[media-credit name=’Zhao Lim/The Badger Herald’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]

If the Wisconsin men’s hockey team were a boxer, then the referee would be standing over the crumpled fighter calling out numbers five… six… seven… waiting, with the rest of the hushed crowd, to see if the team could get back up on its feet.

After another round of heartbreaking losses, like debilitating body blows to the team’s regular season, the Badgers (6-6-2, 3-5-2 WCHA) come away reeling after suffering a sweep to Minnesota-Duluth. Wisconsin now faces a difficult task of pushing on through the rest of the season with short-term memories in order to forget the tragic endings of both games against Duluth this weekend.

“We’ve been knocked down to the mat here a couple of times in the last four games and it’s about getting up and moving forward, and it’s our choice on how we respond,” head coach Mike Eaves said.

For such a young team, Wisconsin has experienced a lot together over the course of the still-young season. In their last four games at home, the Badgers have lost three of them by one goal. These close games, win or lose, usually galvanize a group for the short and long terms. But what if the adversity nudges the team in the wrong direction? Against Minnesota-Duluth, the Badgers appeared to work harder than the Bulldogs throughout; winning 50-50 battles, winning the majority of face-offs, doing the things that should earn a group the victory. And when Wisconsin comes out with no wins to show for it, frustration is almost imminent.

“It is tough, there is no doubt about it. The fact that when you’re not rewarded for your efforts, you seem to get knocked down a notch,” Eaves said.

For the Badgers to turn their fortunes around this season, the starting point lies at the crossroads at which they stand right now. The confidence and positive attitude that junior Jordy Murray possesses exemplify the right mentality to make that change.

“I thought we made a big step from last weekend already. Nothing has come easy for us, especially wins, but we’re close, we are right there and we think we’re playing good hockey,” Murray said.

So close, in fact, that they should have found points in at least one of the games this weekend against a team that has only given up four throughout the entire season. Pushing the best team in the country to the brink not only demonstrates the ability the Badgers possess, but also the drive to forge ahead, regardless of recent disappointments.

“We’re a team of fighters and that’s what we came out there to do and we don’t want to give up. That’s the worst thing you can see out there,” freshman forward Tyler Barnes said.

The fight, however, lies directly uphill.

With the two losses this weekend, coupled with the sweep North Dakota administered to the Badgers last weekend, Wisconsin now finds itself sixth in the WCHA, nine points behind Minnesota-Duluth. If the Badgers are to succeed in the WCHA this season, they will need to learn how to pull out the close games.

“We’ve just got to find ways to get that last goal and win games. And you know we’re a young team and it will come, but it’s a little frustrating right now, but we’ll be better next week,” Murray said.

Next weekend Wisconsin hosts ninth-ranked Michigan, another great test for the team. And looming on the schedule remains a visit to Minnesota-Duluth in January, where surely the Badgers will aim to avenge the heartbreak they endured this weekend.
But for now, as the Badgers must deal with their recent setbacks, Eaves believes in the possibility that a greater purpose exists for why his team has struggled and that Wisconsin can become a stronger and more battle-tested group.

“Maybe this whole thing that we’re going through – I think things happen in life for a reason, maybe for this team right now it’s a matter of building a certain character and will through these tough times,” Eaves said.