With their high level of play so far this season, the young Wisconsin men's hockey team had surprised a lot of people. But, after this weekend's series it is clear that they still have some growing to do. Welcoming North Dakota to Madison, the Badgers experienced some growing pains and suffered a two-game sweep against a veteran Fighting Sioux squad.
On Friday night the Wisconsin power play, one of the top ranked units in the country, did not look in sync. Wisconsin went 0-for-6 on the power play Friday night, including two five minute advantages thanks to two North Dakota game misconducts for hits to the head. The Fighting Sioux made the penalty kill look easy, and the Badgers helped by turning the puck over and failing to execute crisp passes.
""We weren't being simple. I think that everybody was on their own; everyone was on a different page and we just weren't connecting like we can,"" sophomore forward Craig Smith said. ""It doesn't help when you don't get a shot off on a five-minute power play, that's pretty frustrating.""
Even with the struggles on the power play, the Badgers still had a chance to win the game thanks to strong defensive play including a brilliant game in goal from senior goaltender Scott Gudmandson. But on this night the Badgers could not overcome their struggles.
After battling through two and a half scoreless periods, it was the Sioux who finally struck the game's first, and decisive blow.
In a race for the puck down the right boards, North Dakota junior forward Jason Gregoire outhustled Wisconsin senior forward Patrick Johnson, picked up the puck, went in on Gudmandson and wristed it top left to give the Sioux the 1-0 lead. That score would stand up as the final.
""Without question our youth was exposed tonight,"" head coach Mike Eaves said. ""When things didn't go the way we wanted we started to press, we started to go outside the box in terms of how we wanted to play as a team.""
In Saturday's game, North Dakota's offense overwhelmed Wisconsin, outshooting the Badgers 43-15 and the Badgers offense wasn't able to generate enough chances until it was too late, with the team taking a 4-2 loss.
""I thought we would create more opportunities going into the weekend,"" Eaves said. ""But the way North Dakota pressured, they didn't give us anything from the rush, and they fronted the puck in their own zone. They blocked a lot of shots""
The Sioux struck first in the second period, when senior forward Matt Frattin beat Gudmandson with a shot from the point, and they never looked back.
Wisconsin briefly tied the game in the third period when sophomore defender John Ramage scored with a booming slap shot from the point, but North Dakota answered right back with a goal from sophomore Corban Knight.
North Dakota rattled off two more goals from Frattin and Knight to build the lead to 4-1 before Wisconsin defenseman Justin Schultz cut into the lead with a shot from the point. That proved to be the games final tally, and the Sioux skated away with a 4-2 victory to complete the sweep.
""It was definitely a reality check,"" junior defenseman Jake Gardiner said of the series. ""We played an older team in North Dakota this weekend, and they got the better of us. We didn't play our game; we didn't play Wisconsin Hockey this weekend.""
""It wasn't so much the effort, it was the heart. Coach Eaves always thrives on that, and we didn't give it.""
