The men’s ice hockey team has gone 1-5-1 in its past three series, but head coach Mike Eaves says that, in spite of the evidence to the contrary, his team is playing better right now and with more spirit than it has in months. As the Ice Badgers got ready this week for the Fighting Sioux of North Dakota, the nation’s top team, Eaves said that he saw a tenacity that was missing during the Badgers’ recent struggles.
“The boys were up this morning at 7:30 and in the weight room,” Eaves said. “And the buzz in the weight room was what we we’re doing in practice today. That’s an awfully good sign that they’re excited. When they’re excited they’re going to come with an energy and a focus and that’s going to be a good way to start the week.”
The Badgers will need every bit of energy and focus that they can muster to beat the 19-3-3 Sioux. North Dakota has held the top spot in the rankings for most of the 2003-04 season — 13 consecutive weeks at this point — and has been rolling over even the stiffest of competition. They have not lost a series yet this season and have tallied wins over no. 11 Denver, no. 8 St. Cloud State, no. 6 Minnesota-Duluth, no. 5 Minnesota and no. 2 Boston College.
The secret to the Sioux’s success is one of the most talented and heralded rosters in the nation. Leading the Sioux is junior superstar Brandon Bochenski. A Hobey Baker award finalist last season and former WCHA Rookie of the Year, Bochenski currently leads the nation with 22 goals and 41 points.
Past Bochenski, the Sioux rely heavily on the play of two players from the same family. Sophomore Zach Parise, who recently won the MVP award in the Junior World Championship in Finland while playing under Eaves, has put up 13 goals and 17 assists in just 21 games this season. Zach was named WCHA player of the week this week for his four-point weekend as North Dakota tied and won against Denver last weekend.
Not to be outdone, Zach’s younger brother, freshman Jordan Parise was named WCHA defensive player of the week this week. Jordan stopped 55 of 57 shots on goal for a .965 save percentage over the weekend. He also helped hold Denver to just one power play goal in eight attempts. He leads the WCHA and the nation with a .821 winning percentage on a 10-1-3 overall record. He has a 2.09 goals against average and .907 save percentage.
Jordan leads a solid freshman class for North Dakota — one that, along with Wisconsin’s own freshman class, ranks among the best in the nation.
“Both groups have ultimately had an impact on [their] teams,” Eaves said. “But with what [the Sioux’s freshmen] bring, they bring a different type of thing. Their group of freshman have brought their skills and abilities and played to [the Sioux’s strengths], and our group of freshmen has done the same. Both have been effective”
The Ice Badgers dropped all four games they played against the Fighting Sioux last season.
