Wisconsin may have made it into the national rankings for the first time in over two years, but now is no time for the Badgers to rest on their laurels.

Though UW (3-2-3 WCHA, 8-3-3 overall) will take a 10-game unbeaten streak and a newly minted No. 11 ranking in both the USA Today/American Hockey magazine and the USCHO.com polls into play this weekend, the team will face its third nationally ranked opponent in as many weeks when it travels to Denver to take on the No. 8-ranked Pioneers for the teams’ only matchup this year.

Denver (3-4-1 WCHA, 9-4-1 overall) has scuffled a bit in conference play thus far, but as its ranking attests, it boasts one of the better squads in the country this season.

Sophomore Gabe Gauthier and senior Connor James have led the way offensively thus far with 19 and 15 points, respectively.

Gauthier, whom Pioneer head coach George Gwozdecky, a former Badger, called a “dark horse” coming into the year, has already surpassed his point total for all of last season.

The key player for Denver, however, is senior goaltender Adam Berkhoel.

Berkhoel, who split time with All-American Wade Dubielewicz the past three seasons, finally has the crease to himself this year.

He’s played well for the most part, posting a 2.39 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage overall.

His WCHA numbers (3.67 GPG, .892 save percentage) aren’t quite so shiny, thanks to an 8-2 drubbing at the hands of the North Dakota Fighting Sioux Nov. 21. If you subtract his 44-shot, 36-save performance that night, however, he’s put up a respectable 2.70 goals against average to go along with a .915 save percentage in the conference.

The best thing the Pioneers have going for them heading into this Friday’s 8:35 puck drop against Wisconsin, though, might be history.

The Badgers haven’t recorded a point against DU since they defeated the Pioneers 6-2 March 10, 2001, in the first round of the WCHA playoffs in Madison. Denver has taken all eight meetings between the two teams since, including all four last season.

Last season seems like a long time ago for these Badgers, however.

After struggling through one of the most difficult campaigns in recent memory, UW, incredibly, is now on the verge of putting together the longest unbeaten streak the program has had since 1997-98.

“It’s a dramatic turnabout,” noted head coach Mike Eaves, who credited several different factors for the Badgers’ change in fortune, including the resolve of the team’s seniors, the impact of the incoming freshmen and the stellar goaltending Wisconsin has received from Bernd Bruckler and freshman Brian Elliot.

Though the Badgers have had their share of luck during the 10-game unbeaten streak, including facing inexperienced goaltenders and weakened teams, they’ve been steadily improving every week, and after defeating Michigan and Michigan State at this past weekend’s College Hockey Showcase, they are now in a position where they know they can skate with the best teams in the country.

The No. 11 ranking is proof of that.

Though Eaves and company are clearly happy to be back in the national polls, they also realize that, as Eaves put it, “It’s a small accomplishment.”

The team can still get better, and it will have to if in order to be a force in the postseason.

“We know that we’re not where we need to be right now in terms of playing the way that we want at the end of the year when the playoffs come around,” Eaves said.

But they’re continuing to take steps in that direction and finding ways to win along the way.