The Wisconsin men’s hockey team saw a bit of everything in its series against Alaska-Anchorage this past weekend.
Third-period comebacks, controversy and vocabulary exchanges marred the series, one that could have lifted the Badgers over the .500 mark for the first time since Dec. 27 and could have placed UW comfortably in the “first-division” of the WCHA standings.
However, the Badgers’ lackluster play was attributable either to their own lull in motivation, or to the fact that Alaska-Anchorage (8-13-5, 7-11-4 WCHA) is the owner of Wisconsin’s number.
Friday night’s game saw UW (12-13-2, 10-8-2 WCHA) play lethargic and uninterested hockey throughout the first two periods.
Down 3-2 heading for the third period, head coach Jeff Sauer used the intermission for a “heart-to-heart” with the squad. UW responded, and three special-team goals, two power-play goals and a short-handed goal later, the score was 5-3 in favor of the cardinal and white. A late goal by the Seawolves made the final tally 5-4.
“We certainly know how to make it tough on ourselves,” said Sauer after the game.
Saturday’s contest found Wisconsin amid yet another third period comeback, but this one would be wrought with controversy.
Alaska-Anchorage got on the board first, taking advantage of a Matt Doman penalty. UAA’s Eric Lawson, firing from the blue line, was able to utilize a screen on UW goalie Bernd Bruckler (3-19-9-31 saves) and slip the puck through the five hole, allowing the Seawolves to bag the first goal for the second consecutive night.
With numerous errors and uninspired play haunting UW for the second straight night, it was the play of walk-on sophomore Jake Heisler who lifted the Badgers back. At 16:38 of the second period, Heisler was able to deflect a Dan Boeser shot from the point, igniting the Kohl Center spectators.
It was Boeser who fumed the UAA team with his comments on Seawolves’ defenseman Matt Shasby Friday night.
“[Shasby] is nothing special,” Boeser said.
Twenty-eight seconds after Heisler’s first goal, he struck again, this time sticking Matt Murray’s rebound past goalie Chris King (5-9-17-31 saves), bringing the Badgers from behind to lead 2-1.
Travesty and controversy struck the Badgers during the third period. With a mere second left on a UAA powerplay, Shasby found revenge and placed another blue liner past Bruckler, tying the game 2-2.
Seventy-six seconds later, the Seawolves’ Dallas Steward found himself poking the puck past Bruckler. The puck eventually slipped into the goal but initially was waved off by the referee since the whistle had already blown. After conferring with the goal judge, UAA was awarded the deciding goal, inflaming Sauer.
“Clearly the whistle blew before the red light came on,” said Sauer. “You can clearly see he signals stoppage of play. You can see it on the replay. His explanation to me was the whistle doesn’t matter. That’s all he said to me. That’s not right. It should not have been a goal.”
The questionable goal was the turning point in the game and took the wind out of Wisconsin’s sails.
“I think we did (lose our focus), just because it shouldn’t have been a goal,” said Heisler. “We allowed the refs to get under our skin, and that can’t happen.”
Wisconsin fired 17 shots on goal during the third but could not slip anything past on UAA’s King.
As the final horn sounded, another infraction was about to commence. UW, the WCHA’s most penalized team, and UAA benches cleared to shake hands. The benches cleared, but congratulations were certainly not in order.
Fisticuffs broke out with every man for himself. In the end, six disqualifications were issued, and a total of 118 penalty minutes were allotted, while an array of hockey equipment littered the Kohl Center rink.
“It’s very difficult when something like that happens to step back away from it,” stated Sauer. “You got 40 hockey players on the ice, you got problems.”
As a result of the brawl, Wisconsin lost Heisler, Brian Fahey and Jon Krall for Friday night’s game against eighth-ranked Colorado College.
