When asked about the increasingly tense rivalry between Wisconsin and North Dakota, Badger hockey head coach Mike Eaves recalled an incident that occurred 26 years ago, when Eaves was a junior on the UW hockey team.
“There weren’t any referees on the ice during warm-ups, and we had a brawl,” Eaves stated. “[Then head coach] Bob Johnson was on the ice trying to break up fights and came off with his fingers 90 degrees from where they should be. I think from that point on they had refs on the ice.”
In what has become one of the most competitive of series in WCHA play over the last five years, the Badger-Fighting Sioux saga continues to unfold this weekend when the two schools collide Friday and Saturday night in Grand Forks, ND.
Six of the last 10 meetings between these two teams have gone into overtime, and nine of those games have been decided by just one goal.
And although the Badgers hold a 3-1-2 mark over the Fighting Sioux in their last six games, North Dakota poses a much greater threat this year, as they prepare for the second series of a 14-game home stand.
The Fighting Sioux (9-1-0, 3-1-0 WCHA) enter Friday night’s contest ranked No. 4 in the nation and appear to have more than just rebounded from last year’s disappointing campaign.
Led by rookie sensation Zach Parise, North Dakota has put itself in position to make a serious run at their fifth WCHA league title in the last seven years. Parise, a former player of Eaves’ on the U.S. Developmental team, is second in the conference in scoring, notching nine goals and 13 assists in the first ten games of play.
The most sought after recruit of this year’s freshman class, Eaves knows first hand the importance of containing a player with Parise’s ability.
“Zach is a special player who does things you cannot teach,” said Eaves. “He plays to win in anything he does, and that’s the message we’re going to have to give to our team.”
On the heels of Parise are sophomores Brandon Bochenski and Quinn Fylling, who have already combined for 14 goals and 15 assists on the year.
In the crease for the Fighting Sioux has been another pair of sophomores in Josh Siembida and Jake Brandt. Siembida boasts a 5-1-0 mark while Brandt holds a perfect 4-0-0 record.
Siembida’s lone loss came Nov. 8 at the hands of St. Cloud State.
The Achilles heel of the two net minders has been, despite their records, their inability to keep the puck out of the net consistently.
Both have allowed nearly three goals a game in the early part of the year and have been bailed out by North Dakota’s explosive offense, which is tops in the league.
Ninth year head coach Dean Blais holds the reins to the Fighting Sioux, a program he has guided to a 215-96-25 mark throughout his tenure.
The match-up to watch as the series transpires will be North Dakota’s penalty kill line against Wisconsin’s power play unit. The Fighting Sioux lead the league in penalty minutes and it is imperative for the Badgers, who have been hot at times with the man advantage, to utilize the power play if they hope to walk away with some wins.
The Badgers are coming off their first WCHA win of the season, a 2-1-overtime thriller over Minnesota-Duluth. Senior Erik Jensen netted the game winner in that affair, his second goal of the year.
Sophomore Alex Leavitt leads the team in points with ten (one goal, nine assists) and is followed by freshman blueliner Tom Gilbert, who leads all rookie defenseman in the league with a goal and nine assists.
Last year forward Rene Bourque tallied the game winner in back-to-back contests over North Dakota and has garnered four points in six career games against the Fighting Sioux. Bourque, who is tied for the team lead with five goals this season, has been held scoreless in three of the last four games.
Senior Scott Kabatoff (2-2-0) and sophomore Bernd Bruckler (3-3-0) have alternated time in net the past four weekends, neither establishing themselves as the premier goaltender thus far.
Junior Dan Boeser, who has the most career points against North Dakota among active players, is still out with a wrist injury and will probably not return until the Minnesota series Dec. 6 and 7.
An early-season sweep over North Dakota last season got the Badgers on their feet as conference play unraveled and UW is looking to build off of their first conference win last Saturday.
Despite being 1-4-1 in Grand Forks since 1998, the Badgers, including Eaves, know everything that comes when the two schools meet on the ice.
“It’s just an intense rivalry,” Eaves commented “Both schools are rich in hockey tradition, and any time the two get together and go head to head it’s going to be a great series of energy.”
