The Wisconsin men’s hockey team used its weekend series versus second-ranked Denver as a measuring stick. Entering the series against the defending WCHA champions, questions surrounded the UW squad regarding where the unit stands. After being beaten 5-3 at home both nights at the hands of the Pioneers, the answer lies not in yards but rather in inches.
“I don’t think there is that much of a gap,” said sophomore Alex Leavitt, who tallied a team-high three assists in the series. “I don’t think we’re far behind. By Christmas I don’t think they’ll be anywhere ahead of us.”
Friday night’s contest was quite literally a game of inches. Trailing 4-2 in the second period, Wisconsin’s Pete Talafous saw his shot deflect off the cross bar, narrowly missing the goal. With just over five minutes remaining in the third period, winger Brad Winchester charged the net and found a rebound, placing to the right of Denver’s senior goalie Wade Dubielewicz, bringing UW within one.
With only minutes remaining, freshman A.J. Degenhardt found himself with the puck and a gaping net in front of him, only to place it inches to the right of the goal post.
“I thought it was going in,” said head coach Mike Eaves. “When the pressure is on, you have to be able to perform.”
Seconds later, Denver (7-1, 2-0) added an empty net goal that was deflected off Tom Gilbert’s shin and then bounced off the board to find the net for the final of 5-3.
Saturday night ended in the same fashion as Friday. The final score matched the prior evening’s at 5-3, and the last goal was an empty-netter that allowed Denver to ice the game. However, instead of UW playing from behind entering the third stanza, it was DU that was trailing despite out shooting the Badgers 26-8.
The Badgers (4-4 overall, 0-2 WCHA) owned a 3-2 lead and looked to put Denver away. Friday’s third period saw Wisconsin take control over DU, giving the Badgers chances to steal the victory. Unfortunately for the Badgers, good teams find ways to win in tight situations, and the experience and savvy of the Pioneer seniors was apparent.
Dubielewicz replaced junior Adam Berkhoel in goal while the senior offensive line of Kevin Doell, Greg Barber and Matt Weber took upon themselves the burden of scoring, netting the tying goal and then the go-ahead score with ten minutes remaining.
The Badgers’ effort did not go unrecognized. The Kohl Center crowd noted the exceptional play by the UW skaters and rose to give them a rare standing ovation between the second and third periods.
“The kids were excited, absolutely,” Eaves said. “The recognition they gave the kids, they recognized the heart.”
The Badgers seemed to have gelled on their road trip just one week ago in Boston. UW came out and played with, and sometimes outplayed, one of the best teams in the nation. Eaves’ molding of the team seems to be taking a snowball-like effect as the Badgers improve with every contest.
“[The Denver series] is definitely something to build on,” said Badger junior forward Brad Winchester.
With UW now aware of where it measures with the goliaths of the WCHA, it should only be a matter of time before the Badgers begin to come out ahead.
“The more we play games together and the more we forge our ability to play in game situations, the better off we’ll be. When you play top-level teams, [you] play at a better level because of the experience,” Eaves said.
The Eaves coaching philosophy is only inches away.
