Several times during the weekend, Woods was seen grimacing after swinging his club, a result of knee surgery he had two months earlier. It was the first tournament he had played in since the surgery.

Mediate, the 158th-ranked player in the world, gave the No. 1 Woods a run for his money, leading by one headed into the 18th and final playoff hole. But after his tee shot missed the fairway and Woods hit his straight and true, the Cinderella story came to an end.

Next year’s U.S. Open will be played at Bethpage Black, where Tiger won it six years ago in 2002.

It’s the first time in 18 years that the men’s team has claimed the title. For the women’s lightweight rowers, winning the championship has become habit, as this victory was their fourth claim to the title in the past five years. Both teams raced on the Cooper River in Camden, N.J. The men’s team entered the race as the No. 2-ranked team, while the women owned the top spot in the rankings. Washington and California rounded out the top three in the men’s race, while Georgetown and Stanford finished second and third on the women’s side.

Click here to see a picture of the men’s team with the trophy and here for the women’s team.

The Badgers finished the season with an 18-10 record, the most wins since 1990, when they had 20. They went undefeated this season at home, winning all 11 matches at Nielsen Tennis Stadium.

The loss also marks the end of the UW careers of seniors Jeremy Sonkin, Nolan Polley and Felipe Bellido.

It marks the second straight year the Badgers topped the Huskies in the postseason tournament, as UW came out on top last year with a 4-3 victory.

Wisconsin will now play UCLA (the host school), who topped Eastern Washington in the first round. The matchup is set for 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon.

With his return, McBain will be the only upperclassman on defense for UW and will have played more collegiate games (71) than any of the other blueliners.

McBain, a native of Faribault, Minn., was a second-round selection of the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2006 NHL Entry Level Draft. He finished with five goals and 19 assists on the season, and has 42 points in his first two years with the Badgers.

The move doesn’t come as much of a surprise. I ran into Aaron Bendickson, McBain’s roommate, shortly after the season ended. Bendickson said he hadn’t heard anything at that time about McBain deciding to go pro. Bendi made a good point—they go to college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. There’s no rush to leave.

McBain’s return means the defense should be solid for UW. The Badgers will only be losing one defenseman, Davis Drewiske, from last year’s roster. Freshmen Ryan McDonagh, Brendan Smith and Cody Goloubef all showed signs of improvement at season’s end (although Smith was limited to just 22 games because of injury), which means they’ll be a young but talented group.

According to an article in The Capital Times, a plea agreement fell through on Friday after Ikegwuonu’s brother, Bill, rejected it. This means Jack could potentially face trial on July 14. This stems from an incident back in November of 2006 in which the brothers were charged with breaking into an apartment on the Northern Illinois campus—where Bill attends school—and attempting to steal an Xbox.

Read the Cap Times article here.

Last season, Davis Drewiske served as team captain, with junior Ben Street and senior Kyle Klubertanz as assistant captains. Wisconsin’s 2008-09 roster will have two captains an no assistant captains.

Donning the “C” on their sleeves next year will be Street as well as junior Blake Geoffrion. It’s the first time since 2003-04 that the team had more than one captain.

Drewiske was honored with the Spike Carlson MVP Award, as voted by his teammates. He also took home the W Club Community Service Award.

Other award winners can be found here.

As a senior this season at Chandler Hamilton High School, Evans scored nearly 20 points per game and grabbed about 7 rebounds per game, leading his team to the Arizona 5A state semifinal.

Evans high school career will have prepared him for life in Ryan’s Swing offense. Without a major post player, Hamilton head coach Kevin Hartwig said Evans played both inside and out and had success both ways.

“We had a lot of movement (in the offense) where Ryan could use his flexibility,” Hartwig said by phone Monday morning. “He can shoot the three, he can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. … As the year progressed, he got a lot better with his inside play and posting guys up.”

Evans was on a visit of the school March 3, when Wisconsin beat Penn State to clinch a share of the Big Ten championship and chose UW over reported offers from Pepperdine and Portland State.

Look for complete and updated coverage later tonight and in Wednesday’s The Badger Herald.

Turris and new teammate Peter Mueller have apparently meshed pretty well so far, and will skate on the same line together (along with veteran Shane Doan). Sounds like Turris is pretty excited as well, as he should be. He’s now coached by The Great One, Wayne Gretzky.

Turris will be switching jersey numbers when he skates with Phoenix. After wearing No. 19 for Wisconsin, Turris will now wear 91, as Doan wears 19.

Team captain Davis Drewiske and assistant captain Kyle Klubertanz, both defensemen, signed deals Tuesday, the Sporting News is reporting.

Klubertanz, a third round draft pick of Anaheim, signed a minor league contract with the Ducks. Drewiske, who was an undrafted free agent, sighned a multi-year entry level contract with Los Angeles.

Both players ended their UW careers this past Sunday at the Kohl Center, where the Badgers lost 3-2 in overtime to the North Dakota Fighting Sioux. Drewiske finished with 41 points in 152 career games, while Klubertanz concluded with 72 points in 158 career games. The defensemen were a part of Wisconsin’s 2006 club that won the NCAA Championship.

A story of the team’s seniors—Drewiske and Klubertanz, along with Matthew Ford and Josh Engel, can be found here.

Check tomorrow’s Badger Herald for more information on Turris’ signing.

The Sioux’s Andrew Kozek scored the game-winner less than two minutes into overtime, ending the season for the Badgers. Tough loss after leading 2-0, especially given the way UW played the entire night.

For complete coverage of this weekend’s hockey action, check out tomorrow’s edition of The Badger Herald.

That’ll do it from the Herald Sports blog’s coverage of the UW men’s hockey team. Thanks for sticking with us all season.

8:35—END OF REGULATION—WISCONSIN 2, NORTH DAKOTA 2

Tied after three periods, so we’ll have free hockey to determine which team goes to Denver for the Frozen Four. Action will resume here after a 15-minute intermission.

8:33—33.6 seconds left, there will be a faceoff in the Wisconsin zone after a timeout by the Badgers.

8:31—Still 2-2 here with 1:39 to play. The Kohl Center crowd is on its feet. I’m sure fans at home reading the blog are on the edge of their chairs.

8:05—WISCONSIN 2, NORTH DAKOTA 2 (14:51 TO PLAY)

North Dakota just scored two goals in a span of less than a minute. Rylan Kaip put the Sioux on the board after collecting a pass in front of the net, stepping back and firing under Shane Connelly’s left pad.

Not long after, Ryan Duncan tied things up with a nice set-up off a drop pass from T.J. Oshie.

The momentum just did a complete 180. UND now seems to be in control despite being outplayed by UW for most of the game. A few quick goals will do that for a team. The Sioux fans here at the Kohl Center (there is a good number of them) finally have something to cheer about.

7:41—WISCONSIN PP GOAL—BEN STREET

Cody Goloubef fired a shot from the point that went wide right, but the puck bounced off the boards and took a funny hop off the ice and appeared to hit Lamoureux. Street managed to knock the bouncing puck in, giving Wisconsin a two-goal lead heading into the second intermission.

That’s where we stand after two periods of hockey. WISCONSIN 2, NORTH DAKOTA 0

7:34—Still 1-0 Wisconsin with 2:57 to play. The Badgers had another great chance on the power play, with McBain almost picking up his second goal of the night. But Lamoureux has stood tall in net for UND, stopping 27 of 28 shots thus far.

Should play out to be a great one in the last 23 minutes.

7:12—WISCONSIN GOAL—JAMIE MCBAIN

The Badgers were finally rewarded for their tough play six minutes into the second period, after Turris sent the puck on net and McBain collected the rebound. Lamoureux was out of position after the puck was deflected by a North Dakota defender’s stick, giving McBain room to shoot.

WISCONSIN 1, NORTH DAKOTA 0

6:45—END OF PERIOD 1: WISCONSIN 0, NORTH DAKOTA 0

No score here after one period, which is a bit surprising considering the energy level the Badgers played at. They had numerous chances throughout the first to put the puck in net, but just couldn’t capitalize. Kyle Turris hit the post, Ford fanned on an easy one, and Smith was unable to put back a few different chances on rebounds. All in all, a good period for UW.

Shots after one: Wisconsin 17, North Dakota 10.

Connelly looked solid in net, making a few big saves for UW. The defense in front of him continues to play strong, not allowing UND any second chances. That was one of the keys to the win against Denver last night, and they’ll need to do the same for the final two frames to come away with a victory tonight.

6:34—Still no score here with 3:58 to play in the first period, but Wisconsin has certainly had plenty of opportunities. Matthew Ford just fanned on a shot in the crease, and Lamoureux was able to make the leg save for North Dakota.

The Badgers also had what appeared to be a goal midway into the period after Brendan Smith crashed the net. But the whistle was blown and refs reviewed the play, so it stood as no goal.

Shot totals so far (and essentially the rhythm of the game) have favored UW, as it’s outshot UND 13-7.

6:00—Welcome once again to the Kohl Center, where the Wisconsin Badgers face off against the Fighting Sioux of North Dakota with the winner advancing to the Frozen Four in Denver.

No. 3 Wisconsin, a surprise to some to get into the tournament, showed they belong last night after beating up on Denver 6-2. No. 1 North Dakota advanced with a 5-1 win over No. 4 Princeton Saturday afternoon.

The Badgers again are technically the road team, based on seedings, and were announced first tonight. They’re also wearing their red road uniforms.

The Sioux are just getting announced now, so the puck is set to drop shortly. Again, per NCAA regulations, blog posting is only allowed three times per period, and once each intermission. We’ll make sure to pack as much information as we can into the limited amount of blog posts we’re allotted.

One note of interest: UW’s Brendan Smith, a freshman defenseman, is in the lineup tonight as a forward on the team’s fourth line. Smith has been battling a back injury for most of the season, so we’ll see how he does on the ice tonight.

www.ncaasports.com

Who’d have thunk it? A team that no one thought deserved to be in the tournament came out with a big win on its home ice against the WCHA Tournament champion Pioneers.

Michael Davies scored his second goal of the night on a breakaway after collecting the puck at the UW blue line. Davis Drewiske added an empty netter off a pass from Davies, who finished with three points on the night.

The Badgers will take on North Dakota tomorrow night for the chance to advance to the Frozen Four in Denver. Faceoff is at 6:00 p.m. here at the Kohl Center. Join Herald Sports for up-to-the-minute scoring updates throughout the game.

7:42—DENVER GOAL—TOM MAY

The Pioneers were quick to answer Mitchell’s goal, as __ beat Connelly gloveside from the left faceoff circle as a Badger defender was sliding across the lane to try and block the shot.

7:08 remaining now in the third.

WISCONSIN 4, DENVER 2

7:39—9:00 REMAINING: WISCONSIN 4, DENVER 1

The Badgers just scored a pair of goals exactly a minute apart.

First, defenseman Cody Goloubef fired a shot that hit the right post, but bounced back and hit off of Mannino. The puck trickled across the goal line as Mannino reached back unsucessfully to try and grab it.

One minute later, John Mitchell broke away from the defense and wristed a shot that beat Mannino five-hole, putting UW up 4-1. Ben Grotting earned the assist on Mitchell’s goal.

7:03—END OF PERIOD 2: WISCONSIN 2, DENVER 1

Denver’s Dustin Jackson pulled the Pioneers to within one on a power play goal at 16:40. Jackson took control of the puck with his skate, switched it to his stick and fired over UW goaltender Shane Connelly’s left shoulder.

With one period to play, we’ll see how the Badgers can maintain a one-goal lead.

Two fans just had a shoot-out down on the ice, having to make one shot from each faceoff circle, the blue line and center ice. The fan representing Wisconsin defeated the fan from Denver. A sign of things to come?

6:40—WISCONSIN GOAL—JAMIE MCBAIN

McBain, playing right in front of the net, deflected a shot from Josh Engel at the point past Mannino. Engel and Turris with assists on the play. The Kohl Center is energized after McBain’s goal gave the Badgers a two-goal lead.

WISCONSIN 2, DENVER 0

6:10—END OF PERIOD 1: WISCONSIN 1, DENVER 0

The Badgers did an excellent job of killing off a penalty with four minutes to play in the period. Denver had plenty of chances to score, and Wisconsin was unable to clear the puck the entire length of the power play, but the Pioneers came up empty handed.

Michael Davies has the lone goal so far this evening, on a rebound off Jamie McBain’s writster.

Wisconsin is looking more intense and physical than they have all season. Even players like Kyle Turris and Aaron Bendickson are checking players, something not often seen during the regular season.

The energy level here in the Kohl Center remains high after one. We’ll see if the Badgers continue to play up to the level they did in this opening frame.

5:51—WISCONSIN GOAL—MICHAEL DAVIES

The Badgers jumped out on top early, with Davies collecting a rebound off a shot by defenseman Jamie McBain. Denver netminder Peter Mannino couldn’t handle the rebound, and Davies was in the right place at the right time to put the puck in.

The goal came with 11:01 remaining in the first period.

Badgers 1, Pioneers 0

On a side note, this definitely has the feel of a home game for UW, despite the fact that they are technically visitors based on seeding and are wearing their red uniforms. But Hockey Phil and the UW Band are both here, making this place feel like home for Mike Eaves’ squad. 5:30—Welcome back to the Herald Sports blog. Last time we posted in St. Cloud, Minn., no one was sure if the Badgers would make the postseason tournament. But here they are with the No. 3 seed in the Midwest region, playing host to the No. 2 seed Denver Pioneers at the Kohl Center.

These two teams met in just one WCHA series this year. In the series opener, Denver won on a controversial no-call late in the third period. Wisconsin’s Matthew Ford appeared to have scored right before time expired to send the game to overtime, but the referees reviewed the play and said the goal did not count. The Badgers lost 3-2, but came out the next night to top the Pioneers 7-2.

Per NCAA rules, we’re only allowed to post three blog entries per period. But continue to check back as we’ll give you scoring and game updates throughout this afternoon’s contest.

www.ncaasports.com

8:04 - The lead is 18-points with 4 minutes left. This one looks like its over. Curry has 31.

7:54 - Davidson is on a 17-3 run and now leads 65-48 with just 8 minutes to play. Wisconsin is going to need a miracle. Curry now has 29 points.

7:38 - UW cut it to 48-45, but Curry answered with 2 three-pointers to make it 54-45 with 13:01 left. Curry watch: 8-17 shooting..5 3-pointers made…23 points

7:28 - Wisconsin has come out lifeless in the second half. Davidson leads 44-38 with 15:57 left. The Badgers are taking bad shots and turning the ball over, there’s going to need to be a dramatic change for UW to come back in this one.

6:56 - Butch hits a free-throw and at the half its all tied up at 36. Curry finished the half with 11 points and 3 made 3-pointers.

6:52 - This game has turned it exactly what UW didn’t want it to…a 3-point contest. Davidson is 8-12 from behind the arc and leads by 1 with 4 seconds left in the half.

6:44 - Davidson goes on an 8-0 run and now leads 33-28 with 4:12 left. They cannot miss from behind the arc.

6:37 - 6:02 left and the Badgers lead 28-25, but Trevon Hughes is definitely hurt. He’s been getting looked at by the trainer and it looks like he may have an injury on his right foot. This would be a big blow to Wisconsin if he is unable to return. Meanwhile, both teams just keep shooting, and making threes, as the game starts to be played at a faster paced than UW is used to. Curry watch: 4-6 shooting…3 made 3’s…11 points.

6:27 - Wisconsin is not executing the way it normally does on offense, but Stephen Curry is. It’s 13-10 Davidson with 11:56 left in the half. Curry watch: 2-3 shooting…2 made 3-pointers…6 points.

6:17 - Wisconsin came out playing sloppy basketball and Davidson is making it pay. With 15:34 left in the half its 7-5 Davidson. Curry watch: 1-2 shooting…1 made 3-pointer…3 points.

5:44 - Due to the overwhelming popularity of last weekend’s ‘Beasley watch’ tonight we’ll have a ‘Curry watch’ with updates on how Davidson star Stephen Curry is playing.

5:34 - We’re about a half an hour from game time and the place is slowly starting to fill up. Both the Badgers and Wildcats wear red, so its tough to distinguish them from each other in the crowd.

4:24 - Once again we’re blogging live, this time from Ford Field in Detroit as the Badgers get set to take on the Wildcats with the winner advancing to the Elite Eight on Sunday. A couple quick updates before the game… This is usually a football field and the court has been placed right where midfield usually is. Because this place is massive there is a lot of background space behind the basket that could lead to trouble for shooters. It will be interesting to see whether that ends up being a factor or not. Also, Davidson bussed up about 300 students for the game today and while it should be a very pro-Wisconsin crowd, there will be a Davidson presence.

www.ncaa.com

4:52 - Double technicals were issued to Butch and Bill Walker after some contact following a basket. Probably should’ve just been a warning, but Butch is sitting with 3 fouls as is Landry. Stiemsma is playing with three too. The lead is 54-41 Badgers with 11:44 left. Kansas State is getting frustrated which either makes them likely to self-implode….or to go on a 10-0 run. Beasley watch: 19 points, 10 rebounds, 2 fouls.

4:41 - Flowers makes a great pass to Hughes for a 3-pointer and with 15 minutes left to play Wisconsin leads 49-35. Landry picked up foul No. 3 though and Beasley has an offensive rebound and a basket. He’s got 19 of KSU’s 35 points.

4:08 - Halftime. Badgers lead 39-33 thanks largely to Mike Flowers’ three made 3-pointers. Problem for UW is fouls. Butch, Stiemsma, Krabbenhoft, and Landry each have two. Beasley watch: 6-13 shooting, 17 points, 5 rebounds, 1 foul.

3:58 - UW leads 32-22 with 3:45 to go, but Landry and Krabbenhoft each have 2 fouls trying to cover Beasley. Beasley watch: 4-10 for 10 points, 2 steals, 3 rebounds, 1 foul.

3:47 - The Badgers are fired up right now. A couple of big 3-pointers have made it 26-16 UW with 7:17 to go in the half. Beasley watch: 4-9 for 10 points…1 foul.

3:36 - Stiemsma gets a hoop and a foul and its 15-12 Badgers with 11:41 left. This K-State team is really trying to push the ball down the court, but Wisconsin keeps slowing it down. Beasley watch: 4-7 from the field…8 points…1 foul.

3:27 - Four minutes in and looks like its going to be a good one. KSU is getting too many offensive rebounds for the Badgers’ taste and lead 6-4 with 15:56 left. Beasley watch: Landry’s guarding him with a little help from Butch…he’s got 2 points and a foul on 1-3 shooting.

3:12 - We’re about ten minutes before tipoff and the arena is starting to fill up. As expected there’s a lot of purple here, but there’s a pretty good Badger contingent here too. The X factor in the battle for the crowd’s support? Kansas fans. The Jayhawks play the second game here today and it’ll be interesting to see whether all the KU fans in attendance see it as a chance to pull for their homestate team…or against their in state rival.

2:00 - It’s day two of games here in Omaha and we’ll be blogging live once again when Wisconsin takes on Kansas State with a trip to the Sweet Sixteen on the line. The game’s set to start in about an hour and we’ll have live updates throughout the contest.

NCAA: www.ncaa.com

10:33 - Wisconsin is opening things up a bit. It’s 56-45 with 7:53 left and CSF is having more and more trouble avoiding fouls. The Titans are in the double bonus and have already had their second-leading scorer and rebounder, Frank Robinson, foul out.

10:18 - UW is on another big run, this time its a 15-3 stretch that makes it 45-34 Wisconsin with 12:19 left in the game.

10:08 - CSF took a brief 31-30 lead, but UW came back to make it 37-31 with 15:55 left. The Badgers are starting to get the Titans in foul trouble, but Fullerton has found a way to hang around all game so it should be a close one.

9:45 - Some halftime stats: Butch led the way with 8 points, Krabbenhoft had 5, and Bohannon had 4. UW holds a 21-17 edge on the glass. CSF is led by Josh Akognon who has 12 points.

9:37 - CSF tied it at 28, but UW made it 30-28 at the half.

9:33 - Now the Titans are doing more than hanging around. Behind a 6-0 run they’ve cut the lead to 28-26 with 46.6. seconds left.

9:26 - Wisconsin appears to be in control, but Cal-State is hanging around. It’s 28-20 UW with 3:56 left.

9:18 - UW is on a 14-2 run as the size is just wearing CSF down. It’s 24-18 Badgers with 6:41 left in the half.

9:10 - UW finally took the lead with 11:15 to go. It’s 17-16 Wisconsin. Hughes has picked up two fouls already, but the Badgers are making up for it by dominating the glass.

9:00 - We’re at the 1st media timeout and Cal-State is coming out hot. Despite being much smaller than UW, CSF is taking it to the basket well and holds a 10-6 lead with 15:59 to go in the half.

8:35 - K State just put on a show and the place is clearing out.

8:20 - Mayo was good. Walker was better. Beasley was best. Kansas State ran away late to win 80-67. Beasley went off in the second-half and whoever gets stuck playing these guys in the next round is going to have a lot to deal with on the court and a very pro-Kansas State crowd off of it.

7:13 - Halftime and its Kansas State 37, USC 27. Beasley got in some early foul trouble and finished the half with just five points. Mayo hasn’t found much of a rhythm and he’s got 7 points on just 1-7 shooting from the field…the star of the half? Wildcat freshman Bill Walker who has 17 first-half points. Should be a good second-half and there will be another post when this one is through.

5:52 - The BH is settled in courtside for the big matchup tonight between Kansas State’s Michael Beasley and USC’s O.J. Mayo. If Wisconsin can win tonight, either one of these guys could pose a problem for the Badgers on Saturday. There’ll be an update at halftime about what’s going on.

4:45 - We’ll be blogging live from the Qwest Center in Omaha, Nebraska tonight for first round action as No. 3 seeded Wisconsin will take on No. 14 seeded Cal-State Fullerton a little before 9:00 central time.

First though, Kansas State will take on USC with the winner to face the winner of the Badger-Titan game. Watch for updates on how the Wildcat-Trojan matchup plays out before we get to UW’s game later tonight.

NCAA’s website: http://ncaa.com/home/

Ryan Lasch put home the game (and series) winner of his own rebound after Gudmandson was unable to corral the puck. Garrett Raboin had the lone assist on the goal.

This leaves the Badgers in a tough spot as far as the NCAA tournament is concerned. The fans are chanting “season’s over,” and that very well may be the case. The tournament seedings are announced next Sunday, so all the Badgers can do now is wait and see what the committee decides. It’s not looking good though, as they’ve dropped their last three games—all against the Huskies.

Unless Wisconsin somehow sneaks into the NCAA playoffs, this will be the last blog post for the season. Thanks for tuning into the Badger Herald’s Extra Points blog throughout the season.

How ‘bout that basketball team?

9:48—Another final, this one from Mankato: Minnesota 2, Minnesota State 1 in overtime. That series is also 1-1. Let’s see if the Badgers can follow those two games and force a third game here against St. Cloud.

9:42—It’s a final in Grand Forks: Michigan Tech 3, North Dakota 2 in overtime. The series is now tied 1-1.

9:31—END OF REGULATION—UW 3, SCSU 3

We’ll have overtime here at the National Hockey Center. Since it’s the playoffs, tonight’s game can’t end in a tie. The teams will play sudden-death 20-minute overtimes until someone scores.

Let’s hope this one doesn’t follow suit of the Minnesota State/Minnesota game last night, which went into double overtime.

This is the third WCHA game tonight to go into extra frames, as North Dakota/Michigan Tech and Minnesota/Minnesota State are also playing free hockey.

9:30—St. Cloud iced the puck with 9.3 remaining, so we’ll have a faceoff in the Husky zone again.

9:28—59.7 seconds remaining, still 3-3. Faceoff in the SCSU zone.

9:23—Final score from the women’s game: Wisconsin 3, Minnesota 2. Mallory Deluce scored the game-winner in overtime with an assist from Jinelle Zaugg. The Badgers’ quest for three straight titles lives on for another game.

9:22—Badgers dodged another bullet with yet another no-goal. It appeared as if St. Cloud took the lead, but Andreas Nodl hit the puck with a high stick. The faceoff will be in the SCSU zone.

9:19—A few other WCHA scores: Denver leads Minnesota-Duluth 1-0 in the second period, and Alaska-Anchorage and Colorado College are knotted at 1-1, also in the second.

9:17—7:24 remaining and we’re still tied. The intensity of the game has really jumped up a notch, and play has gotten a bit chippy. Should be a great finish.

9:11—Score updates around the WCHA: Minnesota State tied up their game with Minnesota at 1-1, while Michigan Tech pulled to within one, 2-1.

9:10—A penalty on Blake Geoffrion just negated the UW power play, as he was called for tripping with 53 seconds left on the man-advantage.

9:08—Badgers on the power play after an ugly play by SCSU’s Brent Borgen. Borgen took down John Mitchell from behind, and Mitchell was slow to get up.

8:42—END OF PERIOD 2—WISCONSIN 3, ST. CLOUD STATE 3

The Badgers erased a one-goal deficit early in the period to take a 3-2 lead from goals by Drewiske and Bendickson, but then gave up a power play goal to John Swanson late in the second to fall back to a 3-3 tie. That’s where we stand after two periods of play.

This should come down to an exciting finish. The Badgers are fighting to stay alive and make a case for NCAA postseason play, while the Huskies are looking to advance to the Final Five in St. Paul.

Shot totals after two periods: Wisconsin 31, St. Cloud 16.

UW will start the third period on the power play, as Chris Anderson was whistled for delay of game with 22.6 seconds remaining in the second. The Badgers had one look before the period expired, but St. Cloud managed to clear the zone and kill off the remainder of the clock.

8:33—ST. CLOUD GOAL— CHRIS ANDERSON

There’s a reason they’re the top power play unit in the conference. Garrett Roe took the puck at the top of the zone, passed to the left side of the net where John Swanson was waiting. He fired a tough-angled shot on net and it bounced in past Scott Gudmandson. Roe and Andreas Nodl recorded assists on the power play goal 14:58 into the period that stemmed from a tripping penalty on Andy Bohmbach.

UW 3, SCSU 3

8:28—UW had a few good chances on the power play—including an extended stretch in which a Huskies player was without a stick—but were unable to capitalize. Still 3-2 here with 7:30 remaining in the 2nd frame.

8:15—WISCONSIN GOAL—AARON BENDICKSON

Bendickson fired a shot close to the net, and the puck was deflected into the air. It bounced into the net just before the goal came off the mooring, so the play was reviewed. Initially not ruled a goal, the referees made the right call. It looked like the puck bounced off a St. Cloud defenseman and past Weslosky.

Bendickson’s sixth of the season was assisted by McBain and Turris.

WISCONSIN 3, ST. CLOUD 2

8:11—Scott Gudmandson started the second period here for Wisconsin, which elicited a “back-up goalie” chant from the student section. Interesting move by head coach Mike Eaves.

8:10—Dumb penalty by Drewiske, who tried to get in the face of a Husky player after Connelly froze the puck. He’ll serve two minutes for unsportsmanlike with 16:50 to play. Not what the Badgers needed after tying things up here in the second.

8:06—WISCONSIN GOAL—DAVIS DREWISKE

Drewiske skated into the zone, pulled back and fired a wrister from the slot to beat Weslosky. Assists to Klubertanz and Geoffrion.

After the goal, Drewiske decided to throw it in the face of the SCSU student section, as he went and jumped into the boards where the student section sits. Needless to say, they weren’t pleased with the captain’s action.

WISCONSIN 2, ST. CLOUD 2

7:58—In other Wisconsin hockey action, the women’s team is currently tied with Minnesota 1-1 in Minneapolis. The Badgers are in search of their third straight national title, and will need a win tonight over the Gophers to advance in the NCAA tournament.

Other scores from around the WCHA men’s action: Minnesota is up 1-0 on Minnesota State after one, and the North Dakota Fighting Sioux lead by the same margin over Michigan Tech at the end of the first. The Gophers lost 1-0 last night to the Mavericks in a double-overtime match, while the Sioux had no trouble taking care of the Huskies last night, blanking MTU 4-0.

7:47—END OF PERIOD 1—SCSU 2, UW 1

St. Cloud has all the momentum heading into the first intermission, as they took the lead with under three minutes to play in the period off a Stephenson power play goal. Blake Geoffrion has the lone goal for UW in the period off a one-timer from Kyle Turris. Geoffrion’s 10th of the year came on the power play.

Two more periods to play tonight, and possible on the season for the Badgers if they can’t pull off a come-from-behind win here at the National Hockey Center.

7:43—ST. CLOUD GOAL—MATT STEPHENSON

Stephenson fired from the right point just as the Badger penalty was expiring and beat Connelly to his right. The shot went right over a diving Aaron Bendickson. Brocklehurst passed from the left point over to Stephenson, who was able to record just his second goal of the season. The goal came 17:17 into the period. Assists to Brocklehurst and Marvin.

SCSU 2, UW 1

7:40—Wisconsin will be assessed its first penalty, as Ryan McDonagh will serve two minutes for roughing. St. Cloud is the best power play team in the country, so let’s see how the Badgers handle being down a man for the first time tonight.

7:37—Potential UW goal, as Aaron Bendickson charged in on net. Bendickson slid into the net and was in the crease when the puck crossed the goal line. Just ruled no goal by the off

Royston was apparently unhappy with his backup role on in the Badger secondary. Junior Chris Maragos, a converted wide receiver transfer from Western Michigan, filled Royston’s vacancy Thursday in practice.

From the infirmary

Senior defensive tackle Mike Newkirk will miss 6-8 weeks—the remainder of spring practices—as he is scheduled to undergo shoulder surgery Friday.

Michael Flowers was named to the second-team All-Big Ten by the media and the third-team by the coaches. He also was named to Big Ten’s All-Defensive Team for the second year in a row. Flowers consistently shut down Wisconsin’s oppenent’s top scorer and ranked sixth in conference with 46 steals.

Marcus Landry was also honored by the Big Ten. The junior forward, who lead UW in scoring during conference play, was selected to the second-team by the coaches and the third team by the media.

Trevon Hughes earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors by both the media and the coaches. Hughes averaged 11.8 ppg and was third in the conference in steals with 55 on the year.

Jason Bohannon was named the conference’s Sixth Man of the Year as well. Bohannon came off the bench in all but on league game and averaged 8.9 ppg.

Finally, Joe Krabbenhoft joined Flowers on the Big Ten’s All-Defensive Team. Krabbenhoft ranked second in the league in defensive rebounds, while averaging 6.4 rpg. Wisconsin is the first team to have more than one player named to the All-Defensive Team in the three-year history of the award.

Here is the rest of the league honors:

Big Ten Coaches:

FIRST TEAM: Eric Gordon, Indiana; D.J. White, Indiana*; Drew Neitzel, Michigan State; Robbie Hummel, Purdue; Brian Butch, Wisconsin;

SECOND TEAM: Manny Harris, Michigan; Raymar Morgan, Michigan State; Jamar Butler, Ohio State; E’Twaun Moore, Purdue; Marcus Landry, Wisconsin;

THIRD TEAM: Armon Bassett, Indiana; Tony Freeman, Iowa; Lawrence McKenzie, Minnesota; Kosta Koufos, Ohio State; Michael Flowers, Wisconsin;

HONORABLE MENTION: Shaun Pruitt, Illinois; Deshawn Sims, Michigan; Kalin Lucas, Michigan State; Dan Coleman, Minnesota; Kevin Coble, Northwestern; Jamelle Cornley, Penn State; Keaton Grant, Purdue; Chris Kramer, Purdue; Trevon Hughes, Wisconsin;

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM: Eric Gordon, Indiana; Manny Harris, Michigan; Kosta Koufos, Ohio State; Robbie Hummel, Purdue; E’Twaun Moore, Purdue;

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM: Ekpe Udoh, Michigan; Travis Walton, Michigan State; Chris Kramer, Purdue; Michael Flowers, Wisconsin; Joe Krabbenhoft, Wisconsin;

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: D.J. White, Indiana*

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Chris Kramer, Purdue

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Eric Gordon, Indiana

SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: Jason Bohannon, Wisconsin

COACH OF THE YEAR: Matt Painter, Purdue

*Denotes unanimous selection

Big Ten Media:

FIRST TEAM: Eric Gordon, Indiana; D.J. White, Indiana; Jamar Butler, Ohio State; Robbie Hummel, Purdue; Brian Butch, Wisconsin;

SECOND TEAM: Manny Harris, Michigan; Raymar Morgan, Michigan State; Drew Neitzel, Michigan State; E’Twaun Moore, Purdue; Michael Flowers, Wisconsin;

THIRD TEAM: Shaun Pruitt, Illinois; Armon Bassett, Indiana; Kosta Koufos, Ohio State; Jamelle Cornley, Penn State; Chris Kramer, Purdue; Marcus Landry, Wisconsin;

HONORABLE MENTION: Jamarcus Ellis, Indiana; Tony Freeman, Iowa; Kalin Lucas, Michigan State; Dan Coleman, Minnesota; Lawrence McKenzie, Minnesota; Kevin Coble, Northwestern; Craig Moore, Northwestern; Keaton Grant, Purdue; Trevon Hughes, Wisconsin;

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: D.J. White, Indiana

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Eric Gordon, Indiana

COACH OF THE YEAR: Matt Painter, Purdue

*Denotes unanimous selection

Big Ten Sportsmanship Award: Brian Randle, Illinois; Adam Ahlfeld, Indiana; Kurt Looby, Iowa; Ron Coleman, Michigan; Drew Neitzel, Michigan State; Spencer Tollackson, Minnesota; Sterling Williams, Northwestern; Jon Diebler, Ohio State; Mike Walker, Penn State; Bobby Riddell, Purdue; Brian Butch, Wisconsin.