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Badger hockey hopes for victory at Saue’s last game in Minnesota

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Related stories:

• Last regular season men's hockey game ends in victory (March 4, 2002)
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• Badger men's hockey releases 2001-02 schedule (July 14, 2001)
• Hockey season wrap-up (March 21, 2002)
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This weekend?s hockey series at Minnesota weighs heavily in many categories for the Badgers.

You have the bittersweet in Jeff Sauer?s final appearance as Wisconsin head coach in the state in which he grew up. You have the necessity for the Wisconsin men?s hockey team to halt their present five-game losing streak heading into the most significant part of the season and also to net a few points to help secure home-ice in the first round of the WCHA playoffs.

After losing heartbreakers to Denver, Colorado College and Alaska-Anchorage in consecutive weekends, it appears Wisconsin is in hot water.

For Wisconsin (10-11-3 WCHA, 12-16-4 overall), a sweep at the hands of the Golden Gophers spells serious trouble. The Badgers, who play a much-improved Duluth team next weekend, need only to obtain a point or two to turn their fortunes around and gain much-needed confidence they lost in the past few series.

Fourth-ranked Minnesota (14-7-3, 22-7-4) comes into the series struggling. UM has managed to win only three of the past five games after taking 10 of the first 12 at Mariucci Arena.

The Gophers, led by two Hobey Baker candidates in center John Pohl (13 goals, 25 assists, 38 points in WCHA play) and defenseman Jordan Leopold (13-16-29), have six players with over 20 points in conference play.

The last meetings between the two adversaries Jan. 11 and 12 were a split, with both teams winning lopsided contests. UW was victorious 8-3 Friday, and Minnesota came out on top 6-2 the following night.

“[Minnesota] likes to open it up, and they like to score a lot of goals, which also leaves other opportunities for us to get goals,” said senior Matt Murray.

Murray has owned the Gopher squad over his career, bagging eight goals, two of them game-winners. Murray has been the hottest Badger in recent weeks, getting eight goals in the past eight home games and looks to continue his domination.

The Badgers will need to rely heavily on junior Brad Winchester and senior Matt Hussey, both with 21 WCHA points, if they are to keep up with the Gopher’s offensive firepower.

More important will be UW goalie Scott Kabotoff’s play. Kabatoff will play in just his second game after a three-week hiatus, and will be expected to stymie the Gophers.

Captain Jeff Wheeler, looking to provide the senior leadership that some of the players said was absent in Friday?s game against Denver, foresees no problems in getting up for the weekend.

“Minnesota is Minnesota,” said Wheeler. “It?s pretty hard not to go out and play in front of 10,000 people who hate you.”

With all that weighs on the series for the Badgers, there is little room for debate concerning their ability to get up for the series, after all Minnesota fans should rally the UW troops with their animosity.

“[Minnesota fans] hate the Badgers; there is no question about it,” said Sauer. “That is the way Minnesota fans are, but I would suspect since I grew up there, there should be a pretty warm reception.”