Badgers lose WCHA lead but regain flowing style
Wisconsin should have been able to celebrate a season highlight by beating Ohio State 4-2 in a memorable Frozen Tundra Hockey Classic at Green Bay’s flooded and frozen Lambeau Field. After all, four different Badgers scored – Adam Burish, Kyle Klubertanz, Andrew Joudrey and Robbie Earl – and the Badgers dazzled a crowd of 40,890, and reached the 20-victory plateau at 20-7-2.
But while the Badgers took a week off from the WCHA battles, they also slipped from first to third in the WCHA. The real highlight for the Badgers is that they seem to have gotten their game back in order. A little consistency now, and coach Mike Eaves will be satisfied, going into playoff time.
The Badgers seemed to have everything disintegrate by losing goaltender Brian Elliott to a practice knee injury, and then promptly losing four straight at home, and five of their last six WCHA games. But indications are that the wheels are back on and the Badger Express is ready to speed away from its pit stop.
The loss of Elliott signaled the end of a dominant Wisconsin runaway atop the WCHA, but strong play most of the way by freshman Shane Connelly since then has made Elliott only a convenient excuse. Eaves knew what happened, and it went from subtle to serious.
The Badgers had a free-wheeling offense, characterized by a quick-passing game that featured not only making the simple direct passes but also the ability to lag soft passes ahead to where only teammates could get the puck. With Elliott out and Connelly in, the offense suddenly stopped. That doesnÂ’t make sense, on paper, but several factors gathered to make it happen.
They may have had full confidence in Connelly, but there also seemed to be a psychological factor that may have caused them, as a group, to decide they had to be extra protective of their freshman goalie. When that subconscious factor became real, Wisconsin lost 1-0 to Denver, at home. A 1-0 loss doesnÂ’t mean the goaltender was a problem, but it does raise questions about the vanishing offense.
“Losing Brian changed our whole dynamics,†said Eaves. “We have a very talented young group, and we had to grow up and mature quickly. The same went for Shane.
“We put it on the table for him and said we didnÂ’t just drop him in the deep end, we dropped him in the Pacific Ocean. But after losing four games, we told him he was a better goalie now, and if he keeps improving, weÂ’ll win as a team.Ââ€
The result of that pep-talk was a 7-2 romp at Minnesota-Duluth. The free-wheeling offense was back, with the neat passes and instant ability to pounce on mistakes and capitalize. Tom Gilbert, Andrew Joudrey, Robbie Earl, Ross Carlson, Adam Burish, and the final two by freshman Ben Street lifted the Badgers from a 1-1 standoff, and a close 4-2 second-intermission toll, to a runaway victory.
“We had been missing a little something,†said Connelly, after that victory. “But we got it back tonight. We played a lot smarter.Ââ€
Wisconsin’s 7-2 victory came on the night UMD retired Brett Hull’s No. 29 at the DECC. Back on top of the league standings, the Badgers found out what the rest of the WCHA has been learning all season – nothing follows conventional routine.
The second game of that series saw UMD come out of the chute to take a 1-0 lead in the first period, then, after Joe PavelskiÂ’s power-play goal offset Tim StapletonÂ’s opening tally for a 1-1 tie, the Badgers seemed ready to take command. But UMD freshmen Mason Raymond and MacGregor Sharp connected for goals to boost UMD into a 3-1 lead later in the second period, and Nick Kemp, yet another freshman, clinched a 4-1 victory with a third-period goal.
It wasnÂ’t exactly back to Square 1, but it was a two-steps-forward-one-step-back pitfall. The Badgers trailed just 2-1 midway through the game, but they were clearly off their smooth-flowing game after only one day back on it. “It doesnÂ’t matter how you played last night, youÂ’ve got to be consistent,†said Gilbert, WisconsinÂ’s All-America candidate defenseman and captain. “We ran around as if we had no idea where we were goingÂ….It was frustrating to watch.Ââ€
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If everything had gone according to form, Wisconsin, Denver and Minnesota would be going into the final stretch-run in a three-way tie for first place in the WCHA. But that would be “conventional†form, dating back to the time when teams respected the tradition of home-ice advantage.
Two weeks ago, the teams were in a three-way tie, mainly because Wisconsin ran afoul of the home-ice rule. Cruising through the league with only one loss – that at home to then-last-place Michigan Tech – the Badgers returned to the huge but comfortable homesite of Kohl Center, only to lose twice to Denver, and then twice to Minnesota. Four straight home losses raised Denver and Minnesota to the three-way tie.
A sweep at Duluth would have lifted the Badgers to a four-point lead, but the split left them only two ahead of Denver and Minnesota. So Wisconsin went into its weekend off from WCHA action, and won a 4-2 empty-net outdoor victory over Ohio State, before 40,000 people at Green BayÂ’s flooded Lambeau Field, but the BadgersÂ’ frolic was with a wary eye back at the standings theyÂ’d left behind.
Sure enough, Denver whipped Minnesota State-Mankato and Minnesota won at Michigan Tech to forge a three-way tie for the lead. Denver won again, for a sweep, but Tech rose up to sting Minnesota with a 2-2 tie at Winter Carnival. So Wisconsin won a nonconference game before a record crowd, and dropped from first to third.
Denver, the two-time defending NCAA champs, has a 15-5-2 record for 32 points and first place; Minnesota is 14-5-3 for 31 points and second place, and Wisconsin stays 14-6-2 for 30 points and third.
The other altered view is the upcoming schedule. Minnesota and Denver collide in an enormous series that could ultimately decide the championship this weekend at Mariucci Arena, and while Denver also has North Dakota coming to Denver, and a home-and-home set with Colorado College, Minnesota must still play at Alaska-Anchorage and at home against Minnesota-Duluth. Wisconsin has been conceded the easiest closing schedule all season, playing at Michigan Tech, at Minnesota State-Mankato, and at home against St. Cloud State – but that all changed in the past month.
Tech, Mankato and St. Cloud all have come to life in the second half. Tech, while only eighth, did beat the Badgers already, and come off a spirited 2-2 tie with Minnesota to face the Badgers. Mankato has had a strong second half, until losing twice at onrushing Denver last weekend, but the Mavericks are seventh and still have a fleeting shot at home ice. If they fail to get it, their final home games will be Feb. 24-25 against Wisconsin. And St. Cloud State had been the hottest team around. The Huskies lost to Colorado College last Friday, but bounced back to gain a split. St. Cloud State now stands fourth, just ahead of CC and North Dakota, both of whom have surprised everyone by struggling at or near the .500 mark, and both of which are in jeopardy of losing home ice for the first playoff round. So St. Cloud could be going for a strong finish in the season finale at Wisconsin.
But all of that, and even the frantic scramble for the WCHA title, seem secondary to the carefully plotted course Eaves has set for the Badgers. Getting them back to playing well has been accomplished, and now getting them to play that way with the consistency they showed in the first half of the season is the main factor in WisconsinÂ’s playoff and NCAA tournament scheme.
Badgers lose just-found edge to split at UMD
Minnesota-DuluthÂ’s power play came alilve for three goals and goaltender Isaac Reichmuth played one of his strongest games to frustrate Wisconsin and give the Bulldogs a WCHA split with a 4-1 victory over the WCHA-leading Badgers, before 5,370 fans at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center.
The Badgers broke a four-game losing streak with a 7-2 victory in FridayÂ’s first game, getting its high-octane offensive flow running smoothly in a return to sole possession of first place. But UMD, which had been in a seven-straight-loss tailspin, giving up seven goals a game twice in succession, played opportunist to return to the persistent hustle that made the Bulldogs look like a contender early in the season.
UMD, which hadn’t been scoring power-play goals or many goals of any variety in recent weeks, won their first home game since Thanksgiving weekend against Yale, and prevented the Badgers (15-6-2 WCHA, 19-7-2 overall) from gaining a four-point hold on first place in the WCHA – a pivotal opportunity for Wisconsin, which takes a WCHA break in the weekend coming up. It also was the first time the Badgers had lost on the road after 10 victories and a tie.
The only even-strength goal of the game was scored by UMD freshman Mason Raymond early in the second period, and it was a big goal — breaking a 1-1 tie and standing up as the game-winner. Otherwise the Bulldogs (6-13-3 WCHA, 9-17-4 overall) depended on Reichmuth, who stalled the Wisconsin power play at 1-for-6 while UMD went 3-for-6. The Badgers outshot UMD 32-21, including 26-15 through two periods, before the Bulldogs calmly held the third period to a 6-6 standoff in shots.
“He (Reichmuth) did a great job of making the first save, then they cleared the puck well,†said Wisconsin captain and senior defenseman Tom Gilbert. “We got running around and looked like we had no idea where we were going. My hatÂ’s off to them – they got their shots through on the power play, and they got guys in front. It was just frustrating to watch from our end.Ââ€
As usual, Gilbert was involved in the heaviest action at both ends. He was called for the only penalty of the first period, which led to Tim Stapleton capitalizing for the only goal of the opening session. Stapleton moved from right point to center point and fired a screened power-play slapshot that beat freshman goalie Shane Connelly at 7:55. Otherwise, the Badgers outshot UMD 11-7 for the opening period, but ReichmuthÂ’s play gave UMD the upper hand.
Early in the second period, Jack Skille appeared to tie the game 1-1 when he circled out from behind the net and fired a high shot from the left circle at 1:14. The puck caromed straight back out, and referee Scott Zelkin, at the right of the net, immediately pointed at the net, signaling goal. Zelkin then went over for a video review and reversed his decision, saying the video showed it hit the upper right joint of the crossbar and right post and ricocheted back out without ever entering the net.
Undismayed, the Badgers settled for a power play chance and tied it 1-1 just 30 seconds later, when Reichmuth blocked GilbertÂ’s power-play point shot and Joe Pavelski made quick work of the rebound from the left side.
But at 4:01 of the middle period, UMDÂ’s Raymond rushed up the left side and scored what looked like a shaky goal on ConnellyÂ’s part, but the 40-foot shot from outside the circle grazed a defensemanÂ’s stick and the slight misdirection eluded the Badger goalie for a 2-1 UMD lead.
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The Bulldogs never came close to dominating, in fact Wisconsin outshot UMD 15-8 in the second period, so it was up to Reichmuth and the bunching Bulldog defense to weathered some heavy Wisconsin pressure. But when UMD got another power-play chance, the Bulldogs clicked for a 3-1 edge. A pair of freshmen collaborated on this one, as Matt Niskanen shot from the left point and MacGregor Sharp knocked in the rebound from the left edge of the crease at 12:19.
Wisconsin increased the pressure early in the third but Reichmuth his hustling teammates seemed to disrupt the Badger flow. Suddenly passes started to miss targets, Badgers started overskating the puck, and the offensive flow that the Badgers had found Friday night vacated the premises in the third period Saturday.
UMD killed off a Wisconsin power play to start the final period, and when Gilbert was whistled for cross-checking at 11:23, the UMD power play clicked for the third time in the game. This time two more freshmen did the job, as defenseman Jason Garrison blasted from the left point and Nick Kemp deflected the puck past Connelly at 12:56.
UMD coach Scott Sandelin said: “We played better defensively and cut off the lanes better. All I know is, we beat a real good hockey team, and it felt damn good.Ââ€
Gilbert added the final message for the Badgers. “It doesnÂ’t matter how well we played last night – weÂ’ve got to be consistent.Ââ€
Gophers, UMD women split, solidify Badger lead
Wisconsin very likely secured the WCHA womenÂ’s hockey regular-season championship on a chilly Saturday night when the Badgers didnÂ’t even play. Wisconsin beat Ohio State 4-3 in overtime on Friday, but was idle last Saturday, before completing a sweep of the Buckeyes with a 5-1 victory on Sunday.
Wisconsin solidified its hold on first place, ironically enough, on Saturday night, thanks to the rivalry between its two most historically persistent tormentors – Minnesota and Minnesota-Duluth. Two-time defending NCAA champion Minnesota arose from a first-game loss at Minnesota-Duluth to beat the Bulldogs 2-0 in the latest renewal of their emotionally intense rivalry.
The split was a rewarding lift for the Gophers, who realistically are not in title contention with six WCHA losses, while it dealt a serious blow to what actually was only a fleeting chance for UMD to keep pace with the once-beaten Badgers.
UMD had gone into the weekend tied with Wisconsin atop the WCHA in points, but it was a misleading statistic. Both teams had 29 points, based on 14 victories and one tie, but Wisconsin, which has played two fewer games, had only one loss, while UMD had three. Clearly, the Badgers could pull away to the title by simply winning the two “games in hand,†but more important is that Wisconsin and Minnesota-Duluth had split an early series at Madison, then tied the first game of their later series in Duluth, before the Badgers beat the Bulldogs in the second, giving them a 2-1-1 record against UMD.
That was key, because it gave Wisconsin the season series in case the two finished the season tied, and the illusion of being tied in points continued when UMD beat Minnesota 4-2 in the first game of last weekend’s series. But when the Gophers handed UMD its first shutout of the season in the second game, as Gopher goaltender Brittony Chartier turned in the blank job with 35 saves. Along with the game, the Bulldogs slim hopes – which required a late-season stumble by the Badgers – became much more distant.
When Wisconsin won Sunday’s second game with Ohio State, the Badgers rose to 16-1-1 atop the WCHA for 33 points, while UMD has 31 points, but a 15-4-1 record. With only 10 games remaining in the league schedule – and only eight for UMD – Wisconsin would have to lose four of its final 10 games while the Bulldogs won all eight to overtake the Badgers.
It is incomprehensible to think that the Badgers, who have lost just once, might slump to 6-4 down the stretch, while UMD would go 8-0 in its half of the deal.
But all those statistics show the growth of WCHA womenÂ’s hockey, and donÂ’t detract from the rivalry that UMD and Minnesota have enjoyed while the two have won every WCHA regular-season title in its six-year history, to say nothing of NCAA championships. The NCAA didnÂ’t even recognize womenÂ’s hockey with a national tournament until six years ago. Minnesota-Duluth won the first three NCAA womenÂ’s hockey tournaments ever held, and the University of Minnesota won the next two, while Wisconsin rose closer to title contention with each passing season.
The Gophers chances of an NCAA three-peat that would match UMDÂ’s previous run appeared slim this season, and at 10-5-1 going into the weekend series in Duluth, the Gophers found themselves pretty well isolated in third place, as far behind Wisconsin and UMD as ahead of Minnesota State-Mankato and Ohio State.
In their first series of the year, Minnesota stung UMD 4-1, before the Â’Dogs erupted for a 6-0 shutout victory. So the 4-2 victory in the first game last weekend seemed large for the Bulldogs. But the goals came too easily. It was difficult to assess at the time, but while the Bulldogs played well at the outset of the first game, they really didnÂ’t have to work very hard for their goals.
Krista McArthurÂ’s power-play shot from the right point was screened and found the net behind Chartier, and five minutes later, Ashley Waggoner tried to fire a hard pass across the slot, but the puck hit Mari Pehkonen and deflected perfectly into the net, just inside the right post for a 2-0 first-period lead. Noemie Marin snuck to the weak-side edge of the net and knocked in Jessica KoizumiÂ’s power-play pass to make it 3-0 in the second period.
So when Sara OÂ’TooleÂ’s goal in the third period gave UMD three power-play tallies against Chartier, it also gave UMD a 4-0 bulge, and, perhaps, reason to swagger. After all, it meant that UMD had scored 10 consecutive goals in their head-to-head duel with Minnesota, after the 6-0 romp at Ridder Arena early in the season.
But the 4-0 lead was misleading, because the Gophers were playing well, and in fact seemed to be challenging their frustration at falling further and further behind in the game by staying focused and continuing to work harder. The result was that as UMD kept scoring, the Gophers were taking over the flow of the game.
Jenelle Philipczyk finally broke Riitta SchaublinÂ’s bid for a shutout midway through the third period, and an enormous power-play tangle at the UMD net resulted in a second Gopher goal, also awarded to Philipczyk. UMD never seemed seriously threatened on the scoreboard, but only because Schaublin came up with repeated big saves against the onrushing Gophers.
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UMD coach Shannon Miller said after the first game that she thought it was good for her team to be challenged, and that the fact that they lost the momentum but won the game was important. She was confident that the strong finish by the Gophers would assure her Bulldogs of playing a stronger game in the rematch.
However, MinnesotaÂ’s momentum took a different turn Saturday. UMD outshot the Gophers 16-3 in the first period, but the only goal came when MinnesotaÂ’s Andrea Nichols scored late in the session. The Gophers picked up the tempo and outshot UMD 16-6 in the scoreless second period, and carried play into the third, when Becky Walker tipped a shot through Schaublin for the 2-0 shutout.
The Gophers outshot UMD 35-29, but after the first period, Schaublin had tougher saves than Chartier, who came up with some acrobatic stops to secure the shutout.
Miller was frustrated afterward, and told the Duluth News TribuneÂ’s Christa Lawler: “If this team thinks they can win the national championship and play like that, theyÂ’re wrong.Ââ€
While the rivalry resulted in one more split series between the Bulldogs and Gophers, down in Wisconsin, the Badgers were becoming reinforced as the likeliest WCHA team to look like a serious threat to win the WCHA and NCAA titles.
Badger sweep at Minnesota secures No. 1 spot
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — The WCHA reached its holiday halftime break, and a quick review of the first half might show that the most significant series was Wisconsin’s sweep at Minnesota, which thrust the Badgers into a commanding lead in the WCHA.
Wisconsin had held off Minnesota 4-3 in the first game, and crushed the Gophers 4-0 in the Saturday night rematch. Somebody actually asked Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves if it might be a problem that the Badgers were winning so much, as if living the cliché of peaking too soon.
ThatÂ’s the kind of first half Wisconsin had. With a 10-0-2 WCHA start and a 13-1-2 overall mark that featured a 14-game unbeaten streak (12-0-2) there had been so few problems that media types were trying to invent some. Is winning so much a problem? Eaves shot a glance that seemed to be incredulous, but for no more than a millisecond, then he answered, thoughtfully.
“ItÂ’s like riding a wave,†Eaves said. “WeÂ’re riding a wave and weÂ’re trying to stay on it as long as we can. And if it goes away, weÂ’ll try to find another one, and ride it some more.Ââ€
Outside Mariucci Arena, the temperature was plunging toward single-digits, which was pretty much duplicated by the chilled silence inside, as over 10,000 Gopher fans each night absorbed the sweep. The No. 1 Badgers had foreseen a serious challenge from the No. 4 ranked Gophers, the preseason coaches favorite to win the WCHA, and besides, it was nearly five years since Wisconsin had last swept at Minnesota.
But here was Eaves, beach-talking about trying to catch a wave.
The wave showed a puncture wound almost immediately, as last-place Michigan Tech went into Madison and surprised the Badgers in their next game, but that loss, the first since a 2-1 second-game loss to St. Lawrence in overtime, barely caused the Badgers to stumble, and then the wave continued.
The rest of the WCHA, instead of trying to catch a wave, can only think about trying to catch the Badgers in the second half.
Minnesota holds second, six behind Wisconsin; Colorado College is third at 15 points, Denver fourth with 14, Minnesota-Duluth fifth with 13, North Dakota sixth with 12. ThatÂ’s a great fight, but right now, itÂ’s for second place, the way the Badgers are surfing.
Wisconsin has established some pretty impressive achievements. The Badgers tied and won at St. Cloud State, swept Alaska-Anchorage, swept at North Dakota, tied and won against Colorado College, swept Minnesota State-Mankato, took a break to tour Michigan and spank both Michigan State and then-No. 1 Michigan at Thanksgiving, before coming back into the league to whip Minnesota. The split with Tech just allows Eaves to bring his Badgers back to reality.
Sweeping at Minnesota was big, but the way the Badgers did it was bigger. The first game was 4-3, but it was 4-1 before Minnesota scored twice in the last 10 minutes to make it close.
“It was 4-1, but we made a couple mistakes and it ended up 4-3 with us under pressure,†said Eaves. “But sometimes youÂ’ve got to learn how to get out of a tough situation. Coming in here, we thought it would be tough like this.Ââ€
Eaves anticipated a one-goal battle, but instead, Minnesota’s spirited finish was the only time the Gophers were fiercely competitive all weekend – one half of one period, out of six periods. At that, Robbie Earl’s opening goal staked the Badgers to a 1-0 lead. When Minnesota tied it 1-1 on Ryan Potulny’s power-play goal at the end of the first period, Joe Pavelski and Ross Carlson scored in the span of 1:14 midway through the second period. Pavelski scored again early in the third for the 4-1 lead.
And then the Badgers seemed complacent on a power play, as if they thought the game was already in hand. That opened the door just a crack, and Gopher goals by P.J. Atherton and Justin Bostrom made it a hectic finish. Obviously, Eaves suggested an adjustment, because there was no letting up the next night. No openings. No comeback.
There has been an evolutionary change in Badger hockey as Eaves coaches into his fourth season. One key difference is that in this “year of the freshman†in the WCHA, the Badgers have four seniors and seven juniors in the lineup. But the biggest difference in the Badgers is at the top – Eaves himself.
When Eaves was selected to replace Jeff Sauer as coach of the Badgers, it was after the decision came down to Eaves and Mark Johnson – former Wisconsin teammates in their glory days under Badger Bob Johnson, Mark’s dad. For whatever reason, the choice of Eaves met with some harsh reaction among some long-standing Badger backers close to the program.
Frankly, with Johnson taking over the Wisconsin womenÂ’s program, both have done fantastic jobs in leading their teams to contention. But EavesÂ’s task was far more daunting. Sauer won three NCAA championships, and is a man well-liked by all, but he ran a comparatively loose ship, by some standards. Eaves, on the other hand, is a firm believer in strictly disciplined play, practice, and off-ice demeanor. There were some repercussions whenever the transition was less than smooth. Some suggested that the Badger program went from country club to boot camp. When a team doesnÂ’t succeed under the whip of such discipline, the easy alternative is for the coach to relax his standards a little. Eaves never considered varying, even if it meant isolating himself and his team as a work in progress.
“These four years have been a learning experience, for me as well as for the players,†said Eaves. “I guess itÂ’s like redoing a house; you may take down a wall, and then find that thereÂ’s a lot more that you have to do to get it the way you want.Ââ€
It was tough for some returning players, who resented going back to square 1 as if they were rookies all over again. Some of the discipline was tough. Some players complained, some left. But the ones who stayed to catch that wave now realize how well they fit the system, and how well the system fits their objectives.
“I canÂ’t say I look back now and realize how difficult it was my first or second year, but I do know that itÂ’s a lot more enjoyable now,†said Eaves. “Having older guys on the team helps a lot, because you can lean on them a little more. ThereÂ’s a cumulative effect from having been with these young men for four years. They become pseudo coaches. When I set up a drill, sometimes they donÂ’t even wait for me to blow the whistle. They know what weÂ’re going to do and they start on their own.Ââ€
As a player, at Wisconsin and later in the NHL, Eaves was a pensive student of the game, always inquisitive, always wanting answers, and applying himself to his own rules, which often were stricter than the teamÂ’s. As a coach, he is a premier teacher, in an era where many prominent college coaches recruit well, line up the players, and turn them loose. The scarcity of teaching coaches is growing, which makes the result of teaching coaches more dramatically noticeable.
“I think teaching players the little things to do in different situations is the most fun part of the job,†said Eaves. “I think it shows that my assistants, Mark Osiecki and Kevin Patrick, also enjoy teaching. We enjoy working on fundamentals, and also on little things that can help players improve. WeÂ’re on the ice from 2:30 to 5 every day, and sometimes the three coaches are the last guys off the ice.Ââ€
Critics say the dedication to defense makes the Badgers boring to watch. It is widely believed that the defensive style compared to the Gophers more wide-open style was a reason that Phil Kessel left the shadows of Kohl Center to become the first Wisconsin kid ever to play for the Gophers.
But a couple Wisconsin lads did stay home. Pavelski, for example, is a sophomore center on the first line who scored the two goals Friday and added another Saturday against Minnesota, while Kessel was, basically, prevented from generating any threats. Adam Burish is a senior from Madison, and broke in to feed Robbie Earl for a goal at 0:27 of the first game, when MinnesotaÂ’s defense turned a 2-on-1 into a 2-on-0. Second-liners Jake Dowell and Jack Skille are Wisconsinites, as are defensemen Kyle Klubertanz, Joe Piskula, Matt Olinger, and Davis Drewiske.
“Joe Pavelski doesn’t have the speed of Phil Kessel, but he has his own attributes,†said Eaves, proudly.
Kessel was being effectively shut down by the Badgers, and may have noticed there was nothing boring about the way the Badgers instinctively made all the right moves defensively, and countered offensively with creative playmaking to shred MinnesotaÂ’s defense. Repeatedly, MinnesotaÂ’s 2-on-1 chances became 2-on-3 by the time they got to the circles, while WisconsinÂ’s 2-on-1 rushes led to several goals and great scoring opportunities.
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Three Minnesotans figured in the sweep as well. Senior Nick Licari set up junior Ross Carlson once each game for spectacular goals by the former Duluth East duo. And senior defenseman Tom Gilbert from Bloomington has developed into one of the elite defensemen in the WCHA. A big factor in the “Border Battle†had nothing to do with the border, and more to do with a kid from Newmarket, Ontario. Junior goaltender Brian Elliott was outstanding, and now has fashioned WCHA-best records of 1.42 goals-against and a .945 save percentage.
Wisconsin went back home and was promptly upset by last-place Michigan Tech, but rebounded for a 7-0 romp and a split. The rest of the league resumed its battle to see who might emerge as contenders, with Minnesota sweeping at North Dakota, and UMD surprising Colorado College with a split, as did Alaska-Anchorage at Denver. It seems uncertain who might rise to challenge the Badgers, and Eaves knows that position well.
“Last year, it was a tough situation,†Eaves said. “We didn’t get it done. But even that helped us learn for this year.
“Sometimes it comes down to individual stuff. People make plays on two sides, and weÂ’ve always played well when we donÂ’t have the puck. But this year, weÂ’re doing things WITH the puck, too.Ââ€
The big wave the Badgers are riding shows no sign of letting up, despite the upset loss to Tech. If itÂ’s still rolling around the end of March, the NCAA Frozen Four will conveniently be held in Milwaukee this year.
Disciplined UMD leads WCHA non-league reversal
Maybe WCHA men’s teams just needed a big ol’ turkey drumstick to be waved in front of their facemasks, because the Thanksgiving “break†from league rivalries finally seemed to snap them all back to normal.
“Normal†for WCHA teams is to battle each other furiously, but to dominate nonconference opponents, whether in exhibition match-ups, tournament action, or NCAA playoffs. But not this season. The WCHA went 16-20-2 against outside competition right up until Thanksgiving week. But finally – finally – the WCHA broke loose, winning nine games, losing only two and tying two.
Minnesota-Duluth, for example, overcame some unusual difficulties — such as the loss of its first line and its starting goaltender in the first game — but romped 9-1 and 5-1 against the ECACÂ’s Bulldogs. UMD had opened the season with two losses at home in the DECC to Bemidji State, then went to Vermont and lost two more, to carry an 0-4 nonconference slate into the Yale games.
More impressively on paper, two of the WCHAÂ’s most intense rivalries — Wisconsin and Minnesota on one hand, and Denver and Colorado College on the other – are renewed this weekend, but not before all four teams hit the road over Thanksgiving. Wisconsin and Minnesota went to Michigan for the annual College Hockey Showcase, the haughty attempt to reunite four Big Ten teams from the WCHA and CCHA. This one had the impact of Michigan riding in as the nationÂ’s No. 1 team. But Minnesota went into Ann Arbor and clipped the Wolverines 6-3 with a five-goal barrage of power-play goals, led by Ryan PotulnyÂ’s hat trick, while Wisconsin dispatched Michigan State 3-1 just down the road in East Lansing, where they used to make Oldsmobiles. Next night they swapped partners, and while Minnesota sputtered before tying Michigan State 2-2, Wisconsin cruised into Ann Arbor and stunned the Wolverines 3-2.
The obvious and immediate benefit of the weekend is that the Badgers (11-1-2 overall) moved to No. 1 in national rankings, swept upward on the wings of a 12-game unbeaten streak (10-0-2). The Gophers kept alive a six-game unbeaten run (4-0-2), as both return to the WCHA pressure-cooker with Wisconsin at Minnesota this weekend.
Defending co-WCHA champions Denver and Colorado College went east and got the WCHA off to a shaky start in the first two games of the weekend. Defending NCAA champ Denver stayed in the doldrums with a 1-0 loss at Boston University, but goaltender Peter Mannino got them headed upward with a 4-0 shutout at Massachusetts the next night. Colorado College, which was stung 4-3 at U-Mass the first night, bounced back to topple Boston University 6-5 in overtime in the second game. Denver is only 6-6-2 with a withering string of injuries, while CC leads the nation in victories with its 12-3-1 overall ledger. Records mean little when CC and Denver renew their ancient rivalry, at Colorado Springs Friday and Denver Saturday.
Minnesota State-Mankato got the whole week rolling with a 6-3 victory at Nebraska-Omaha earlier last week, while St. Cloud State beat Brown 4-1 before the two tied 4-4 at St. Cloud, to complete the weeklong run at 9-2-2. North Dakota, Alaska-Anchorage and Michigan Tech were idle.
The weekend was a pleasant return to normal for the WCHA, which had gotten pretty comfortable beating up on nonleague foes in recent years. A year ago, WCHA teams went 53-17-14 in nonconference play, which made it reasonable that the Frozen Four consisted of four WCHA teams for the first time ever. Two years ago, the WCHA went 60-20-9 for possibly its best-ever winning percentage of .725. Three years ago, it was 57-27-8, and four years WCHA teams went a combined 56-24-2.
So the shaky 16-20-2 nonconference start this season was a complete departure, and UMD was one of the prime examples, even though the Bulldogs had several much more personal reasons for needing to win than to be concerned with the leagueÂ’s overall starting slump. After a Frozen Four appearance in the spring of 2003, UMD fell out of contention last season, partly by losing its dominance at home. The last sweep UMD had registered at home in the DECC was in October of last season, and the Bulldogs had opened 1-4-1 at home this season, being swept by both Bemidji State and North Dakota.
Curiously enough, when UMD took on Yale, it was with a self-imposed handicap. Senior goaltender Isaac Reichmuth, who had started nine straight games, and the entire first line, center Tim Stapleton, and his wingers, Justin Williams and Mike Curry, were ordered to watch the game in street clothes because of coach Scott Sandelin’s demand for immediate and forthright discipline. Pregame press notes displayed the scoring streak of Stapleton and hot hand of Reichmuth, so quietly had Sandelin operated in suspended those players. Officially it was for violation of team rules, believed to be missing curfew after a 2-0 loss in Anchorage a week earlier.
It was particularly forceful and immediate when compared to the publicity of a month-old hidden-camera expose series by a Twin Cities television station, showing a number of underage Minnesota hockey players drinking in a campus bar. So far, Minnesota officials will only say the incident has been handled “internally,” and the actual disciplinary action would not be disclosed. But none of the underage players who broke the law, such as freshmen Phil Kessel, winger Kris Chucko, and goaltender Jeff Frazee, missed any game time.
The UMD incident was different, having occurred in the seclusion of Alaska, but the players involved were all of legal age, too, and nobody would have known anything happened had Sandelin chosen to have them run laps, or do team laundry. Sandelin said there were five “violations of team rules,†and later added, “I did the room-check myself.†As for the lack of fanfare surrounding his move, Sandelin said, “All I did was tell the players involved they werenÂ’t playing Friday night.Ââ€
The suspensions left the Bulldogs with 10 forwards, six defensemen and goaltender Josh Johnson, who had seemingly been relegated to permanent backup status. The only senior remaining with Reichmuth, Stapleton and Williams out, was defenseman and captain Steve Czech. But if the pressure was on the unheralded underclassmen, they responded well.
Sophomore Matt McKnight moved up to first line, with freshman wingers Mason Raymond and Nick Kemp. McKnight scored two goals and assisted on two more; Raymond also scored two goals; and Kemp assisted on three of UMDÂ’s first four goals in the 9-1 romp. The second line was all freshmen, with MacGregor Sharp centering Andrew Carroll and Michael Gergen, and Gergen scored two goals, Carroll one goal and three assists, while Sharp chipped in two assists in the first game.
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Johnson, meanwhile, gave up a game-opening goal to Jeff Hristovski as Yale opened with a strong attack, then the junior who formerly starred at Cloquet High School slammed the door, stopping all 22 other shots, while UMD rose from a 1-1 first-period standoff to rattle five goals in the second period.
When the game started, Yale fired off three excellent scoring chances in the first two minutes, but they were stopped by Johnson, who shrugged at not having played since opening games against Bemidji and Vermont. “They came out hard, but it was actually good for me to see the puck right away,†Johnson said.
An observer who hadnÂ’t seen the Yale goal asked Johnson what happened on it, and Johnson said: “I didnÂ’t see it either.Ââ€
Touche.
Sandelin returned the top line and Reichmuth for the second game, although Johnson earned the repeat start. He played well again, stopping 17 of YaleÂ’s 18 shots, and blanking the visitors until 7:47 of the third period, when Yale scored a goal that was countered by defenseman Matt NiskanenÂ’s first college goal 18 seconds later for a 4-1 cushion.
The message from the suspension got through, as did the realization that the ‘Dogs had scored nine goals without their top line. Stapleton got a power-play goal at 12:07 of the first period to get UMD started in the rematch, although the young pups kept flying. Gergen, Carroll and Raymond got other goals for UMD, which improved to 5-7-2 overall, and improved its record in the DECC to 3-4-1.
Usually, nonconference games represent a break from WCHA battles, but in this case, they also might have been the boost to send the whole league back into competition on a higher plateau. For UMD, the entire roster snapped to attention at the impressive and immediate call for team discipline, which may prove more important even than the victories.
About the Author
John Gilbert is a lifetime Minnesotan and career journalist, specializing in cars and sports during and since spending 30 years at the Minneapolis Tribune, now the Star Tribune. More recently, he has continued translating the high-tech world of autos and sharing his passionate insights as a freelance writer/photographer/broadcaster. A member of the prestigious North American Car and Truck of the Year jury since 1993. John can be heard Monday-Friday from 9-11am on 610 KDAL(www.kdal610.com) on the "John Gilbert Show," and writes a column in the Duluth Reader.
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