Wisconsin hockey was on display as the Badgers won a pair of games in the College Hockey Showcase at the Kohl Center this weekend.
UW men's hockey got back to the .500 mark by way of a 3-1 win against Michigan State (4-9-3) Friday and a 3-0 shutout over No. 14 Michigan (9-7-0) Saturday. The weekend marked the first time the Badgers went 2-0 in the College Hockey Showcase since 2005-06 and the first ever sweep for the team on home ice.
Wisconsin (7-7-2) fired an unparalleled 53 shots at the Spartan net Friday night, but Michigan State goaltender Jeff Lerg was up to the challenge. Despite facing 36 shots through two periods, Lerg preserved the scoreless tie for nearly 37 minutes, turning aside a multitude of Badger scoring chances.
I didn't think we were sharp offensively early in the game,"" head coach Mike Eaves said. ""We just weren't productive enough. We missed some open nets.""
When the Badgers finally scored late in the second period, they did so in style. After an initial shot from freshman defenseman Jake Gardiner, junior forward Ben Grotting picked up a rebound in the slot and sent it flying over Lerg's shoulder to give Wisconsin a 1-0 lead.
""Things were just kind of going our way [Friday],"" Grotting said. ""It's nice to have those nights.""
Wisconsin doubled its lead midway through the third with a goal from junior forward John Mitchell and maintained control of the tempo until Michigan State's Tim Crowder flipped a rebound past senior goaltender Shane Connelly with just over six minutes to go.
Freshman forward Matt Thurber iced the game for the Badgers as he fired home a rebound from the near circle with just under three minutes remaining. Wisconsin held on the rest of the way, recording a 3-1 victory.
Fresh off a commanding victory in Minneapolis Friday night, Michigan looked to spoil the Badgers' weekend Saturday. Thanks to a trio of third period goals and Shane Connelly's second shutout of the season, Wisconsin came out on top, 3-0.
The Badgers got on the board early in the third period with a power-play tally from junior forward Michael Davies. Davies, who had recently been reactivated to the lineup made a solid impression on the coaching staff with his contributions offensively.
""I liked his energy,"" Eaves said. ""He showed some poise and confidence with the puck. It was a good first step back for Michael.""
Senior forward Tom Gorowsky added his fifth goal of the year to put Wisconsin up 2-0 midway through the third period. As Michigan goaltender Billy Sauer moved out of the crease to cover a rebound, Gorowsky sent the puck over Sauer's head and into the open net.
The Wolverines pulled Sauer for an extra attacker with 1:13 left in the contest but could not manage a comeback.
Freshman forward Jordy Murray added an empty-net goal to seal the 3-0 Wisconsin win.
With the seventh shutout of his career, Shane Connelly moved into a tie with Bernd Bruckler for fourth on Wisconsin's all-time shutout list.
The Badgers return to WCHA play next weekend when they face Alaska-Anchorage. Faceoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Kohl Center.
