Podge Turnbull needed a few bounces to go his way this weekend.

The senior forward has been in and out of the UW lineup throughout the early portion of his final collegiate season, still searching for consistency.

But head coach Mike Eaves gave Turnbull a chance to center Wisconsin’s second line over the weekend, and some luck finally found the stick of the Hayward, Wis. native.

Turnbull scored the game-tying goal in Friday’s contest against Bemidji State and tallied UW’s second goal en route to a 2-0 win Saturday.

Neither goal was particularly pretty, but fortunately for Turnbull and the Badgers, they all count the same.

Turnbull’s goal Friday shocked everyone in attendance and most importantly, it surprised BSU goaltender Dan Bakala.

Immediately upon entering the offensive zone, Turnbull fired a shot that knuckled its way past a defender and skipped past Bakala’s glove.

The proper terminology used to describe the timely goal? Allow Turnbull to explain.

“I wish I could tell you. I just tried to get it on net, and I’m not sure if it hit the guy’s stick or if I just ‘muffined’ one in there,” Turnbull said. “But it went in and that was the important thing.”

“Good things happen when you shoot the puck and especially when you get it on net. This game is a game of inches and bounces, and fortunately it went our way.”

Turnbull scored another important goal Saturday to double Wisconsin’s lead.

This time Turnbull got his stick on a shot from Frankie Simonelli, and the puck did the rest. Bakala tried to fight off the bouncing puck as it came toward him, but the rubber somehow found a way to slip through him and into the net.

“I just tried to get a stick on it and create a little misdirection, and I got a lucky bounce,” Turnbull said of his second round of good fortune. “I definitely didn’t try to do what I did. It’s just something that happens in a game, pucks roll.”

Regardless of how it happened, Turnbull produced, and his coach wants to see more of it.

Turnbull took advantage of his chance to play on one of the top lines, and Eaves hopes the senior forward finally takes ownership of that spot in the lineup.

“He’s been given an opportunity now, and he has been given similar opportunities before,” Eaves said. “What has happened in the past is that he has let those opportunities slip away from him. Hopefully he has grasped this opportunity and is going to hold on to it.”

Turnbull has been plagued by inconsistency throughout his career. He’s shown flashes that warrant more ice time over the years but often regresses once it’s given.

Eaves doesn’t need to see Turnbull fill up the score sheet all season like he did in the sweep over BSU, but he wants to see high energy from the senior forward every time out.

“The thing about Podge is his ability to play at a high level all the time and compete, and he did that [Friday], and he was able to earn himself some extra ice time based on that,” Eaves said.

Whether it is second line center or fourth line winger, Turnbull has the ability to fill multiple roles in the lineup when needed.

The particular position isn’t important. The opportunity to help this team win is all Turnbull is asking for.

“I try to play wherever they need me. Its something that I’ve always done since I’ve been here. I’ve been a utility guy,” Turnbull said. “Wherever they need me I’ll play.”