[media-credit name=’RAY PFEIFFER/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]This time last year, Brian Elliott and the University of Wisconsin men's hockey team were on top of the college hockey world. The No. 1-ranked Badgers had just completed a two-game sweep of the Golden Gophers in Mariucci Arena, while Elliott was well on his way to the greatest single season ever recorded by a Wisconsin goaltender.

Elliott's superlatives earned him a place in the Hobey "Hat Trick" as a top three finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, given annually to the best overall player in the nation. But while Elliott may have fell short of achieving that goal, as Denver's junior All-American Matt Carle took home the coveted trophy, it was Elliott who got the last laugh, as his Badgers went on to win the sixth National Championship in the program's history.

Along the way, Elliott set UW single-season goaltending records for goals against average (1.55), save percentage (.938) and shutouts (8), all tops in the nation in 2006.

"Whenever you're going to win a championship you're going to have to have that level of play from your goaltender," UW head coach Mike Eaves said prior to the season. "Now I am not going to tell you that his numbers will be the same because I can't predict that, but I can predict because of the type of man he is both mentally and physically that he has the capability to play at the highest level once again."

Fast forward to this season where Wisconsin (5-9-2, 3-6-1 WCHA) has yet to win two consecutive games. The Badgers haven't looked anything like defending national champions this season, as their struggles included a six-game losing streak that spanned nearly three weeks.

The frustrating season to date has taken its toll on the man between the pipes.

"I think [Elliot's] pressing a little bit, probably trying to do to much," said goalie specialist and UW volunteer coach Bill Howard. "But it's tough to really blame him because our margin for error in all our games this year hasn't been very much. If he gives up more than two goals, it's hard for us to win. But he's still just not playing as patient or relaxed as he did last year."

With UW's season-long struggles on offense, fans have looked toward Elliott to recapture his glory from a season ago and lead the Badgers back to their winning ways.

This year, Elliott still sits atop conference goaltenders with the top save percentage (.931) and the third best GAA (2.06) in the WCHA, while starting every conference game.

However, Elliott has already given up three goals or more six times, while allowing two goals or less in 29 of his 35 appearances in the 2005-06 campaign. Also, Elliott has already seen opponents light the lamp 31 times this year, after giving up only 55 goals a season ago. According to the five-time WCHA Defensive Player of the Week, however, this season's struggles have not affected his resounding confidence.

"It's a battle throughout the whole season in terms of your confidence level. That's a goalie's job to be confident in net and know that you can make any save," Elliott said. "Every year that I have played hockey it has been an internal battle to stay on top of my game. But I feel good, and that's how I always have to feel in order to be successful."

Elliott is well aware of the daunting pressure that goes along with being a goaltender, especially at a hockey powerhouse like Wisconsin. But for the Newmarket, Ontario native, it is a role he relishes.

"If you want to be a top athlete, you have to produce at key times. In our league every game is like a playoff game, that's a lot of pressure itself," Elliott said. "Being a goalie, you know you need to always be on the top of your game and that makes it fun and that makes it much more challenging. But that's what you live for as a goalie."

Goalie U
Any goaltender standing in net for the University of Wisconsin has a lot to live up to.

Eight All-American goaltenders have come through the program, in addition to NHL standouts Jim Carrey and Mike Richter, who went on to win the 1994 Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers. Other UW goaltending greats include Curtis Joseph, the only player in league history to be named WCHA most valuable player and WCHA rookie of the year in the same season.

"It's just unbelievable and that is one of the reasons I chose Wisconsin, just knowing that it was Goalie U," Elliott said of UW's vast goaltending tradition. "That is something I want to pass on to the younger guys, to just keep this tradition going with the great goaltenders we have had going through this program."

With Elliot's record breaking national championship season, he has surely etched his name alongside the greatest UW goaltenders of all time. Howard, who has been coaching Badger goaltenders for 36 seasons, believes Elliott is one of the greatest crease-minders to play for the program.

"Fundamentally, he's probably got my system down better than anybody else that's been here," said Howard, who's worked with all of Wisconsin's All-American goalies. "When he plays controlled and within the system, he's as good a goaltender as I have ever seen."

Elliott, who was chosen in the ninth round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft (291st overall) by the Ottawa Senators, hopes he can someday succeed at the next level like the previous UW goalies before him.

"It's every kid's dream who grows up playing hockey," Elliott said of possibly playing in the NHL. "I talked about that with Coach Howard and you got to focus on this year, but I would love to be playing on the biggest stage some day."

Big Game Brian
Throughout his collegiate career, Elliott has had a knack for coming through on the grandest of stages.

In his junior year, Elliott was undefeated (11-0-1) against top-five teams, including three shutout victories. In the most crucial months of the season, March and April, Elliott set a WCHA record with a 259:52 shutout streak spanning five games.

Elliott's natural talent undoubtedly gives him an advantage over his goaltending counterparts, but according to players and coaches, it is a mental edge that sets him apart from the pack.

"One of his strengths is that he has the ability to focus," Eaves said. "He has the ability to be in the moment. For instance, if a goal goes in that he thinks he should have had, he can let it go and get back in the next moment."

This season, Elliott has also shown his instinctive ability to focus, in addition to demonstrating his lack of a short-term memory.

After a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to North Dakota in Wisconsin's home-opener — on the same night the Badgers saw their 2006 National Championship banner fall — Elliott turned in his school record 12th shutout the following night. In the ensuing series, Elliott again turned in a patented big-game performance with 34 saves in a 5-2 victory over Minnesota-Duluth — just one night after the Badgers blew a third period lead to go home with a disappointing tie.

"He's got a ton of confidence in himself and confidence in such an important part of the goaltending position," Howard said. "He trusts the system and trusts that if he plays his game, there are not many people out there who can beat him. If you work hard and have confidence you can succeed in the big ones."

Professor Elliott
Despite being quiet by nature, Elliott has taken it upon himself to help other UW goaltenders elevate their level of play. Following a wrist injury that sidelined Elliott for a number of weeks last season, UW backup goaltender Shane Connelly was forced to make his career start against the defending national champs.

"[Elliott] called me the night before the Denver game and said 'just be yourself, have fun and enjoy the opportunity,'" Connelly said. "He said the team needs you to step up and that he believed in me, and he had a lot of confidence in me. And that really helped me relax."

According to Connelly, not a practice goes by that he doesn't learn something new from the All-American goaltender. Elliott, who strives to lead by example, hopes his hard work and determination will rub off on his counterparts.

"That's my role on the team," Elliott said. "A lot of guys can speak up in the dressing room, but I try to show what I can do and how hard I work. Hopefully guys see that, and see that they want to be where I am some day and work as hard as our senior class does."