The must-win mentality is generally reserved for the playoffs and consequential games at the end of the season, but the Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey team embraced the mindset to salvage a series split this past weekend against Minnesota State at the Kohl Center.
One night after being thoroughly outplayed in a collectively-described ""embarrassing"" 3-1 loss, the Badgers made an earnest effort to bring their best game from wire-to-wire in a 4-1 victory.
Spirits were down following Friday's game, the Badgers' second straight loss in the conference. UW never led and trailed by three goals at one point. That led sophomore forward Jack Skille to label the back end of the series a ""must-win."" He delivered more than just words, putting a big mark on the game with his first career hat trick, including the goal that proved to be the game-winner.
Making his fourth start of the season Saturday, sophomore Shane Connelly continued his impressive run, making 17 saves and running his record on the season to 3-0-1.
""His teammates will tell you it's getting harder and harder to beat him in practice,"" head coach Mike Eaves said, referring to Connelly's progression from last year, when he went 3-5.
""Shane's been playing awesome all year, whenever he gets the opportunity,"" senior right-wing Jake Dowell added.
Connelly was placed in the lineup to spell senior goaltender Brian Elliott, who made 23 saves Friday night. Elliott allowed two goals in the second period and another in the third, at which point the Badgers were effectively out of the game. Their lone score came from sophomore forward Ben Street, his sixth of the year.
Saturday, though, the Badgers revealed the duality of their ways, coming out a seemingly different team. In the first period, freshman forward Michael Davies got his sixth goal of the season right after a UW power play ended. He took the puck from left to right around the net and snuck one past MSU sophomore goaltender Mike Zacharias for a 1-0 lead. That was the only score the Badgers had to show after 20 minutes, despite ripping 17 shots against the Mavericks' mere two.
Thereafter, it was the Jack Skille show. He scored the game-winner in the second period, and, with the Badgers holding a slim 2-1 lead in the third, he tacked on two more, one of which involved a sequence where he beat two defenders, spun and flipped a backhander from an extremely difficult angle. His hat trick was assured with only 57 seconds remaining and an opposing open net.
""It was just a fun night,"" Skille said. ""I can't remember the last time I had a hat trick.""
Still, Eaves was quick to note that the series was ""somewhat bittersweet"" without two wins.
""But we have to control the things we can control,"" he said. ""Getting this win is what exactly we can control. We went out and did that. Now, next Friday is the next biggest game of the year ... It's a must-win for us.""
