GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Prior to the season, UW head coach Mikes Eaves discussed the possibility of putting his three senior forwards on the same line. Injuries prevented that combination from becoming a reality, but on Saturday Eaves saw the opportunity to put his dream line together. Late in the third period, with the score tied at two, Eaves moved Ross Carlson to Andrew Joudrey and Jake Dowell's line.
The move proved invaluable, as Carlson's late third-period goal powered the Badgers to a 3-2 lead and the eventual sweep of the Fighting Sioux.
"We made a few changes; we went with some older guys down the stretch," Eaves said. "When push came to shove we made a change and put Ross up there for a little spark … We put it in the hands of our veterans."
Joudrey broke out of the defensive zone on a two-on-one rush with Carlson charging up the far side. Joudrey fired a shot off UND goaltender Philippe Lamoureux's far pad, and the puck landed right on Carlson's stick, which buried a snap shot to give the Badgers a 3-2 lead. What looked to be a lucky bounce was actually a designed play by crafty veterans.
"Joudrey made a nice pass. We work on that at practice, going far side [on the shot] and make it bounce out [off the goalie]. We do," said Carlson, who recorded four points in Saturday's contest. "It was a great shot and great pass, and you can see it happen."
Senior leadership was the story of the series as Joudrey, Dowell and Carlson combined for six goals and six assists on the Badgers eight total goals.
Dowell, who went scoreless the previous two weekends after scoring goals in each of the first six series, ended a four-game goal drought with a first-period goal Friday.
Saturday Dowell picked up right where he left off.
Down 2-1 with just under five minutes remaining, Dowell netted his second equalizer of the night after stuffing home his own rebound. Earlier in the game, Dowell scored a rap-around goal on a power play to even the score at one.
"Coming into the week, I think we knew there might be some hesitation in the younger guys who have never played here before. This is a tough building to play in, and they're a physical team," Dowell said. "We knew they were going to come out firing and we were going to have to weather the storm. Some of the older guys [said] that we needed to set the tone and set the standard for the team."
Joudrey also delivered a gritty performance, logging an exceptional number of minutes on the power play and penalty kill in addition to even-strength situations.
"He was logging a lot of minutes for us; he's the leader," Eaves said, after the Badgers 4-3 win Friday night. "When his teammates see what he's doing, that's the best kind of leadership … leading by example."
Friday, Joudrey scored a goal for the second straight game after going 10 games without finding the back of the net. Saturday, the UW captain recorded two helpers for his WCHA leading 11th assist of the season in conference play. Joudrey's second assist came on Carlson's empty netter, which sealed the 4-2 victory for the Badgers.
"Ross (Carlson) is a guy who can make simple plays, and he has got Velcro on his stick," Joudrey said. "He's got a great shot, and he doesn't get fazed by anything in any situation. He can make plays, and he showed it tonight."
While the senior forwards lit up the box score Saturday, combining for 10 of Wisconsin's 12 points, it was a shot that assistant captain Jeff Likens didn't take that may have made the biggest difference.
Up 3-2 with under a minute to play, Likens carried to puck into the neutral zone after UND pulled Lamoureux. Instead of firing a deep shot toward the empty net that could have potentially led to an icing, Likens carried the puck past the red line and dumped it into North Dakota territory.
"Jeff likens made a statement to his team tonight that maybe wasn't seen by a lot of people. He had to make a decision. And unselfishly he decided 'I need to get to the red line' instead of trying to score the goal," Eaves said. "And there's a teacher right there … What a statement by the veterans this weekend to our younger guys. I can't say enough."
