As Wisconsin hosted Minnesota-Duluth at the Kohl Center over the weekend, shattered sticks piled up behind the boards, penalty box benches were always kept warm, and pacemakers were put to the ultimate test. When all was said and done, the Ice Badgers skated off with two more marks to the win column and a solid bid for the nation’s top spot in the rankings.
Afterward, neither side could highlight the differentiating factor in the hard fought series — a series in which Wisconsin captured both games by a score of 3-2.
“Right now I would say that we scored the third goal,” Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves said. “That’s it.”
“I really don’t think they did anything better than us,” Minnesota-Duluth head coach Scott Sandelin added.
In all of the parity of the weekend bouts, however, a few Badger performances shined through. Senior goalkeeper Bernd Bruckler braced the tide of a relentless Bulldog attack, holding UMD to just four goals while accumulating 46 saves.
The Wisconsin penalty kill effectively neutralized some horrendous calls by WCHA referee Randy Schmidt (the same Randy Schmidt who wrongfully called tripping on Badger defenseman Kyle Klubertanz after a gorgeous open-ice check against Denver five weeks ago) to hold the Bulldogs to just one goal on 11 power plays.
Yet, one man’s efforts put the Badgers over the top this weekend, and who it was should come as no surprise. Forward Robbie “Hollywood” Earl delivered another dazzling performance on the Badgers’ home ice. The sophomore fired in two goals (his eighth and ninth of the season), served up an assist (his 12th) and managed to ice the puck on numerous UMD power play assaults.
“It’s [Earl’s] willingness to do things to help win the game,” Eaves said. “He has the athleticism and the natural physical gifts to get them done.”
After showcasing his talents over the weekend series, “Hollywood” left an impression on Sandelin, who will coach the U.S. team at the World Junior Championships later in the month. Recently, Sandelin remarked that Earl was one of two young Badger icemen under consideration for remaining spots on the team.
“He’s a good hockey player,” Sandelin said. “Obviously, he’s got great speed, he’s got great hands, and he can finish around the net.”
Sophomore Kyle Klubertanz is also under consideration for a place on the squad. The defenseman tallied two assists over the weekend — one a beautiful feed in front of the crease to center Adam Burish to give the Badgers a two-goal lead in the third period Friday night.
“It’s in the back of our heads, but we’re not playing any different,” Earl responded when asked about the added pressure.
Last year, the selection committee passed over Earl, reportedly due to a belief the then-freshman didn’t function well as a team player. In that regard, Hollywood made a definitive statement to Sandelin. As the clock wound down Friday night, Eaves asked Earl to make an adjustment on his line rush. Fearing a blue line turnover would lead to the UMD equalizer, the coach said he told “Hollywood” to direct his advance to the outside.
“The next shift that he had out there, he was coming down and he looked like he wanted to go to the middle. Then he deked outside and got a shot on net,” Eaves said after the game. “That shows his maturity as being a team player.”
Sandelin is expected to announce the final roster Tuesday. If this weekend is any indication, Earl will don the red, white and blue come the opening faceoff Dec. 25.
