Last season, Wisconsin (17-9-2-2 WCHA, 23-9-2 overall) found itself heading into the postseason confident off a regular season title and with national title aspirations as the country’s No. 1 team. After falling short of that goal, this year’s Badgers will look to advance through the playoffs in the underdog role.
A tough loss and a short week of practice apparently had no affect on the No. 16 Wisconsin men’s hockey team (12-7-7 WCHA, 16-11-7 overall) this weekend, as it swept No. 13 Nebraska-Omaha (14-10-2, 18-14-2) on the road.
Win and advance. That is the mentality the No. 2 seeded and No. 6 Wisconsin women’s hockey team needed to possess in its WCHA first-round matchup with St. Cloud State this past weekend, and it did just that. The Badgers took both contests by scores of 5-0 and 4-1. The victories extended Wisconsin’s winning streak against the Huskies to 16 games.
The race for the 2013 WCHA conference tournament crown is underway and second-seeded and No.6 ranked Wisconsin women’s hockey team (17-9-2 WCHA, 21-9-2 overall) will look to build upon their late-season momentum, as they host seventh-seeded St. Cloud State (5-21-2, 9-22-3) in the first round of the WCHA Playoff series—the first ever playoff series at the LaBahn Arena.
Following a tough 3-2 overtime loss Monday night, the Wisconsin men’s hockey team looks to regroup and make a run over its last two series of the season.
While it was not lacking in chances, the Wisconsin men’s hockey team could not take advantage of them as they fell to Penn State 3-2 in overtime.
What started off as a dud could not have finished with a louder bang, as the Wisconsin men’s hockey team (11-7-7 WCHA, 14-10-7 overall) took down Penn State (12-14) 5-0 in the first meeting between the two teams.
Some tough defense and some timely scoring by the usual suspects were enough for the Wisconsin women’s hockey team (17-9-2-2 WCHA, 21-9-2 overall) to grab a weekend road sweep over the Bemidji State Beavers (5-22-1, 6-24-2).
Coming off a big win over No. 2 Minnesota in Chicago last weekend, the No. 18 Wisconsin men’s hockey team is returning to Madison to host Penn State in the first ever meeting between the two teams.
It is not where you start, it is where you finish. This phenomenon extends to teams year-in and year-out, especially to the No. 6 Wisconsin women’s hockey team (15-9-2 WCHA, 19-9-2 overall) this season.
CHICAGO—The Badgers seem to have found their hot streak in the coldest of environments.
In a stirring series that included a 17-penalty game and a charged tribute to their seniors, the No. 7 Badgers (15-9-2) WCHA, 19-9-2 overall) saw their offense ignite against the University of Minnesota-Duluth (13-12-1-0, 14-13-3). The wins—a decisive 3-1 victory Saturday and a 3-2 overtime thriller on Sunday—cap off what has been an exceptional first season for UW in its new home, LaBahn Arena. The next time the Badgers play at LaBahn, they will be hosting their opponents in the WCHA playoffs.
Wisconsin vs. Minnesota, it is already the marquee rivalry for both schools, but when something as rare as an outdoor game is added to the mix, the series becomes something even more special.
With only four games to go in the regular season, crunch time is on for the No. 9 Wisconsin women’s hockey team (13-9-2-2 WCHA, 17-9-2 overall). And rather then the schedule getting easier, the Badgers will welcome Minnesota-Duluth (13-10-1, 14-11-3) to La Bahn Arena for the final home series of the season.
It’s not a regular occurrence that an athletic department has—at its disposal, right in its own backyard—the type of coach and person Wisconsin women’s hockey head coach Mark Johnson currently is and has become since taking over the program in 2002 after his stint with the men’s hockey program. The Wisconsin athletic department had that luxury, and the women’s hockey program has not been the same since.
If the Wisconsin men’s hockey team (9-6-7 WCHA, 12-9-7 overall) has experience with one thing this season, it’s close games. For the 15th and 16th times, the Badgers played in games this weekend that were decided by one goal or less.
After being swept at home last weekend against border rival and top-ranked Minnesota, the Wisconsin women’s hockey team (13-9-2-2 WCHA, 17-9-2 overall) rebounded nicely to grab a pair of road wins against St. Cloud State (4-19-1, 8-20-2) this weekend. With the sweep, the Badgers have now won three straight conference games away from Madison.
Coming off its first series without a win since Dec. 7-8, the Wisconsin men’s hockey team (8-6-6 WCHA, 11-9-6 overall) will look to rebound this weekend as it hosts Bemidji State (4-12-4, 5-16-5) at the Kohl Center.
It’s been quite a roller-coaster season for the Wisconsin women’s hockey team. The pre-season expectations were high for the squad as they always have been since head coach Mark Johnson took over at the helm.
After skating to a 1-1 tie Friday night, the No. 19 Wisconsin men’s hockey team (8-6-6 WCHA, 11-9-6 overall) had a much rougher go Saturday against No. 7/8 North Dakota (9-5-6, 14-8-6). The Badgers saw their 11-game WCHA unbeaten streak snapped and one of their leaders carried off the ice in a 4-1 loss in Grand Forks, N.D.
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Solutions by The State News
