Wisconsin was two last-second shots away from a winless week at the Kohl Center. But what was oh-so-close to the last nail in the Badgers’ coffin ended up becoming a home stand that just may mark the defining moment in a Big Ten title run.
As I sat in my apartment Saturday afternoon, having just watched Ben Brust’s half-court prayer send the Wisconsin-Michigan game into overtime, I tried to remember the last time I was this excited by a sporting event—any sporting event. When was the last time that a play literally made me jump out of my seat and start jumping up and down while yelling myself horse?
The Wisconsin softball team travels to Charlotte, N.C., Friday, where it will participate in the First Pitch Classic to open up its season. The University of North Carolina-Charlotte will host the weekend’s festivities at D.L. Phillips Softball Complex.
It had been nearly two full years since the Wisconsin men’s basketball team had beaten Iowa and with six minutes left still facing a nine-point deficit, it looked as if the Badgers were going to add yet another year to the drought.
Thursday night the Wisconsin women's basketball team (2-7 Big Ten, 10-12 overall) will travel to Columbus to take on Ohio state (2-7, 12-10). The last time these two teams met the Badgers walked away with their first conference victory this season, taking down the Buckeyes 68-49 in Madison.
Men’s Hockey
An old, old cliché in sports says that “it is better to be lucky than good.” As antiquated as that notion seems to be, perhaps no team embodied that idea more than the 2012 Baltimore Ravens.
Despite notching a 24-point victory in their last meeting with Illinois, the Badgers were anything but comfortable heading to Champaign to face a desperate Illini team. But on the strength of breakout performances from Illinois natives junior Ben Brust and sophomore Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin was able to get back into the win column with a 74-68 victory.
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.
Track
The top players in the National Football League were honored Saturday night at the NFL awards ceremony. That night, the world found out whether Adrian Peterson or Peyton Manning would nab the Associated Press Most Valuable Player award and which rookie sensation quarterback would walk away with the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
When the Philadelphia Eagles announced Oregon head football coach Chip Kelly was taking his talents to the City of Brotherly Love, it did not come as a shock to me.
The Wisconsin women’s basketball team (1-6 Big Ten, 9-11 overall) will be hosting No. 7 Penn State (7-0, 17-2) in a Big Ten contest Thursday night.
Wisconsin (5-2 Big Ten, 14-6 overall) may have ended its two-game slide with a win over then-No. 12 Minnesota Saturday, but it won’t be easy for UW to turn that victory into a winning streak. The Badgers will travel to Columbus, Ohio, for a showdown with the No. 11 Buckeyes (5-2, 15-4) Tuesday at the Value City Arena.
Women’s Basketball
In the midst of the now-forgotten NHL lockout, much was made about what player were and were not taking advantage of the time off by playing in other leagues. Those who played in the American Hockey League or Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League were expected to come in and set the score sheet ablaze, while those who hibernated over the 119-day lockout would need some time to re-adjust to game speed.
The No. 20 Wisconsin men’s hockey team (6-5-5 WCHA, 9-8-5 overall) will look to bounce back from their first loss in twelve games and continue their run up the WCHA standings when they host Alaska-Anchorage (1-13-4, 3-14-5) at the Kohl Center this weekend.
The Wisconsin women’s hockey team (11-7-2 WCHA, 15-7-2 overall) faces the toughest challenge remaining this season as it hosts No. 1 Minnesota (18-0-0, 24-0-0) this weekend at LaBahn Arena. The top-ranked Golden Gophers have yet to fall this season and come into this series after tying the NCAA unbeaten streak last weekend.
Men's Hockey vs. Minnesota: Feb. 17
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