Varsity is the free Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics, covering Badgers football, basketball, hockey and more each week.
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Goalie's big plans more than a pipe dream enior goaltender Alex Rigsby admits she enters the season with a chip on her shoulder after missing out on earning a spot on the United States Olympic team this season. "After the tryout, I tweeted you need to prove people right and prove people wrong when you get the chance," Rigsby said. "I am ready to do that this season. I think it puts a chip on my shoulder, but all you can do is move forward. All of my attention will be on this team and leading the Badgers to their greatest potential." Rigsby is in a good position to lead the Badgers this season after becoming the first goaltender in school history to be named team captain. "It is a huge honor for me to be selected," Rigsby said. "It is humbling as well, to see that my teammates look up to me in that regard. I'm ready to fill the role and am excited for it. I hope to bring positive energy to the team." Many of her fellow players, including senior and assistant captain Madison Packer, are excited to have Rigsby back in net this season. "It's great to have her back both on the ice and off," Packer said. "She brings a great energy to the locker room and an obvious presence on the ice that will help us find success this season. She is someone who leads by example and brings experience and strength to our lineup. "I'm excited to start my senior season with the same great goaltender who made the 2011 season such a success." Besides helping the Badgers win the 2011 NCAA title, Rigsby has enjoyed a decorated career at Wisconsin. She is the school's all-time leader in saves with 2,530 and her 83 wins rank not only second all-time at Wisconsin, but fifth in NCAA history. However, those records are not on Rigsby's radar heading into the season "I'm not really one to look at the records," Rigsby said. "I think it is pretty cool to hear about the win total. I have been able to play on successful teams, including my freshman year when we won a national title. It's cool to hold some of the records, but I'm sure they will be broken by someone." Rigsby is already making her mark this year, helping the Badgers establish their team values and team goals for the upcoming season. She believes focusing on the mental aspect of the game will be key. "We are trying to get the team on the same page mentally," Rigsby said. "We have a big goal at the end of the season, but to reach that goal we have to look at smaller goals and break up the season into chunks. I'm excited for this approach. We have to take it one step, one game at a time." For now, the goal for the Badgers is to beat this weekend's opponent, Minnesota State. "I am looking forward to our games this weekend," Rigsby said. "It is an advantage for us to have our first conference games at home. It always makes a difference to play at home compared to on the road, especially for our freshmen. They will get their first taste of college hockey in front of our own fans." The first goaltender to captain a Badgers team, Alex Rigsby is focused solely on UW's team goals S 34 // VARSITY October 3, 2013