Wisconsin looks to break losing streak against Michigan State
By Peyton Kadlecek | Feb. 12, 2019After a tough road loss against Illinois, Wisconsin heads back home Thursday to take on Michigan State.
After a tough road loss against Illinois, Wisconsin heads back home Thursday to take on Michigan State.
75 seconds into the game, Sophie Shirley got a step on her defender, turned the corner and crashed the net with the puck on her stick. The freshman forward crashed into Minnesota State goalie Abigail Levy and though the initial shot didn’t go, a second attempt forced it across the goal line.
In his three years with Wisconsin, Mark Johnson racked up a program-record 125 goals through a combination of accurate shooting, elite skating, smart play with the puck and timely hockey instincts.
After paying back rival Minnesota for a home-court defeat on Thursday night, No. 19 Wisconsin traveled to Ann Arbor to face a seventh-ranked Michigan team looking to exact similar vengeance for Wisconsin’s thrilling victory three weeks ago that sparked the Badgers six-game win streak.
When athletic director Barry Alvarez hired Tony Granato to replace Mike Eaves as head coach of the Wisconsin men’s hockey team, the reception inside and outside the program was nearly unanimous: The Badgers had swung big, and got their guy.
When Kobe King played at Central High School in La Crosse, Wis., his coach Todd Fergot would offer some late-game advice to his players. “Don’t pull a Chris Webber,” he’d say.
The No. 19 Wisconsin Badgers (9-3 Big Ten, 17-6 overall) triumphed 56-51 over their rival the Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-6 Big Ten, 16-7 overall) Wednesday night to win their sixth straight game and take over third place in the conference. Here are the top takeaways from tonight’s action.
When striker Harry Kane scores a goal for his hometown team, Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League, Tottenham fans break into song, singing “Harry Kane! He’s one of our own!”
As Wisconsin headed to East Lansing for its road test against Michigan State, the focus inside and outside of the locker room was on how the Badgers (5-6-5 Big Ten, 9-12-5 overall) would handle their second meeting with the Spartans (6-8-4, 10-13-5) elite top line without the ability to dictate line matchups.
After an underwhelming loss to Maryland, the Wisconsin Badgers (2-8 Big Ten, 11-11 overall) crawl back to their home turf to scrap against the Michigan Wolverines (4-6, 13-9) in their first of two matchups this season.
Just when it seemed a raucous Kohl Center could scream no more, sophomore guard Brad Davison grasped the the ball with both hands, riling up the crowd into yet another round of cheers. He paced around the floor, reveling in a victory that could hardly have been sweeter.
All it took was a foul for No. 21 Maryland (8-4 Big Ten, 17-6 overall) to unravel.
In basketball, it’s common knowledge that having the best player on the court can allow a team to overcome an overall talent deficit. In football, the team with the best quarterback always has a chance. In hockey, it’s the best line.
Despite hanging around for a majority of the game, Wisconsin (2-8 Big Ten, 11-11 overall) was unable to pull out a win and fell on the road to No. 10 Maryland (8-2, 19-2) 75-57 Thursday night.
Wisconsin (7-3 Big Ten, 15-6 overall) needed a team effort at Nebraska (3-7, 13-8) on Tuesday, and it got one.
The Wisconsin Badgers (2-7 Big Ten, 11-10 overall) defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-5 Big Ten, 9-11 overall) in thrilling fashion Sunday with a 70-69 comeback victory capped off by a spectacular finish. The win snapped a six-game losing streak and marked the team’s first victory in 2019.
In 67 games at Wisconsin, sophomore guard D’Mitrik Trice has scored 586 points. He’s hit layups, floaters, step-backs and spot-ups galore — especially this season, where he’s averaging a career-high 14.2 points per game. But never against Nebraska.
After their sixth straight loss, the Wisconsin Badgers (1-7 Big Ten, 10-10 overall) look to salvage what remains of this season with a crucial homestand against the Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-4, 9-10).
How does one record a quiet triple-double?
Propelled by a euphoric crowd and yet another heroic performance from senior center Ethan Happ, Wisconsin (6-3 Big Ten, 14-6 overall) defeated Northwestern 62-46 (3-6 Big Ten, 12-8 overall) to win their third consecutive game Saturday. Happ scored the third triple-double in school history, his second of the year. In a victory similar to the early season successes, the Badgers took advantage of Happ’s all-around dominance, a strong defensive performance and hot three-point shooting to halt the Wildcats’ two-game winning streak.