The Badgers look to get back on track this weekend against the No. 14 Denver Pioneers after a disappointing split last weekend against Alaska-Anchorage. In last week's action, the Badgers needed overtime to win Friday's matchup, and followed with a 2-1 loss Saturday. As a result, Wisconsin fell to No. 7 in the nation with a 4-4-2 record, and has two huge games this weekend to re-establish itself as a top-tier team.
""We struggled a little bit last weekend and need to get back to the basics,"" senior forward Andrew Joudrey said. ""Winning isn't easy. If it was, everyone would be doing it. Our team just needs to get back to the basic little details in practice along with making sure our system is intact.""
Getting back to the ""basic little details"" will be extremely important this weekend, as the Badgers face a tough Denver team. Last season, Wisconsin lost both home games to the Pioneers, a team that featured defenseman Matt Carle who went on to win the Hobey Baker Award for the top player in the country. The Pioneers had won the national championship two years consecutively before the Badgers stopped that streak last season.
""They know how to play and know how to win,"" Joudrey said. ""They've got good coaching, good goaltending, good speed up front, and good defense. They're an all-around great team and we'll have our hands full with them. We need to focus on ourselves along with watching their video to see what we have coming.""
The good news from the Badger camp is that some of the team's internal problems could be fixed with the expected Friday return of senior Ross Carlson.
""It's a good chance Ross will be back in, and I think the timing is right for Ross to come in,"" head coach Mike Eaves said. ""And what he brings us as an athlete is something that we could use right now. It would be like getting a B12 shot, so we look forward, you know, he's going to practice today full board, and he has this whole week to prepare for the weekend.""
The return of Carlson could help create the turnaround the Badgers need. The offense has been somewhat stagnant, as both Carlson and sophomore Jack Skille have missed considerable time. Carlson also brings more senior leadership to the ice, and has done the little things necssary to create scoring opportunities. These two things will be crucial against Denver, and are some of the areas the Badgers will need to improve on before their weekend series.
Senior forward Jake Dowell noted other areas in which the Badgers need work.
""I think it's trying to play more physical, to create turnovers and energy and from those we'll make more scoring chances,"" he said.
Denver will be led by a face familiar to Badger fans. Pioneer head coach George Gwozdecky played forward for Wisconsin, and won a national championship with the team during the 1977 season.
Gwozdecky and the Pioneers are coming off a split against Minnesota-Duluth, and are currently 2-2 in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, and 4-4 overall.
The Badgers may face two different goalies this weekend, as Denver likes to split time between goalies Glenn Fisher and Peter Mannino. Junior forward Ryan Dingle and freshman forward Tyler Ruegsegger have set the scoring bar thus far for the Pioneers, and play physical and quick. On defense, the Badgers will need to keep these two in front of them, and play physical as well.
""They're going to come out hard and we need to match their heart,"" Dowell said. ""It's kind of the same situation we've had all year, that we need to play our game and play physical. When we do that we're effective and hopefully we'll give ourselves a better chance to win.""
