The roller coaster that is the Wisconsin men's hockey season continues back home at the Kohl Center this weekend. In the past two weeks the Badgers (4-15-3 WCHA, 10-19-3 overall) have gone from an emotional high--their first conference sweep--to a resounding low--being swept by Minnesota in two ugly games. This week they look to get back on track against the Huskies of St. Cloud State (10-9-3, 14-11-3).
St. Cloud comes in ranked No. 14 in the nation in this week's USCHO.com poll. They have beaten some of the top WCHA teams, including leader Colorado College, but have also fallen to teams like eighth place Michigan Tech. The Badgers know what it will take to get back on the winning end this weekend.
\It's a brand new weekend. We've been practicing hard all week. We want to prove that we're the better team,"" freshman forward Ryan MacMurchy said.
One of the biggest stories of late has been the absence of sophomore center Alex Leavitt and junior wing Erik Jensen. Both have missed the last three games and stayed home last weekend when the team traveled to Minneapolis. Jensen's status for this weekend is unknown.
With details emerging about a physical confrontation between Head Coach Mike Eaves and Leavitt Wednesday, the sophomore center will not be on the ice this weekend.
It is unclear whether Leavitt will play again this season.
Probably the brightest aspect of Wisconsin's play lately has been the improvement of the power play. They have scored five power play goals in their last four games, increasing their total to 15 on the season. The power play was the only positive that came out of last weekend's debacle.
""Our power play scored back to back goals. There was a positive. Our power play over the last couple of weekends has been a very positive factor,"" Head Coach Mike Eaves said.
The Badgers next four games are against the two teams directly ahead of them in WCHA competition. The prospect of a few more points and possibly moving up in the standings could provide a spark on the ice this weekend.
""As a team we want to finish as high as we can, regardless of what our final record is. Our record does not show how good we can play,"" freshman forward Nick Licari said.
""We want to prove that we're the better team. We have to get on a roll going into the playoffs,"" MacMurchy said.
If the Badgers can get on a roll, they could take some of that momentum into the playoffs and take on the role of spoiler to some of the higher-ranked teams. First things first, the Badgers have to take on a tough St. Cloud team this weekend and prove that they can skate with the intensity that it takes to win in big-time situations.
