After just under two months of play on the young 2005-2006 campaign, the Wisconsin men's hockey team is well on its way to a historical season.
The first place Badgers (13-1-2 overall, 10-0-2 Western Collegiate Hockey Association) hold an eight-point lead over second place Minnesota. The Badgers hold the unanimous No. 1 national ranking in both the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine and USCHO.com polls. This week marks the Badgers second consecutive week in the No. 1 spot.
Last weekend ended a 10-game losing streak at Mariucci Arena for the Badgers, and marked the first time the Badgers swept the Gophers in Minneapolis since the 1999-2000 season.
Saturday night's shutout for junior goaltender Brian Elliott was the first shutout for a UW netminder in Minneapolis in 100 games, a span lasting since 1983.
The weekend sweep extended the team's unbeaten streak to 14 games, only one game short of the school record set just two seasons ago. The Badgers are also unbeaten in their first 12 WCHA conference games.
The record for the longest unbeaten streak to start a WCHA conference schedule is 18, set by Colorado College in the 1995-96 season. That season, the Tigers won the WCHA MacNaughton Cup and lost to Michigan in overtime of the national championship game.
Elliott was named WCHA defensive player of the week or co-defensive player of the week three times last month, and has earned the honor again this week.
Three defensive player of the week awards led to Elliott being named the College Sports Television/Hockey Commissioners' Association National Division I Player of the Month for November. The last Badger to win the award was Bernd Br??ckler.
Led by Elliott and senior defenseman Tom Gilbert, the Badgers are giving up a meager 1.42 goals per game as a defensive unit, the best such numbers in the league as well as the nation.
Two seasons ago the Badgers set a record for team goals against average, allowing just 2.16 goals per game, and the second best mark came last season at 2.2 per game.
Elliott has now played in over 30 career games, making him eligible for the Badger record books, and making him the University of Wisconsin's career leader in goals against average and save percentage. He is also second in career win percentage behind Marc Behrend.
Elliot's five career shutouts land him in sixth place, four shutouts shy of tying the school record of nine held by Terry Kleisinger and Graham Melanson.
Offensively, the Badgers are having a solid season, but at 3.2 goals per game are not on a record setting pace, especially considering the UW record for goals per game is over seven.
This weekend's series against last place Michigan Tech is a good opportunity for the Badgers to improve on their already astounding numbers, but it is also a good opportunity for Michigan Tech to try and knock off the nation's top team.
