SPORTS
Badgers seek 1st ever WCHA championship
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by Dave McGrath
Thursday, March 3, 2005
The WCHA drops the puck Thursday on the 2005 conference tournament in Minneapolis, Minn., where the Wisconsin women’s hockey team looks to capture its first title in school history and solidify its resume for a spot in the NCAA tournament, which starts March 18.
Today’s schedule features the top two teams in the nation, as No.1 seed Minnesota takes on eight-seeded Bemidji State and No. 2-seeded Minnesota-Duluth faces off against seventh-seeded North Dakota. Although not out of the question, an upset seems highly unlikely. In the regular season, the Golden Gophers swept Bemidji State, outscoring them 17-2, and Duluth swept North Dakota by a combined score of 28-4.
Wisconsin, the tournament’s No. 3 seed, will not compete until tomorrow afternoon, when it takes on sixth-seeded St. Cloud State for the third consecutive game after sweeping the Huskies last weekend. Having to play the same opponent three games in a row is not a prospect head coach Mark Johnson likes, but he has faith his players will rise to the occasion.
“You’d much rather play somebody else, but that’s the way it is,” Johnson said. “In all different sports when you have to play a team in a row it’s tough, especially when there is a break like there is now. When you are playing for something as big as what we are playing for, though, you expect your players to step it up a little bit.”
Wisconsin certainly has history on its side versus St. Cloud, as the Badgers have won the last 10 in a row and have come out on top in 15 of the last 16 games against the Huskies.
After the Wisconsin-St. Cloud tilt, fourth-seeded Ohio State will play fifth seed Minnesota State.
This year’s tournament marks the first time every WCHA team will compete, as only the top five have in the past. The losers of the games Thursday and Friday will be eliminated from the tournament, while the winners advance to the semifinals Saturday. The winners from the second round will meet for the WCHA tournament championship Sunday, with the losers from the semifinals playing for third place. The winner of the tournament will be awarded an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
If Wisconsin defeats St. Cloud, the Badgers will likely play Minnesota-Duluth in the second round. Should the Golden Gophers advance, they will earn a second-round date with the winner of the No. 4-No. 5 game.
Minnesota-Duluth escaped with a dramatic win in its last meeting with Wisconsin, as the Bulldogs turned a 2-0 deficit with five minutes left into a 3-2 victory two minutes into overtime. Although what would be a heated rematch looms, Johnson is not preparing for anyone except St. Cloud until the Huskies are officially in Wisconsin’s rearview mirror.
“We are just keying on St. Cloud,” Johnson said. “You can’t look ahead. There is no reason to it.”
The biggest obstacle for Wisconsin will be having to possibly play three games in three days, a daunting task that will be magnified by the stiff competition.
“That’ll be the toughest thing,” Johnson said. “If you get the championship game Sunday, that is three games in three days. The NHL doesn’t even do that and there is a reason for it. There are not many leagues that play three games in three days and it’s tough. If you could guarantee me now that we would be in that championship game on Sunday, I’d love it. I’d take it.”
Due to the physically taxing nature of the tournament, Johnson may turn to backup goaltender Chrisine Dufour to spell starter Meghan Horras.
“I’m not so sure we might not use Dufour this weekend,” Johnson said. “We might get her back in the mix.”
Wisconsin has not fared well in the WCHA tournament, reaching the championship game just once, in the 2001-2002 season, when they fell to Minnesota 3-2.
Despite his team’s tournament struggles, Johnson believes his team is playing its best hockey of the year and has a good chance to find its way into the championship game Sunday.
“It’s a whole new season,” Johnson said. “It’s an exciting part to the year. We’ve been playing real well the last four or five weeks and have been real consistent. The biggest hurdle for us will be between our ears.”
