GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Two years ago, the first goal UW goaltender Scott Gudmandson gave up in Saturday’s game would have begun a downward spiral. Instead, the junior stood strong and was the biggest reason the Badgers left Grand Forks with three points.
With the skaters in front of him taking penalties and struggling offensively for long periods in both games, Gudmandson did everything but stand on his head to make saves. Time and again he fought through screens and came across the crease to keep UND off the board. Although he had three goals against in both games, it was not too much of a problem since the Badger offense averages four goals a game.
With co-starter Brett Bennett out with a shoulder injury, Gudmandson got the call in net both games for the Badgers for the first time. Head coach Mike Eaves said he was pleased with the junior’s growth.
“The biggest growth for Guddy has been, when he was a freshman and sophomore, when he would let in a goal, that goal would haunt his memory,” he said. “It would echo in the catacombs of his mind, he couldn’t let go of it. Now he’s able to let go of that and get right back to the next shot.”
“We talked many times about my mental strength, talked about that a lot last year. I think I’ve come a long way,” Gudmandson added. “I’ve been able to put things in the back of my mind and just forget about them and move on.”
Gudmandson withstood 17 shots by North Dakota in the first period of Saturday’s game and only gave up two goals. Considering that UW has three games where it held its opponent to 17 shots or fewer total, that number is even more impressive.
Gudmandson’s teammates weren’t shy about praising his play.
“He kind of surprised me a little bit,” senior tri-captain Blake Geoffrion. “He held us in both games really well; it could have gotten really ugly in the first game, and they had a good amount of chances in the second game.”
“He’s not going to crack under pressure, that’s for sure,” fellow senior captain Ben Street added. “These last two nights have been some pretty high-pressure games, and he came up big. That’s huge to show your teammates that.”
Gudmandson himself was less impressed with what he did.
“I’m just trying to make every save. I go into every penalty kill, every five-on-five, every situation, I try to go in with the same mindset: to get the job done,” he said. “It’s my job to stop the puck, and that’s what I want to do.”
Badgers pleased with weekend
By tying and winning, the Badgers had their first weekend on the road this season in which they didn’t lose a game.
In its previous road series at Minnesota State and St. Cloud State, UW split, while it also went 1-1 in the College Hockey Showcase at Michigan and Michigan State.
Facing No. 3 North Dakota made earning the points even more meaningful for UW, even with the disappointing tie Friday night.
“It’s good growth for us — it’s a great point,” Eaves said. “It’s a great point.”
Saturday’s win also marked the first time all season Wisconsin came out on the winning side of a one-goal game. The Badgers were 0-3 in one-goal games until their 4-3 win over the Sioux.
By finally eking out a close game and holding on for a tie, UW showed it can play with grit, which will go a long way when it comes time for NCAA Tournament berths. Wisconsin missed last year’s tournament by just 0.0002 of a percentage point.
Street said the weekend showed how much the Badgers have improved over the past couple of seasons in that respect.
“You can just look at the standings and know how much it’s going to help us,” he said. “I think for ourselves, we talked a lot about how much growth we had this weekend.
“Last night, we have a lead going into the third, we give it up, we still manage to get a point. A lot of previous times in the last couple years, we’d find a way to lose those games.”
With the three points, Wisconsin moved into sole possession of third place in the WCHA with 18 points, just two back of conference leader Denver.
But Eaves agreed that the results of the series go beyond points in the standings.
“Above and beyond what the record shows, we’re starting to forge [ourselves] in areas that say we’re becoming a better team,” he said. “And that’s a good quality to have.”
The series at North Dakota marked the end of the 2009 portion of the Badgers’ season and Wisconsin won’t play again until its New Year’s tournament Jan. 2.
But after going 4-1-1, including 2-0-1 against ranked teams over the past month, some players don’t want to lose that momentum over the winter break.
“It’s kind of like you almost don’t want to take a break, because we’re playing so well and guys are playing so well,” Geoffrion said.