The University of Wisconsin women’s hockey program has a new all-time leading scorer. That moniker now belongs to forward Casey O’Brien. O’Brien broke the record with a six point night in the opening round of the WCHA playoffs.
O’Brien passed the previous mark, held by American hockey legend Hilary Knight. Knight recorded 262 points in 161 games as a member of the Badgers. She now sits at 265 points in 177 NCAA games. O’Brien also surpassed her own school record for assists in a season. She set the previous mark of 50 last year, but now has 55 assists this season.
“Honestly, it’s still hard to fully comprehend, but I think it’s just a reflection of the teams that I’ve been on and how good they’ve been, how good my teammates have been and just the contributions that I was able to make, I’m honored,” said O’Brien. “I think it’s more than just an individual award and it should be celebrated for the whole team and each team that I’ve been on.”
When she passed the mark, Wisconsin’s fans celebrated the moment with enthusiasm alongside O’Brien and her teammates.
“It made me super emotional, honestly,” O’Brien said. “Wisconsin women’s hockey has the best fans in the country. I don’t think you can question that in women’s hockey. Going up after every game at home, even on the road just to see a ton of them there, we get to know them, and they mean so much to us. To feel that in that moment was just so cool, how much they care about us, how much they support us and I don’t think any team gets that kind of support. It’s really something that makes Wisconsin special, it’s the fans.”
O’Brien is in her final season of NCAA hockey. She was an NCAA First Team All-American last season. O’Brien will be a high draft pick in the 2025 PWHL Draft projected to go in the first round.
