The Wisconsin women’s hockey team has announced its leadership for the upcoming 2025-26 season as it seeks to defend its national title. The Badgers unveiled their captaincy team on Friday, revealing a mix of returning leaders and new faces just under two weeks before their season opener.
Leadership Team Features Experienced Players
Caroline Harvey steps into the captaincy role solo after co-captaining with Casey O’Brien last season. O’Brien, who was a key player in leading the team to a national championship, has exhausted her eligibility. Harvey, named the Preseason WCHA Player of the Year, will join an elite group of only five other players in Wisconsin’s history to serve as captain for multiple seasons.
During her tenure, Harvey has achieved significant milestones, including winning back-to-back WCHA Defender of the Year awards and being recognized as a first-team All-American twice. With 137 career points, she holds the record for the most points scored by a defender in the program’s history.
Joining Harvey in leadership roles are Laila Edwards and Lacey Eden, who return as alternate captains after earning All-WCHA honors in the previous season. Both players ranked in the top ten nationally for points per game during the 2024-25 season, further solidifying their value to the team.
Introducing New Alternate Captains
Wisconsin has also welcomed two new alternate captains: Kelly Gorbatenko and Marianne Picard. Picard, a fifth-year senior from Repentigny, Quebec, previously served as captain of her high school team at Stanstead College and marked her career-high with eight goals as a redshirt junior.
Gorbatenko, hailing from Barrington, Illinois, had a standout sophomore season, more than doubling her scoring from her freshman year. She will be joined by her two younger sisters, Rachel and Nicole, who are also entering the program this season, creating a unique family dynamic within the team.
The leadership team for the 2025-26 season includes a total of five captains, marking the largest group assembled by head coach Mark Johnson in four years. The previous season featured six captains, the largest in the past decade.
As the Badgers prepare for their season opener, the focus remains on their goal of winning back-to-back national titles, a feat that would further solidify their legacy in collegiate women’s hockey.
