O’Brien adds to her high-scoring game
Casey O’Brien began this hockey season with a new goal in mind.
“I wanted to be one of the best two-way centers in the WCHA,” said O’Brien, a Noble & Greenough School product currently playing for Wisconsin, the second-ranked women’s team in the country.
That quest, as most things O’Brien has done over her four years with the Badgers, is going quite well. The Milton native was named the WCHA’s Forward of the Week Monday after collecting 5 points in a weekend sweep of St. Thomas. Her performance Sunday particularly stood out, as she tallied two goals and two assists, including her 16th career game-winning goal, in a 5-1 win for Wisconsin (18-4).
Sure, scoring is nice, but O’Brien felt a need to explore a new part of her game: defense.
“As a center, a lot of people focus on goals, assists, and shots,” said O’Brien. “But as a senior this year and one of the older players on the team, I wanted to do what I can to help the team, and being a better defender is part of that. I want to be a good example for the younger players.”
Last year’s team leader in points with 48, she had to adjust her scoring expectations this year with her new focus. Defensive statistics might not be as glamorous, but her selfevaluation and feedback from her coaches shows that she is meeting her goals.
“Even if my goal production isn’t as high as past years, I am executing better in the D zone,” said O’Brien.
O’Brien might be a household name to the Wisconsin faithful, but in Massachusetts she has flown under the radar. After moving to Milton with her family in 2010, she played for multiple youth programs before enrolling at Nobles. In her freshman year, her 42 points led the team as the Bulldogs won the NEPSAC Division 1 championship.
“Coach [Tom] Resor is a legend,” said O’Brien of Nobles’s longtime head coach. “It was an honor to play for him.”
Soon after, O’Brien took her talents west, enrolling at powerhouse Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault, Minn. The adjustment came easily. She led the team in points her sophomore year with 80 (37 goals, 43 assists). For an encore, she scored 94 points (52 goals) during her junior year and was named USA Today’s High School Hockey Player of the Year.
She competed on two Women’s World U18 Championship teams during those years, and was one of the most coveted recruits in college hockey.
At Wisconsin, she has played 123 games and collected 147 points, including a 55point sophomore season (27 goals) that saw her named a top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award. She also has won two NCAA titles, including last year’s upset of 2022 champion Ohio State.
Be it last March’s national title game or any one of the regular-season games this year, O’Brien relishes the fan support that her team receives.
“If you come to one of our home games, one of the first things you’ll notice are the fans,” said O’Brien. “They pack the arena, and they travel as well. We see them when we greet our families after the game. The superfans care about us as people even more than they do as players.”
As has been the case for several years, those fans have a lot to cheer for as Wisconsin enters the last month of the regular season, currently sitting fifth in the pairwise rankings. O’Brien thinks the team has the depth and tenacity to keep its current five-game winning streak going and launch it well into the NCAA Tournament.
“We have that depth, and you’ve seen it in our last few games,” said O’Brien. “Next person up. That will be helpful in the playoffs.”
Semi sweet
Boston University junior goaltender Callie Shanahan missed the first half of the season with an injury suffered in the offseason. She returned last Friday as the team fell to UNH, 4-1.
But Tuesday evening, she made 27 saves in the Terriers’ Beanpot semifinal tie, including stopping all three Boston College players in a shootout to send BU to next week’s title game against Northeastern. BU coach Tara Watchorn was happy to see Shanahan experience such success.
“Not a lot of people have seen the comeback and how much effort she’s put in behind the scenes,” said Watchorn postgame. “That was a huge testament to her knowing that she’s left no stone unturned, and that she’s done everything that she can within her ability to be ready for this group.”
Position filled
Earlier in the season, College Hockey Inc., an organization focused on the promotion and growth of the sport, announced that funding received from the NHL would allow it to add a director of women’s hockey position. The initial response to the job posting was tremendous, per executive director Mike Snee, and on Tuesday the organization announced the hiring of Sadie Lundquist, a Bemidji State alumna and former NWHL/ PHF pro, to the position.