Badgers come back to pick up sixth NCAA title in program historyMILWAUKEE—No championship season is complete without its challenges, and the Wisconsin Badgers had a final one at hand Saturday night that tested the team's mettle: break convention and come-from-behind to win the national title.
And this challenge, like the many others this season—among them, losing All-American and Frozen Four All-Tournament Team goaltender Brian Elliott for eight weeks—was met with heart and determination that no team in the nation can claim to rival.
The flaws were few and far between for the 2005-'06 team that earlier in the season posted an unbeaten streak of 14 games. But if there was one, it was that the Badgers were untested and perhaps not built for the comeback.
Of their 42 games before Saturday's, UW had staked a lead in 33 and was a dominant 26-6-1. In the nine contests in which their opponent led, the Badgers were 3-4-2.
Those could not have been consoling numbers for Badger fans when Boston College took a 1-0 lead nine minutes into the game. But Wisconsin, as senior captain Adam Burish said last week, came to Milwaukee to win a championship, not to sightsee at Miller Park and Miller Brewing.
One thing the guys kept saying on the bench is be patient and persistent,\ said Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves, who has now won as both a UW player and coach, when asked about the team's morale, down by a goal.
It became apparent at the Frozen Four over the weekend that some time ago, Eaves left the pep talks to the veteran players on the team. He did say, however, that he puts talking points up between periods.
So what were they in the first intermission, when the Badgers were trailing?
""I thought we needed to pick up our intensity,"" Eaves said.
That message was evidently taken to heart. Just over one minute into the second period, the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, junior Robbie Earl, took a lead pass from Burish and beat BC goalie Cory Schneider to tie the score.
Senior defenseman and assistant captain Tom Gilbert, who happened to score the winning goal on a beautiful execution of a power-play with just over 10 minutes left, spoke about the team's will and attitude in mounting the comeback.
""I think the character of our team says it all,"" he said. ""We had no doubt. That's what the guys were saying.""
""It's a testament to how great our team has been, and how the leadership has really guided everybody,"" Elliott added.
Under that guidance, the Badgers, champions for the first time since 1990, answered once last challenge.
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