It is March, and everyone knows what that means. It's the best month of the year if you are a sports fan and it is a time where dreams are either fulfilled or shattered, heroes are made and some of the best feel-good stories of the year surface.

These past couple of weeks has produced just that for those in the world of men's college hockey.

UW senior and Madison native Adam Burish saw his national title dreams survive a three-overtime thriller against Cornell Sunday, the same day his sister won an NCAA championship with the Badger women's hockey team.

Wisconsin freshman Jack Skille — another Madison native and the seventh overall pick in last year's NHL Entry Draft — became an instant hero in that same game by finally bringing the game to an end and scoring the game-winning goal, more than 111 minutes after the puck first dropped.

Both of those stories are classic March stories, and they are tales that will not soon be forgotten by anyone who follows the Badgers. But at the same time, it is important not to forget some of those same stories that perpetuate thanks to the play of some of the less-familiar players.

Junior winger Andy Brandt and sophomore defenseman Josh Engel spent most of the early portions of the regular season watching games from far corners of arenas. They worked just as hard in practice as the next guy, but when the weekends rolled around, they spent more of their time in suits watching from a distance than they did in a cardinal and white uniform.

Brandt had played in just eight games before the month of February. Engel had suited up the same number of times before the calendar even turned over to the month of March.

Both of them have already had their moments in the postseason.

A week ago at the WCHA Final Five, Brandt scored just the second goal of his Badger career. He had been in the lineup 76 times since his last goal. Despite the fact that UW went on to drop that game to North Dakota, it is a story that cannot be overlooked.

And despite failing to get on the board Sunday against Cornell, the fourth line that Brandt is a part of was instrumental in keeping the energy alive.

He was a pivotal vocal leader in helping the Badgers weather the ups-and-downs of the stretch run whether he was in the lineup or not.

And perhaps an even greater story developed Sunday with Engel, the player whom Brandt spent plenty of time with on the road earlier in the year, when they would watch most games alongside the UW assistant coaches.

But when classmate Joe Piskula went down with an injury after blocking a shot against St. Cloud State in the final regular season series, Engel was called into action.

He has had his own ups-and-downs while playing in each of the last five games. Nobody could expect him to step in and play like Tom Gilbert, his partner on defense. After all, prior to Piskula's injury, he had played in just one game in 2006.

But he has performed well, stepping right in and giving everything he can. And his hard work paid off Sunday with a moment he will never forget.

The happy-go-lucky sophomore had to make a split-second decision. When Cornell goaltender David McKee cycled the puck out around the side boards from behind the net, he had two choices: step up and play it or step back and play defense as a Big Red player was coming to battle for the puck.

Most probably expected him to step back.

At that point in the game, during a four-on-four situation, nobody wanted to see a breakaway for Cornell. And that was the first reaction in his head, as he took a small glide backwards.

But in a flash, he changed his mind, deciding instead to take a chance and step up to, at the very least, hold the offensive zone.

Then he heard the voice. It was not a voice from above, but it might as well have been. "Engel, Engel" was all he heard. It was Skille flashing in fresh off a line change.

Engel spun a bit, saw the freshman out of the corner of his eye and attempted a backhand pass. If there is one second that will play in slow motion for the rest of his life, you can bet it will be that moment for Engel.

He may never pass a puck that perfect again in his life, but he probably does not care. Because when Skille one-timed the pass into the corner of the net to end a game that will go down in history, Engel etched his name in the book of Badger lore as well.

Everyone will remember Skille as the one who made a highlight-reel, game-winning shot, but do not forget that it was Engel who made the play even possible.

From healthy scratch to playoff hero, Engel deserves some glory as well.

Eric is a senior majoring in history. Share your unsung hero moments with him at [email protected].