The eighth time was the charm for the Wisconsin men's hockey team this weekend.
In what looked to be another heartbreaking weekend after a 3-2 loss to North Dakota Friday, the Badgers rallied from a late two-goal deficit to down the Fighting Sioux 5-2 in their first win of the season Saturday night in Grand Forks.
Down 2-0 heading into the third period, Wisconsin (1-4-1 WCHA, 1-6-1 overall) scored three goals in 1:21, took the lead and never looked back. Junior forward Blake Geoffrion and senior forward Tom Gorowsky led the way for the Badgers with two goals each.
Wisconsin had multiple chances to get its first win on Friday night, but relinquished multiple leads to the Sioux (2-2-0, 2-4-0).
Freshman forward Derek Stepan's first goal as a Badger put the UW in front early in the second period. Sophomore forward Patrick Johnson forced a turnover behind the North Dakota net and sent a pass to a wide-open Stepan in slot, who put it home, giving Wisconsin a 1-0 lead.
The Sioux tied things up midway through the second as North Dakota senior forward Brad Miller fired a wrist shot over the shoulder of senior goaltender Shane Connelly. The game remained knotted at 1-1 through the second intermission.
Sophomore defenseman Brendan Smith recorded his third goal of the year on a power play to put the Badgers ahead two minutes into the third, but the Sioux answered less than two minutes later with a goal from senior forward Andrew Kozek.
The two teams traded power plays for the rest of the game, and North Dakota eventually capitalized with a game-winning goal from freshman forward Jason Gregoire with just over five minutes left in the game.
Saturday night looked like more of the same for Wisconsin as the Badgers trailed by two going into the third period after goals from Gregoire and senior forward Ryan Duncan, former Hobey Baker Award winner. A power play effort from Stepan got the UW on the board 56 seconds into the final stanza, and Geoffrion tied the game with a power play goal of his own less than a minute later.
Gorowsky finished off the early-period triple threat with a goal on a give-and-go from junior defenseman Jamie McBain. Sophomore forward Sean Dolan was credited with the secondary assist on the play.
Gorowsky added an unassisted insurance goal on a backhanded breakaway to put Wisconsin ahead 4-2 with 6:18 left in the game.
North Dakota attempted to mount a comeback late in the game, pulling freshman goaltender Brad Eidsness on a power play with less than four minutes to go, but it was not to be. Geoffrion found the empty net for his third goal of the season, propelling the Badgers to a 5-2 win.
After earning the much-needed split in Grand Forks, the Badgers return home next weekend to face the Michigan Tech Huskies. Faceoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Kohl Center.
- uwbadgers.com contributed to this report.
