The Wisconsin men's hockey team faced plenty of qustions about its youth as it kicked off the season against Northern Michigan, but if the early returns from this weekend are any indication, the kids are going to be alright.
The main focus heading into the weekend was on the Badgers' goaltending situation. Going into a season relying on two freshmen goalies is no enviable task. Landon Peterson and Joel Rumpel got their first taste of college hockey this weekend, and played at a level that few were expecting.
""They both played solid,"" junior defenseman Justin Schultz said. ""They kept us in both games and I was comfortable playing in front of them.""
Friday night's last-second overtime loss was disappointing for UW, but head coach Mike Eaves was pleased with what he saw in goal from Peterson, who stopped 16 of the 19 shots the Wildcats threw at him in the game.
""I thought he was very solid,"" Eaves said. ""He was square with the puck all night and did a nice job. He gave us a chance to win the game or get a tie.""
On a night where the Badgers were a dismal one-for-10 on the power play and struggled to maintain consistent offensive pressure, Peterson's play gave UW the opportunity to make its late game comeback to tie the game, a comeback that was fueled by the Badgers' group of young forwards.
Freshman forwards Matt Paape and Joseph LaBate set up sophomore defenseman Joe Faust for the first goal, and it was LaBate who came up clutch to tie the game.
Wisconsin's young team didn't seem fazed by the task of coming back. The game may have ended with a disappointing result, but it was encouraging to see a Badgers roster made up of 20 freshmen and sophomores play with a poise rarely seen in players their age.
That never-give-up mentality continued the next night as Wisconsin's top line of sophomore forwards Michael Mersch, Tyler Barnes and Mark Zengerle fueled the team's second two-goal comeback of the weekend.
""It was nice to see that line [...] play at the level they're capable of,"" Eaves said. ""They want to be ‘the guys' on this team offensively.""
Barnes and Mersch scored the goals that erased Northern Michigan's early two-goal lead, and Zengerle chipped in an assist. Those three will be counted on to be the line the Badgers lean on for offensive support—a lot to ask of a trio of sophomores, but if their performance on Saturday is any indication the three are capable of filling that role.
However, for the second straight night, it was the play of a freshman goaltender that allowed UW to make a comeback.
After a shaky start where he seemed to fight the puck a bit, allowing big rebounds, Joel Rumpel eventually settled in, making 31 saves and coming up huge for the Badgers in the third period to seal the win. After the game Eaves called Rumpel a leading factor in the team's big third period.
""I thought he was comfortable in the third period and that reflected our team,"" he said.
With a young team there are sure to be plenty of ups and downs as the group learns and grows this season, but this weekend the youthful Badgers showed that their inexperience may not be as big a detriment as people think.
