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While most students at Wisconsin are looking forward to winter break, the men’s hockey team wishes the semester could last just a little bit longer.

“As a coach and a player, when you are playing well you would like to continue to play,” head coach Mike Eaves said. “If we had another weekend to play I am sure we would invite it, because things are going pretty well for us.”

“It is kind of coming at a difficult time,” sophomore defensemen Brendan Smith said. “We are on a bit of a roll and we keep getting better as a unit, so in that sense it is kind of unfortunate.”

After going 7-1-1 in the month of November, UW will host Alaska-Anchorage at the Kohl Center this weekend for the final games before exams. Unlike the Badgers, the Seawolves (7-5-2, 4-4-2 WCHA) have played with consistency all year, earning a No. 15 ranking. For Eaves’ team, the underdog role against UAA is a bit of a new position.

“They are playing really well right now,” senior forward Tom Gorowsky said. “They are ranked 15th, and that is where we want to be. They work really hard, so we are going to have to work even harder to take some points from them at the Kohl Center.”

“Let’s put it this way,” Eaves added. “They are ranked, and we are not. That is the bottom line.”

In the Seawolves’ last series two weeks ago, UAA defeated No. 3 Colorado College in one game and took them to overtime in another. For a program that often finds itself in the bottom of the WCHA, the win over a top five team represents significant improvement.

“I guess in previous years you could think, ‘It is Alaska, you don’t have to work hard,'” Smith said. “But for everybody in this league you have to come out hard, because everyone has talent, and with Alaska they have an experienced squad leading them well this year.”

The heart of the Seawolves’ turnaround this year is an improvement in scoring. Led by junior Paul Crowder, UAA is averaging 3.0 goals per game.

“They have got some kids that have some numbers this year,” Eaves said. “For the first time in a while, those numbers translate into success and belief in what they can do.”

If the Badgers are to have success against the Seawolves, they will need to continue to rely on the improved play of senior goaltender Shane Connelly. The Badger net minder has only allowed one goal in his past three games, an average way down from the beginning of the season.

“It’s a great feeling having Connelly at your back,” Smith said. “You never want to give up that chance, but knowing that [Connelly] has your back makes it easier to play with a lot of confidence.”

With wins over Michigan and Michigan State last weekend, UW improved to .500 overall — a significant mark considering it started the season 0-6-1.

“I don’t think anyone said we just want to be a .500 team,” Gorowsky said. “Our goal is to never lose another game. Our goal right now is to win Friday night’s game, and after Friday to win Saturday night’s game.”

Although UW does not feature a dominant scorer, Eaves’ team has been able to average 3.1 goals per game utilizing a balanced attack. For some players, the lack of a go-to guy presents its own problem for the opposing defense.

“Anyone can score on our team,” Gorowsky said. “It is both the forwards and the defensemen, and our special teams have been really good for us. I think it helps that teams cannot focus on just one line, because we can score any time we are on the ice.”