GREEN BAY, Wis.,'In a game that will have lasting memories for players, coaches and fans alike, the No. 4 Wisconsin Badgers (14-6-2 Western Collegiate Hockey Association, 20-7-2 overall) beat Ohio State (10-11-2 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, 14-13-4 overall) 4-2 Saturday at Lambeau Field. More an event than a mere game, the Frozen Tundra Classic lived up to all the hoopla surrounding the grounds on which the game was played.
The parking lot of the historic stadium opened six hours before the first puck dropped, which allowed Wisconsin fans the chance to do what they do best: tailgate. Trying to navigate the sea of red on the way through the lot was difficult enough, but even more difficult was trying to locate where exactly these fans were. Upon inspection of the mini-grills and jerseys, it might have been a typical Saturday outside Camp Randall in Lot 60. Look up, however, and there was no mistaking the veneer which marks the NFL's most respected venue. One thing is for sure, whether wearing cardinal and white or green and gold, these fans were there for a hockey game.
The crowd of 40,890 was a record for UW hockey, the second largest for an NCAA hockey game and the fourth largest assembling ever for any hockey game. The home crowd, unlike the past few months in Green Bay, got what they came for as well'a victory.
'There was another reason, rather than just to win a hockey game, that this game was important. It was about winning it for everybody that was here,' UW head coach Mike Eaves said. 'The atmosphere was fantastic. The band was loud, the fans were excited and the players seemed to be having the time of their lives.'
Senior forward and captain Adam Burish enjoyed the game and all it entailed.
'It was unbelievable,' Burish said. 'When we got here on Friday and there was nobody here, guys kind of ran over there and jumped [into the stands]. But, to have the students there, and to win the game, and to have the trophy and be able to run in there with all the fans'it was an unbelievable experience.'
Something about outdoor hockey brings a fan back to the old days. It is where kids first start playing hockey. The first time skates are laced up and goals are scored is outside, where every kid wants to play. The rink at Lambeau gave the same kind of feeling. Some of the glass boards were different shades than others; plywood lined the perimeter of the rink. The ice was the best it could be but, as freshman goalie Shane Connelly found out midway through the second period when Ohio State's junior forward Dave Barton let a shot fly from the blue line, this rink was prepared to give one or two strange bounces.
'It was OK,' Burish said. 'Obviously you don't go to the game expecting great ice. The pucks were bouncing everywhere, it was tough. It was outdoors but you could have thrown cement out there and guys would have been excited to skate on it; it's Lambeau Field. So, yeah it was tough, but who cares, it was such a blast out there.'
Wisconsin entered the game in sole possession of first place in the WCHA but, as of today, they sit in third. The non-conference game played Saturday failed to help them gain points in the conference race, but the team sees the victory over Ohio State as a motivating factor.
'We as a coaching staff looked at [this game] as an energizer for the rest of the season,' Eaves said. 'This time of the year is kind of like the dog days of the season. This week was unique in terms of the energy it brought to the players. It will springboard us very well into the last few weeks of the season and into the playoffs.'
