Perhaps the Badgers should consider adopting a new mantra for the season: There’s no place like home.
After a rusty performance in Ann Arbor in which they failed to secure a win, Wisconsin (7-4-1 Big Ten, 16-8-2 overall) returned to the Kohl Center in spectacular fashion and proved they have no respect for conference hierarchy as they dismantled No. 1 Minnesota (8-2-2, 19-4-5), sweeping their Big Ten border rival.
Thursday night the Badgers received more than just home ice again, as sophomore forward and offensive powerhouse Nic Kerdiles returned to the lineup after missing several games with a separated shoulder injury.
“[Nic] was fresh and had a lots of energy for us,” head coach Mike Eaves said. “And it was fun to see him back out there again because he gives our team another level of offense.”
Initially, it seemed like Wisconsin was overwhelmed by Minnesota’s fast and physical pace. The Gophers controlled the puck and speed of the game for much of the first period.
A little over halfway in, Minnesota senior defenseman Justin Holl headed to the penalty box for interference. Shortly after, senior defenseman Frankie Simonelli added one more element back into Wisconsin’s game they had sorely been missing: A powerplay goal.
After struggling with the man advantage for several games, Simonelli broke through for the Badgers at just about over a minute and a half on their powerplay. With freshman right winger Jedd Soleway screening in front of Minnesota sophomore goaltender Adam Wilcox, Simonelli ripped a shot from the left point, giving the Badgers the 1-0 lead. Assists were credited to junior center Joseph LaBate and sophomore defenseman Kevin Schulze.
“Anytime you get the first goal, it's big,” Simonelli said post-game. “You know the power play has been struggling as of late, so that helps out as well.”
Wisconsin’s celebrations wouldn't last for too long, as Minnesota’s aggressive forecheck caused Badger defender Jake McCabe to turn over the puck to junior center Kyle Rau. Rau then gave it to left winger Taylor Cammarata who beat Wisconsin goaltender Joel Rumpel to give the Gophers the equalizer.
The second period saw no goals but plenty of chances with both teams firing away at the opposing goaltenders who both seemed impenetrable. The Badgers also had six blocked shots and an overall game total of 15.
At just over a minute into the third period Rau had a chance to give the Gophers the lead on a breakaway. But Rumpel once again proved solid for Wisconsin and turned the puck away.
“We had a back checker on him pretty tight, and he was kind of on his hip on the left side there,” Rumpel said of Rau’s chance. “So I figured he had to go glove side on me, and I just kind of read the play.”
At just over 13 minutes into the final period it was McCabe who broke through to give the Wisconsin the eventual game-winner. The junior defenseman and Hobey Baker candidate took a pass from Soleway, stick handled in front of net and buried a wrist shot from the right circle.
The goal gave the Badgers the 2-1 lead, and also gave McCabe a bit of redemption.
“Actually, after the first [period], I sit next to [Rumpel] in the locker room and I said I owed him one,” McCabe said of the turnover. “It was definitely my fault, completely … so I guess to get him one back, actually, it felt good.”
Minnesota pulled Wilcox with just one minute left in the game, and even had a two-man advantage over the Badgers when Simonelli took a late penalty for holding, but the Gophers couldn’t break through.
Wisconsin earned their first victory of the series, 2-1.
On Friday night, the largest crowd ever for hockey descended on the Kohl Center, and both teams hit the ice in similar fashion as they had on Thursday.
Wilcox and Rumpel were both back between the pipes for their teams. However it was Wisconsin who controlled the pace from the opening face-off, not allowing Minnesota too many chances to clear the puck and tiring out their defenders.
“We moved our legs, we won more races,” Eaves said after Friday night’s game. “We got really fine goaltending and some really timely goals.”
With just 20 seconds remaining in the first period Nic Kerdiles attempted a shot that Wilcox blocked, and was knocked to the ice. But as he fell, he managed to pass the puck to between a Gopher defender’s legs to freshman right winger Grant Besse who beat Wilcox for his seventh goal of the season.
“It feels good,” Besse said. “It feels good to obviously beat the Gophers, but the bigger picture is that we got six points this weekend and we’re happy about that.”
Wisconsin began the second period with the one goal lead and kept battling with Minnesota. However, the physical game reached an all time high at the ten-minute mark of the second when McCabe laid a huge check on Rau, who went down hard into the ice. A fight ensued after and when the officials had finally sorted things out, McCabe’s hit was deemed illegal, earning him a major penalty and an ejection for the remainder of the night.
Equalizing roughing penalties had the teams at a 4-on-4 for two minutes, and then the Gophers went on the major powerplay for three minutes. Minnesota junior right winger Seth Ambroz earned the Gophers the tying goal on the man-advantage.
With the storyline similar to the night before, the teams came into the third period tied 1-1. And again as he was tested early on, Joel Rumpel came up huge for his team with a stellar save against a surging Gopher offense.
“It’s kind of a weird feeling for goaltending, but you just get in a bit of a groove,” Rumpel said of his confidence in net. “The puck just seems bigger, you’re reading plays before they happen and being on the ice more and battling hard in practice towards the end of the season helps a lot.”
Just as it seemed like neither team could create any more offensive chances, it was Kerdiles who proved to be the difference maker with a slap shot from just inside the blue line. Kerdiles’ goal was his second point of the night, and his first goal since returning from injury.
“He’s definitely a high-powered offensive player,” Simonelli said of his teammate. “And we need big players like that to step up in big games.”
The Gophers once again couldn’t find a way to solve Rumpel and the Wisconsin defense, and fell 2-1 for the second night in a row.
The last time Wisconsin swept a number one team was in 2004 against North Dakota, and their last sweep of Minnesota at home was in 1999.
Sweeping their rival No. 1 Minnesota will certainly be one for the record books.
