Sports

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SPORTS

Cluttered WCHA means must-wins against Mavericks

By Parker Gabriel | Feb. 12, 2010

Every year, the four weeks of February seem to produce a knockdown, drag-out fight for bragging rights atop the WCHA, and this year is no different. With four weeks remaining in the regular season, the top five teams are separated by only four points. The Badgers (11-6-3 WCHA, 16-7-4 overall) enter the stretch run looking to gain ground against a Minnesota State team that has long since exited the race and is attempting to play spoiler. The puck drops at 8 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday night at the Kohl Center.

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SPORTS

Badgers continue NCAA tournament push against Hoosiers

By Mark Bennett | Feb. 12, 2010

It has been a roller-coaster few weeks for the Wisconsin women's basketball team. The Badgers (7-6 Big Ten, 17-7 overall) have gone just 2-3 over their last five games. That stretch has included a few heart-wrenching, second-half meltdowns, a double-overtime win against Minnesota, and a last-second loss last Sunday night against Purdue.

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SPORTS

Badgers look to stay in race against Indiana

By Scott Kellogg and Eric Kleefeld | Feb. 12, 2010

Last Tuesday, the unthinkable happened when Bo Ryan's Badgers dropped a home contest to an unranked Big Ten squad, something which has never happened before under his watch. But after another loss by Michigan State, Wisconsin has an opportunity to stay in the Big Ten race with a home game against a squad in the lower-half of the Big Ten  —Indiana.

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SPORTS

Weighing the All-Star Games

By Jack Doyle | Feb. 12, 2010

With so much talk about how the Pro Bowl is irrelevant, and with the NBA's All-Star Game this weekend, I felt it would be a good time to discuss the highs and lows of each of the Big Five's—yes, I counted soccer—superstar showcases.

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SPORTS

Climate at Camp Randall marred by student section

By Ben Breiner | Feb. 11, 2010

When the over seven-hour experiment of hockey in Camp Randall finally came to a close, the waves of praise came as quickly as the Badger forwards chasing dumped pucks into the corner.

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SPORTS

Wisconsin takes on Nebraska at Nielsen

By Emma Condon and Tony Schultz | Feb. 11, 2010

The Wisconsin men's tennis team will try to follow up last Saturday's double victory by tallying another against No. 66 Nebraska Thursday afternoon at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium.

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SPORTS

Media ignore importance of team by overhyping superstars

By Scott Kellogg and Haleigh Amant and Ryan Bullen | Feb. 10, 2010

I couldn't believe what I heard after Super Bowl XLIV. After a season of reading and watching virtually every NFL analyst declare Peyton Manning the best quarterback in NFL history and a player performing at the height of his career, sports pundits were now debating whether, after one game, Drew Brees is now better than Manning.

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SPORTS

Badgers go cold late, suffer first home loss

By Nick Schmitt | Feb. 10, 2010

Down four with just over two minutes remaining before the Badgers would be hit with their first home loss of the season, sophomore guard Jordan Taylor split between two Illinois defenders and saw an open lane to the basket. The lay-up would cut the Fighting Illini's lead to two, and just like Wisconsin has done all season in the Kohl Center, they would ride the momentum to escape defeat.

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SPORTS

Thurber suspended, future in doubt after alleged violation

By Nico Savidge | Feb. 10, 2010

Sophomore forward Matt Thurber has been suspended from the men's hockey team for unspecified alleged violations of the UW Department of Athletics' Student-Athlete Discipline Policy, the department announced Tuesday. Thurber did not take part in team practice Tuesday afternoon and will not be a part of any games or practices until the suspension is lifted.

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SPORTS

Stepan reflects on World Juniors, outdoor hockey

By Ben Breiner and Bob Spoerl | Feb. 10, 2010

In his second year as a Badger, sophomore center Derek Stepan has become one of the team's top players. The Minnesota-native was second on the team in points last year and has become a fixture on this year's top power-play unit, garnering six goals and 25 assists.

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SPORTS

Analysis: McCamey's strong second half helps Illini upset frustrated Badgers

By Scott Kellogg | Feb. 10, 2010

The Badgers entered the contest with home-court advantage and a higher ranking than the Fighting Illini, but with junior guard Demetri McCamey playing well, the Fighting Illini knew they had a chance if they received offensive production from their frontcourt against the much smaller Badgers. That's exactly what the underdogs did to earn a major victory for their team this season.

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SPORTS

Illinois up next as Badgers try for Big Ten title

By Whitney Newman and Nick Schmitt | Feb. 9, 2010

Two storms are brewing on their inevitable paths toward campus. One brings drifts of snow, and the other, if weathered, could bring the Wisconsin's men's basketball team another Big Ten regular season title.

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SPORTS

Badgers jump in rankings after weekend wins over SMU, UIC

By Emma Condon | Feb. 9, 2010

The Wisconsin men's tennis team notched two more wins this weekend with a pair of straightforward victories over Southern Methodist University 4-0 and University of Illinois-Chicago 6-1.

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SPORTS

Late scoring bites UW back as Purdue scores dramatic win

By Mark Bennett | Feb. 9, 2010

Less than three days after defeating the Minnesota Gophers in dramatic, double-overtime fashion, the Wisconsin women's basketball team had the tables turned against them Sunday night on the road at Purdue.

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SPORTS

Eaves not worried about letdown this weekend

By Nico Savidge | Feb. 9, 2010

After the emotional high of a victory in the first ever Camp Randall Hockey Classic, men's hockey head coach Mike Eaves said he is not worried about a letdown as his team prepares to face struggling Minnesota State this weekend. According to Eaves, the No. 3 Badgers will have plenty of motivation because of their high ranking and chances for postseason success.

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SPORTS

'Keeper of the Cup' has a hockey fan's dream job

By Nico Savidge | Feb. 9, 2010

If you're lucky enough to find them, there are some pretty sweet jobs out there. Who among us wouldn't want to be a taste tester for the New Glarus Brewing Company, a high-profile movie star or a supercar reviewer? I would probably say any job that would pay me a decent amount of money to talk about sports would be the best gig in the world.

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SPORTS

UW offense storms past Michigan in win

By Nick Schmitt | Feb. 8, 2010

Recently Wisconsin (8-3 Big Ten, 18-5 overall) has relied on its late game heroics to clinch its wins, but in Ann Arbor on Saturday the Badgers continued what they started last Tuesday against Michigan State and jumped all over the Wolverines early.

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SPORTS

Offense shines Saturday, fizzles Sunday as Badgers split series

By Ryan Evans | Feb. 8, 2010

The source of excitement for the Wisconsin women's hockey team coming into this weekend's games against Bemidji State was clearly the highly-anticipated Camp Randall Hockey classic that opened the series Saturday.

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SPORTS

Power play sparks UW in Camp Randall victory

By Parker Gabriel | Feb. 7, 2010

Wisconsin junior defenseman Brendan Smith entered Saturday's Culver's Camp Randall Hockey Classic leading the team with three game winning goals, but his fourth is going to be tough to top.

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SPORTS

Warner more than deserving of place in Hall of Fame

By Jack Doyle and Mike Constantine | Feb. 5, 2010

The biggest question facing Kurt Warner's recent retirement shouldn't even have to be asked. Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? The answer is a resounding yes.