Weekend Recap

Another weekend has come and gone, and the Badgers are still searching for their first win of the year.

Friday saw UW struggle offensively in the first period, posting just seven shots on goal and having little luck solving Ferris State (2-2-2) goaltender Charles Williams. FSU would take an early 1-0 lead on a Gerald Mayhew shot that beat Badger goaltender Matt Jurusik, who was making his third career start. The Badgers would respond, however, with a power-play goal by freshman Seamus Malone just over one minute into the second period. After Mayhew’s second goal of the night put FSU back on top, UW opened the flood gates. Goals by Jake Linhart, Grant Besse, and Will Johnson gave the Badgers a 4-2 lead and all of the momentum heading into the third. The third period was all Ferris State, however, with the Bulldogs scoring three unanswered goals to take a 5-4 lead with under two minutes to play. But all was not lost for UW, who again received some last-second heroics to save them from a loss. Tim Davison’s extra-man goal with nineteen seconds to play forced the Badgers’ third overtime period of the season, which, like the first two, would end scoreless, resulting in a 5-5 tie.

Friday night displayed a storyline that Badger hockey fans know all to well. An explosive second period produces a large lead that gets blown in the third period. While it is easy to point to youth and inexperience as a reason for UW’s trouble capitalizing on late leads, the responsibility ultimately falls to the coaching staff to make sure the team knows how to play comfortably with an advantage. Too often the offense goes away, and the defense falls into a shell, relying heavily on their goaltender to finish the game. Until they can prove that they are able to keep the pressure on for sixty minutes, the Badgers will continue to struggle to close out games.

Saturday night provided no relief for Jurusik after a difficult first night, as the Bulldogs compiled thirty-nine shots on goal en route to a comfortable 2-1 win in which they never trailed. The lone goal of the night for the Badgers was scored by freshman Luke Kunin, his second of the season.

The weekend was not all bad for UW, however. Friday saw five different players score, including Seamus Malone and Will Johnson, who each tallied the first goals of their respective careers. That type of offensive balance shows that just about anyone on the ice can produce for the Badgers, and forces opposing teams to respect every line UW sends out. Additionally, the resilience of this team is something to be admired. Another last-second goal sent Friday’s game into overtime, and showed that the Badgers are never truly out of games until the final buzzer sounds.

Three Stars

Third Star: The Captains put on a gritty performance this weekend, and showed why they were both given the honor of wearing the “C” this season. Eddie Wittchow finished with seven blocked shots, and Kevin Schulze had eight blocks and an assist. Despite not getting the victory in either game, both defensemen put their bodies on the line and impacted the game on the defensive end. This example personifies what the Badgers want to be as a team this year, and it’s only a matter of time before the results start to match the effort.

Second Star: Tim Davison was the hero Friday night, scoring as the extra-attacker with just nineteen seconds left to tie the game at five. A clutch performance by the sophomore salvaged the tie for the Badgers, and displayed the wide array of players who are threats to score on this team. Davison played with high energy all weekend, and has the potential to become an on-ice leader for this team as the season carries on.

First Star: Freshman Luke Kunin continues to impress, and is arguably the Badgers’ biggest scoring threat next to Grant Besse. Two assists on Friday night preceded his second goal of the season on Saturday, giving him four points on the season. Held in check by BU and BC last weekend, look for this weekend’s performance to get him back on track going into the series with Arizona State.

This Week

The Badgers return to the friendly confines of the Kohl Center to host first-year NCAA program Arizona State. The Sun Devils (3-4-0) have just one victory against a division one opponent. UW will certainly receive a boost from playing in front of the Crease Creatures for the first time in two weeks, and the inexperienced Sun Devils could be a great opponent for a team looking to get its first win of the season.