A weekend set against Minnesota-Duluth tallied three points for the Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey team. More importantly, it provided an invaluable lesson in skating into the third period with the lead. Taking the ice without the top three returning scorers from last season, the Badgers skated to a 2-2 tie Friday and a convincing 5-2 victory Saturday.
In their series opener Friday night, the Badgers were poised for victory, carrying a 2-1 lead into the third period. But Duluth—the conference's top power play team entering the weekend—took advantage of an inopportune tripping penalty by UW junior forward Matt Ford with 4:58 remaining. Consequently, sophomore defenseman Josh Meyers struck a shot past senior Badger goalie Brian Elliott (22 saves) to tie the game.
The Badgers (2-1-1 WCHA, 3-1-2 overall) ratcheted up the pressure in overtime, attempting eight shots to Duluth's three, but the scoreless session left them lamenting the lost lead.
""Anytime you give up the lead it's disappointing,"" said senior forward and captain Andrew Joudrey, who scored in the second period to break a 1-1 deadlock. ""For us, we need to learn as a team, when you have the lead in the third period, you can't just hang on. Even though you're ahead, you've got to play to win.""
The Badgers did not have to wait long for the next opportunity. Saturday night's contest saw the Badgers forge ahead of Duluth with 12 seconds remaining in the second period for a lead they would not relinquish.
In the first period, the Bulldogs' sophomore winger Michael Gergen punched one in on an early power play past Elliott (34 saves), but UW drew even late in the period on freshman wing Ben Grotting's first score as a Badger.
Two minutes later, sophomore center Ben Street staked the Badgers to a 2-1 lead, as he also beat freshman goaltender Alex Stalock (13 saves), whose unorthodox style was a talking point among UW players over the weekend.
Flashes of the previous night were in the air 6:30 into the second period, when Duluth junior center and captain Matt McKnight scored on a power play to square the score at two apiece. But Wisconsin's next lead was one they kept.
Jamie McBain, a freshman defenseman, netted his first goal in a Badger uniform on a shot from the point for a 3-2 lead, which prompted a meeting at intermission on how to avoid Friday night's pitfall.
""We had a real heart-to-heart talk,"" said senior forward Jake Dowell, who scored two insurance goals in the third period. ""Andrew Joudrey stepped up and had a real speech with everybody, and it got guys going. That's what we needed.""
Head coach Mike Eaves had praise for the team's leadership when the Badgers were not at their best.
""On a night where UMD probably should have got some points, and we didn't have our A-game, we hung in there, we struggled, and we found a way to get two points at home.""
