A familiar style of impenetrable defensive play resurfaced for the Badger men's hockey team over the weekend. The team allowed just one goal in the two-game series against St. Cloud State.
The backbone of the team's defensive efforts was the re-emergence of league-leading goaltender Brian Elliott, who blocked 64 of 65 shots the Huskies fired his way.
To be honest, I just hate letting in goals. You can say all you want, this and that, but when it comes down to it, you want to play the best you can at your position. I just wanted to be solid for these guys on senior weekend,\ Elliott said.
Elliott made his presence known early in Friday's game with subtle saves, but made a statement that he was truly on top of his game midway through the third frame when he made a kick save on a sure-to-be Husky power play goal with his formerly injured right leg.
""We definitely saw glimpses of the Brian that we knew before,"" Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves said. ""When he had to see the puck and work to see the puck and control it, he did a nice job.""
Friday's shutout was Elliott's fourth of the season, tying him for the single season UW record. It was also the seventh of his career, putting the junior in second place on the all-time Badger list.
Elliott's armor remained un-chinked until the third period Saturday night when Husky sophomore forward Andrew Gordon snapped in a one-timer to the glove side before Elliott had time to react. The goal was the only one the Huskies scored all weekend.
The Badgers did not perform as well defensively Saturday, but with full confidence in their goaltender they converted their defensive energy into offensive power, scoring three goals on Bobby Goepfert, who many people consider the league's second best goaltender behind Elliott.
""[Goepfert's] numbers speak for themselves. If you take a look at what they were projected to do and what they've actually accomplished, that all started right between the pipes,"" Eaves said.
St. Cloud State head coach Bob Motzko said he was proud of the way his team played Saturday night, and liked the fact that his team actually got to Elliott and challenged him, they just couldn't beat him.
""I thought [Elliott] was pretty darn good tonight,"" Motzko said. ""I think he's got the confidence going into the playoffs, whatever people were writing about him, they've got a different pen out now.""
Another staple in the Badgers' defense is senior defenseman Tom Gilbert, whose flukey goal from behind the red line in the second period put the Badgers up by two.
""It must have been because of Senior Night that the puck went in for me,"" Gilbert said. ""I was actually trying to pass to Joe Pavelski. I didn't even know the puck went in until the crowd started cheering.""
A fitting end to Senior Night for the Badgers happened in the third period when Gilbert took a shot from the point and senior winger Ryan MacMurchy tipped the puck past Goepfert to regain the two-goal lead.
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