At this point in last year's season, the Wisconsin men's hockey team was hitting full stride and in the middle of what would turn out to be a school-record, 15-game unbeaten streak. A year later, the No. 2 Badgers (9-3-0 Western Collegiate Hockey Association, 12-4-0 overall) have won three games in a row and seven of their last eight. A rather forgiving schedule over the next month may help the Badgers build up another long streak.
The Badgers go back on the road this weekend for a WCHA series with Minnesota State. The Mavericks are 6-6-3 overall, but just 3-6-1 in conference play.
\We definitely aren't looking past them,"" sophomore forward Andrew Joudrey said. ""They are pretty balanced. It's a team effort. We just have to go in and match our lines against theirs.""
After that, Wisconsin gets two weekends off before hosting the 16th annual Badger Hockey Showdown. After 14 years at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, this will be the second time the event is at the Kohl Center. The Badgers will take on Yale on New Year's Eve, while last year's champion, Ferris State, takes on Clarkson. The two winners will square off for the championship on New Year's Day.
It is right back to conference play the next week as the Badgers head to St. Cloud State. The Huskies, currently 8-7-0 overall, have also had a rough start to the WCHA season, going 4-6-0. With two games against Minnesota, one against Maine and possibly one against Boston College, it does not appear as though St. Cloud's record will be looking any better when UW heads there.
Much of the same can be said for Alaska-Anchorage, which will come to the Kohl Center Jan. 14 and 15. The Badgers already swept the Seawolves (4-6-0, 6-7-1) in Anchorage earlier this season and will look to do so again.
Although the opponents may not look like much on paper, the Badgers know they have to go into every weekend and play their best in order to win games in the WCHA.
""Anybody can have a slow start or a bad record, but we have to make sure we're ready to play and respect them,"" Joudrey said.
Much of the Badgers' success will continue to ride on senior goalie Bernd Br??ckler, who has found his rhythm and was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week last week. He sports a 2.32 goals against average and a .915 save percentage.
The Badgers will need to escape their current mental funk, as well. While they have won their last three games, it has not been pretty, and only the right mindset will get the Badgers playing their best hockey. All indications in practice this week point to a much more mentally focused team in the near future.
""It started right on Tuesday,"" Head Coach Mike Eaves said. ""They have more energy. You go through periods where you aren't going to have your A-game, but you want to get out of that as soon as you can.""
""We've had a really good week this week,"" Joudrey said. ""We had a little break Monday and everybody had to get their minds and bodies fresh. Everybody feels good.""
Also hinging on a successful break will be the absence of sophomore forward Jake Dowell and sophomore defenseman Jeff Likens, who will be away from the team at the World Junior Championships for the second year in a row.
With Br??ckler hitting his stride and the schedule in Wisconsin's favor, the only thing standing in the way of a streak seems to the be the Badgers themselves.
