An upset loss at the hands of North Dakota wasn't the worst part of the season-opening weekend for the UW women's hockey team.

That came when freshman winger Brianna Decker -- the preseason choice of WCHA coaches as rookie of the year -- suffered a broken arm that's expected to sideline her until December.

Decker accounted for five goals in a preseason intrasquad game, then joined with sophomore center Brooke Ammerman to create a ton of scoring chances during a 2-0 loss to North Dakota at the Kohl Center Oct. 2.

The decision was the first-ever for the Fighting Sioux over UW in women's hockey, ending a 20-game losing streak. It came on the same night the Badgers raised a banner commemorating their third NCAA title.

Decker, from Dousman, came back the next night to score two goals during a 3-0 victory. She was injured in the process of scoring the second, a sequence in which Decker seemingly eluded every North Dakota defender, then crashed into the net midway through the second period.

Login to post your comment. If you don't have an account, you may register for one.