The No. 13/14 Wisconsin men's hockey team returns to the familiar confines of the Kohl Center this weekend after spending the last two - including Thanksgiving weekend - on the road.
The Badgers (2-4 WCHA, 5-6-1 overall) will play host to No. 10 St. Cloud State, a team that they have enjoyed success against in the past, including a 2-0-1 record last season.
The Badgers know, however, that the Huskies (3-2-1, 7-3-2) are vastly improved over last year's squad, and they are ready for the Huskies' potent attack.
They are obviously very skilled and you have to be aware of them on the ice,"" senior defenseman and team captain Davis Drewiske said. ""But you also have to be physical with them too. You have to make them pay a price for coming in front of the net.""
Those players include sophomore forwards Ryan Lasch and Andreas Nodl, along with freshman forward Garrett Roe. Lasch (10 goals, 10 assists) and Roe (9, 11) lead the Huskies with 20 points each. Nodl is not far behind, tallying 12 points (4, 8) over the first 12 games of the season.
The Badgers are led by freshman forward Kyle Turris, who has 15 points (5, 10) on the season. The main staple of UW's offense, however, has been junior forward Ben Street (6, 7), who has been one of the few players able to produce against tough competition so far this season.
But Wisconsin is not without young players too. A majority of the athletes are underclassmen - 18 of the 27 - and the Badgers are hoping their youthful exuberance will make for a great weekend series.
""We've got a lot of young skilled players and so do they,"" sophomore forward Blake Geoffrion said. ""One of their top scorers, I think, is a freshman. They've just been able to use what they are good at, their speed and skill, and they bury their chances like we do.
""It's going to be a fun match this weekend. I figure they will just play to their strengths, which is their speed and skill.""
Minding the net for the Huskies is sophomore Jase Weslosky, who is 6-3 on the season. Weslosky has a save percentage of .924, a solid performance for a sophomore. He has started five of the six WCHA contests for the Huskies, and the Badgers can plan on seeing his No. 33 in front of the net Friday and Saturday.
""[Weslosky] is just like any other goalie,"" Geoffrion said. ""We have to get in front of him and not let him get comfortable. Just get the puck down low, and be physical and check for rebounds.""
The Badgers are backed by junior goaltender Shane Connelly. Connelly's record (4-6) reflects his level of play. He has played exceptionally well against teams like North Dakota, yet struggled against Colorado College.
Overall, Wisconsin has faired well against St. Cloud State. The Badgers lead the overall record 36-20-8. The last meeting between the two teams goes back to last year, when the Badgers won 4-3 in OT at St. Paul, Minn.
Both Friday's and Saturday's games will begin at 7 p.m. Friday's contest will be aired live on FSN North, while Saturday's affair will be aired on MyMadison TV. Both games will be tape-delayed on Wisconsin Public Television at 10:30 p.m.
Fans can also listen to the games live on the Wisconsin Radio Network, which is on WIBA 1310 AM in Madison.
