Redemption was sweet for junior forward Michael Davies and the Wisconsin men's hockey team this weekend.
After sitting out six games earlier this season, Davies bounced back with four points in two games as the Badgers swept No. 15 Alaska-Anchorage 3-2 and 7-2 at the Kohl Center.
It feels like the hard work paid off, not just for me but for the entire team,"" Davies said.
Wisconsin (9-7-2) jumped out to a commanding 3-0 lead Friday night, only to have the Seawolves (7-7-2) climb back into the game.
Senior forward Blake Geoffrion netted the game's first goal less than four minutes into the second period. Geoffrion took a centering pass from Davies and dropped to one knee in the slot, sending the puck sailing past UAA goalie Bryce Christianson and giving UW a 1-0 lead.
The Badgers scored two goals in 21 seconds to close out the second period. Freshman forward Derek Stepan flipped in a rebound on the power play to double Wisconsin's lead. Sophomore defenseman Cody Goloubef followed up with a slap shot from the blue line on the far side to give the Badgers a 3-0 advantage at the end of two.
After losing Geoffrion to an apparent ankle injury late in the second period, the Badgers seemed to lose momentum as well. Anchorage got on the board with an unassisted goal from Sean Wiles midway through the third, and UAA's Trevor Hunt added a power-play goal to pull the Seawolves within one, but Wisconsin hung on, snagging a 3-2 win.
""It was a wacky game,"" head coach Mike Eaves said. ""It's like flying a plane that's been wounded and you're trying to land it. You're trying to do the best you can.""
After recording a pair of assists on Friday, Davies scored the first goal of the game Saturday night. Picking up a drop pass from freshman forward Jordy Murray, the junior tucked the puck between the legs of Anchorage goaltender Jon Olthuis and gave Wisconsin a 1-0 lead.
""I just want to go out there and do the things that I do best,"" Davies said. ""I think [we] played pretty well together.""
The Badgers lit the lamp again early in the second period on a 2-on-0 breakaway.
Sophomore forward Podge Turnbull and sophomore defenseman Ryan McDonagh traded passes in the slot, and Turnbull lifted the puck over a sprawling Olthuis for a 2-0 advantage.
Wisconsin showed its quick-strike ability in the third, scoring a pair of goals in 11 seconds. With the Badgers already up 4-0, sophomore defenseman Brendan Smith put the puck home from the far circle on the man-advantage. After the resulting faceoff, sophomore forward Sean Dolan forced a turnover deep in the offensive zone and hammered in his own rebound to push the lead to 6-0.
""At any given moment, any line can chip in,"" junior defenseman Jamie McBain said. ""Our strength is in our depth.""
Anchorage recorded a pair of goals midway through the third period, but Davies had the final word, scoring unassisted with just over four minutes left to cement the 7-2 victory.
The sweep of the Seawolves puts Wisconsin's unbeaten streak at five games, and the team improved its record to 9-1-1 since Nov. 1.
""It's quite an accomplishment for this group,"" Eaves said. ""[The team] stayed together through tough times and we persevered.""
