Just less than a year ago, Wisconsin’s next opponent, the Denver Pioneers, celebrated the school’s first national championship in 35 years.

George Gwodzecky’s squad rode the hot late-season goaltending of senior Adam Berkhoel into Boston, Mass., for the Frozen Four, where the eventual tournament Most Outstanding Player carried his team to the national title. Sophomore forward Gabe Gauthier provided big plays and led Denver in scoring for the year, and underclassmen defensemen Brett Skinner and Matt Carle stepped to the forefront, totaling 30 and 26 points, respectively.

Wisconsin has used a similar recipe for success this season, with assistant captain Bernd Brückler playing in goal; second-year man Robbie Earl leading the team in scoring; and the pair of freshman Kyle Klubertanz and sophomore Jeff Likens providing points from the blue line.

Last season, Brückler began the year with losses in three of his first four starts, but took his game to a new level in the season’s final month, totaling 54 saves and allowing just two goals in the NCAA tournament.

“We’re so confident in Bernd (Brückler),” UW captain Adam Burish said. “Everybody knows when he needs to make a big save, he will.”

Brückler entered this year as the WCHA Pre-Season Player of the Year, as selected by the conference’s coaches. However, just as he did a year ago, the senior started off slow. In his first four starts, Brückler posted a 3-1-0 record, but allowed 13 goals for a save percentage of just .876.

After a pair of losses at Minnesota in which Brückler played well (67 saves in two games), he began to hit his stride, posting wins in his next six starts. The streak included a 1-0 blanking of North Dakota and a 3-1 win over then-No. 1 Michigan.

“I feel pretty good about myself,” Brückler said. “I’ve found consistency, maybe after the first month of the season again, and I’ve really felt very comfortable and kept getting the [wins], so that’s all that really counted.”

The Graz, Austria, native has recorded wins in five of his last six games, with two shutouts coming in that span.

“I feel like I’m finding that groove,” Brückler said. “Saturday night (against Minnesota) was a little bit different. There was a couple of fluky goals, I feel like. But, other than that, it’s gone pretty well. We have good communication back there with our young defense now. It took a little while to get used to that, but I’m definitely finding myself.”

After limiting Minnesota to a single goal on 24 shots in Friday night’s win, Brückler struggled in Saturday’s series finale. The Golden Gophers beat the senior for four goals, including two third-period scores.

“As far as myself, I think it’s still in the back of my mind a little bit, to be quite honest,” Brückler said of Saturday’s debacle. “After a tough loss like that, it might be a process that takes a few days. But (we will) definitely regain our focus here today and tomorrow and just start focusing on the upcoming weekend.”

Wisconsin as a whole is battling to get past the heartbreak suffered in Saturday’s third period, which the Badgers entered with a 3-2 lead. One Ryan Potulny rebound goal for the Gophers and a sudden return to form from struggling senior Barry Tallackson left UW searching for answers.

The loss dropped the Badgers to third place in the conference, just one point behind the Pioneers. Brückler, for his part, is using the loss to fuel his fire.

“[Saturday’s loss is] huge motivation, I think, just having been so close again to get a few more points and not lose any grip toward the lead in the WHCA,” Brückler said. “I think we’re still right there. We’re right there. The destiny is in our own hands, and we just have to come out there again and play our best hockey and focus on one game at a time.”

Entering this weekend’s matchup with Denver, Brückler will look to follow Berkhoel’s path from a year ago. Berkhoel posted an 11-2-1 record after the start of February en route to leading the Pioneers to the national championship. For Wisconsin to reach Columbus, Ohio, the site of this year’s Frozen Four, the Badgers will likely need a similar performance from Brückler.

“He’s been so solid for us, and he’s one thing that we know, down the stretch, he’s going to be a rock for us,” Burish said. “He’s going to be a rock for us, and that starts up that first line of defense.”