The University of Wisconsin men’s hockey team (4-10, 2-6-1 Big Ten) extended their losing streak to five games in East Lansing against the Michigan State Spartans (8-5-1, 3-3-0), sliding to sixth place out of seven teams in the Big Ten Hockey Conference.
This losing streak has been a consequence of a quiet scoring attack and defensive struggles. Overall, the Badgers have been outscored by their opponents 20–6 in the five games.
In the first game against the Spartans at Munn Ice Arena, the Badgers fell behind 1–0 very early in the game.
Junior forward Erik Middendorf beat Badger goaltender Jared Moe to open the scoring just three minutes in. The rest of the opening period saw the two teams skate to a stalemate, wrapping up the first with the score at 1–0.
The Spartans extended that lead to 2–0 13 minutes into the second period after Jeremy Davidson scored. The Badgers were able to strike back to cut the Michigan State lead in half with under a minute left in the second period off a Jack Gorniak slot shot beat Spartan senior goaltender Drew DeRidder.
Michigan State then re-established their two-goal lead when Middendorf netted his second of the game, making it 3–1 Spartans. Wisconsin responded with a goal of their own just two minutes later when Carson Bantle scored his first as a Badger, making it 3–2.
Michigan State was able to hold on for the rest of the game, however, closing out a 3–2 defeat for the Badgers.
Coach Tony Granato decided to go back to Moe in net for the second game of the series. In the series finale, Wisconsin once again got off to a slow start, conceding a goal three minutes in.
Michigan State scored their second goal of the game 12 minutes in, making it 2–0. A valiant Badgers comeback was sparked by captain Tarek Baker when he scored to make it a 2–1 deficit.
Sam Stange followed this up with a goal of his own, tying the game at two with 12 minutes left in the second period. Wisconsin was not able to carry over their second-period success into the third, and instead, they were outscored 3–0.
This put the game out of reach with a 5–2 Michigan State lead, which they held onto for the rest of regulation. Moe allowed five goals on 30 shots in the loss.
The Badgers will be in action again Nov. 26 and 27 against Clarkson at the Kohl Center.
