Wisconsin had a bye last weekend, which might not have been welcomed by the team as its offense established a groove in its first home series of the season. Robert Morris let through 15 Badger goals as Wisconsin went eight for 17 on power plays in the Oct. 19-20 series.
The top two lines for Wisconsin contributed 29 points that weekend, a feat made more impressive by the fact that only one of the six players, junior forward Ben Street, is an upperclassman. The Badger offense featured crisp puck movement which led to numerous one-timers and a deluge of good shots.
In goal, freshman Scott Gudmandson saw his first action in a Wisconsin uniform, starting the second game and playing well, stopping 25 of 27 shots on goal.
During Gudmandson's start, the young Badgers were put to the test when the Colonials cut a 3-0 lead to 3-2. Wisconsin showed its mettle by striking back with the game's final five goals.
Michigan Tech staged a big upset last weekend winning over then top-ranked North Dakota, 3-1. The Huskies' luck ran out, however, in the second game as the Fighting Sioux cruised to a 6-0 victory.
In its victory, the Huskies were outshot 26 to 13 but managed to sneak two pucks past Sioux senior goalie Jean-Philippe Lamoureux. Michigan Tech opened the scoring in the second period with a powerplay goal from freshman forward Bennett Royer but North Dakota tied it up 10 minutes later. Halfway through the third, sophomore defenseman Drew Dobson scored the game winner and Michigan Tech added an empty net goal with less than a minute to go.
The split propelled the Huskies to No. 13 in the USCHO rankings, which will be the third ranked opponent Wisconsin faces this season.
Preview
Michigan Tech was 11-12-5 in the WCHA last season. The Huskies return some of its top scorers, which earned a sweep in Houghton in its only regular season series against Wisconsin. The Badgers beat Michigan Tech in the WCHA Final Five.
Michigan Tech's top line, which pairs two seniors with a freshman, does not have the scoring prowess of its Badger counterparts but is more seasoned. The top line has 24 points and 10 goals in four games.
The UW defense has allowed 2.50 goals per game this season. That, combined with its consistent offense puts Wisconsin third in the nation in scoring margin with plus 3.
Michigan Tech was the first team to score on North Dakota this season. They have the conference's fifth best offense and is scoring three goals per game. If the past weekend is any indication, the Huskies have the ability to compete against prolific offenses.
Huskies' head coach Jamie Russell has never had any overly successful seasons but his team did upset Wisconsin's 05-06 title team, ending a 14-game unbeaten streak. Russell's background in defense and penalty killing means that Michigan Tech could exploit the Badgers' youth on offense.
Expect a high scoring affair with the Badgers overcoming Michigan Tech's defense. Wisconsin will need to score early and often against this experienced Michigan Tech squad.
