[media-credit name=’DEREK MONTGOMERY/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]Sitting in an airport food court Sunday afternoon — one night after defeating Colorado College in a 9-1 blowout — most of the UW men's hockey team sat together watching an AFC playoff game.

There was a refreshing feeling, it was not just a group of guys taking in a good game, but a group that is extremely close and tight-knit away from the rink — just picture, if you can, the Badgers huddled around the TV during the week watching their newest favorite TV show: "The Bachelor."

"There's no cliques at all. Other teams I've played on there's kind of a group of guys everywhere," senior winger Ryan MacMurchy said. "We all hang out together. We love being around each other."

But despite their TV viewing choice, it is that closeness that they have brought with them to the ice which has resulted in an 18-2-2 record thus far, the best ever by a UW squad through 22 games.

Perhaps it's because for the first time in a while the team is chock-full of veterans. Maybe it's that the team, led by an especially strong senior class, is comprised of players who have only known Mike Eaves as their head coach at UW. It could be because they are winning.

Whatever it is, the personality of this team is hard to describe in a single word, even for the players.

"Competitive," senior Nick Licari offered. "Anything we do, whether it's ping pong, a two-on-two tournament over Christmas, whatever it is we're competitive. And when it's all said and done we're best of friends."

MacMurchy came up with the word "gritty."

"We're not the most-skilled team, but we work hard constantly," he said. "We never get complacent … no matter how good we're doing."

Team captain Adam Burish, who seems to have an answer for everything, kept it basic.

"The simple word would be fun," the Madison native said.

Head coach Mike Eaves couldn't come up with a single word, but did offer an explanation based off a comment from radio announcer Jeff Thomas in Colorado Springs last weekend.

"He said he had a hard time distinguishing our first line from our fourth line by the way we played," Eaves said. "What is the word that honors that statement? I'm not sure, but that was a pretty high compliment."

Perhaps asking for a single word was a bit unfair, for it is obvious that the team carries all of those characteristics, entwining them together to create a Wisconsin group that is on pace to place itself amongst the storied-program's elite.

One thing everyone can agree on, despite a decent amount of success over the past two years, is that there is definitely a different feeling.

"There's never a day where you come to the rink and it's a dull day," Burish said. "And that's the first time in my four years it's been like that. Usually, especially now around this time, is when it starts to be like 'Gosh, practice again.' Now, everyday guys are excited to come to the rink."

"I think a lot of it is that we're finally an upper-class team," Licari said. "The past couple years we've had a lot of under-classmen and been pretty immature in all aspects on and off the ice. We finally figured ourselves out."

Taking care of business on the road: To win a strong league in any sport, the usual formula is to hold serve at home and steal points on the road, but the Badgers have been winning no matter where they play.

Wisconsin is 9-0-1 on the road, including sweeps at league-rivals Minnesota, North Dakota and Colorado College, which explains its eight-point lead over its nearest competition in the WCHA.

"On the road, you're more as a team, you're together all the time and it feels like a business trip," junior Robbie Earl said after Saturday's 9-1 win. "We act like it's a business trip — there's a structure involved on the road and I think that's really helped us keep focused."

The maturity of the veteran Badgers has definitely helped away from home. Younger teams in the past few years may have been more nervous heading into their rivals' arenas, but this team has a new mentality.

"I absolutely love playing on the road," MacMurchy said. "I love going into somebody else's war environment and coming together as a team. There's no better feeling than winning on the road."

Though the team has had success on the road, Wisconsin returns home for a crucial two-week stretch against two-time defending national champion Denver and Minnesota.

But whether they are at home or on the road down the stretch, the Bachelor-fan Badgers hope that everything continues coming up roses.