It's funny what a couple wins will do for a team.
One week prior, Wisconsin, despite hard-fought practices,
lacked swagger. After a series sweep of St. Cloud State, it's hitting harder
and playing faster and with fire.
"It's amazing what confidence does," UW head coach Mike
Eaves said. "Wins and confidence is hard to explain. … How do you put a price
on the fact that the team believes in what they're doing and they believe
they're going in the right direction?"
Eaves used the week and his team's responsiveness to impress
some of the key fundamentals the team has been lacking this season, namely
consistency and getting back on defense.
While the Badgers are tied for the WCHA lead in goals scored
this season, they rank last in goals per game allowed. A defense laden with
freshmen has contributed to the cause.
"We definitely could do some things better as a defensive
corps," UW senior blue liner Davis Drewiske said. "Maybe there are some pucks
Shane (Connelly) would like back, maybe there are a few situations where we
could have gotten more help from our forwards with odd-man rushes — so it has
been a combination of things."
Wisconsin (7-6-1, 4-4 WCHA) will try to reverse that trend
this weekend when it duels Minnesota State (4-6-2, 2-6-2).
This series features the first unranked team on the Badgers'
schedule in nearly eight weeks, dating back to the mid-October matchup against
Robert Morris.
However, UW hasn't exactly had success at the Midwest
Wireless Civic Center in years past. The Mavericks throttled the Badgers 6-4
and 7-3 during the 2005-06 season despite starting goaltender Brian Elliot returning
to the lineup following a knee injury.
"I think if you'd talk to most coaches in the WCHA, they'll
tell you it's a tough place to play," Eaves said. "It's a different atmosphere
than a normal college rink. It feels more like a junior hockey rink."
On top of that, "the fans there can drink adult beverages
and that gives them a different feel on life, so they get pretty raucous."
Then there's the altogether different matter that comes into
play: the team itself.
Led by Mick Berge, who has recorded seven goals and nine
points this year, the Mavericks are a feisty, relentless bunch — "like one of
those little bullterriers that grabs your pant leg and won't let go unless you
just knock it unconscious and yank it off your pant leg," Eaves said.
During a year when the cliche "any team can win on any given
night" rings true in the WCHA more than ever, according to Drewiske, Wisconsin
knows it cannot afford to take Minnesota State lightly.
"They may not be the most skilled team in the league, but
they're going to come at you, try to bang, wear you down and capitalize on your
mistakes, and try to bite you," sophomore defenseman Jaime McBain said. "We
can't underestimate them."
While Connelly and the Badgers have given up quite a few
goals this season, Mike Zacharias has been stellar in net for the Mavericks;
his 1.82 goals against average ranks among the nation's best.
"It will be an all-out battle with good goaltending on their
part, and we need to match their heart and play smart and play as a team to
give us an edge," Eaves said.
One of the motors that make Wisconsin run is second-line
center Blake Geoffrion. Assigned to stop the opposition's top line, he has
still managed to score 14 points this season.
"My role coming into the season was to take care of my own
zone first, from there make good decisions and take what's given and … it's
been good to chip in offensively — the puck has kind of gone my way this year,"
Geoffrion said.
With this weekend representing the last time UW plays before
it takes a mandated break for finals, it's the last time the Badgers —
currently in sixth place — can make a move in the conference standings.
Boasting plenty of confidence, Drewiske and McBain don't see why
they won't.
