams participating in each sport. There are 336 Division I women's basketball teams and 316 soccer teams. Conversely, women's hockey has just 34 programs split into four conferences: Hockey East, College Hockey America, Eastern College Athletic Conference and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. The hockey programs are primarily located either on the East Coast or in the Upper Midwest, while other sports have teams spread across the country. Another difference is the relative newness of the sport on an NCAA level. The first NCAA women's hockey championship didn't take place until the 2000-01 season. The first women's basketball and soccer championships occurred in 1981-82. Despite the differences, Wisconsin players say the sport of women's hockey is beginning to earn more respect. It just might take more time for folks on a national level to recognize the special program the Badgers are building. "It's pretty remarkable," Ammerman said. "What makes us so good is that we focus each weekend on our opponents because you never know what can happen. We always get everybody's best game. Luckily, we always have to play at a high level and that keeps us at a high level throughout the year." Follow Jesse Temple on Twitter.