The men’s hockey team may finally be able to shed the youthful tag it’s been wearing all year.

After sweeping Alaska Anchorage (6-14-2, 3-14-1 WCHA) with 4-0 and 3-2 decisions at home, Wisconsin (12-10-2, 7-9-2 WCHA) earned its second conference sweep of the season – third sweep overall – and finally broke above a .500 record.

Junior forward Derek Lee broke the sweep down to the bare essentials that made the distinction between a win and a loss.

“It’s the little things that we did this weekend,” Lee said. “And a lot of guys stepped up for us.

With seven goals on the series coming from seven different Badgers, Wisconsin was looking consistently stronger than it has throughout the first half of the year.

But it was two key performances that made the difference in each game.

Schultz continually a game-changer

Junior defenseman Justin Schultz will always be a catchy topic. It’s rare for him to not make a difference in any performance and whether by assist or goal, he – along side sophomore Mark Zengerle – is normally quarterbacking UW’s offense.

With four assists and a goal on the weekend, Schultz ended with a plus-7 on the ice.

But without a beautiful backhanded pass from Schultz, UW wouldn’t have swept UAA and could be cemented at its .500 status.

Streaking up the right side, Schultz took a pass from freshman forward Joseph LaBate at center ice. Schultz drove all the way to the net before tapping it out to LaBate in the slot, who notched the go-ahead goal.

“I don’t think he gets tired, to be honest with you,” Lee said. “He’s just so effortless when he skates. Basically he’s so competitive that he wants to be out there. It showed tonight once again; every night it shows. He’s a game-changer. It was a real nice pass over to LaBate to finish it.”

While Lee joked about his fellow Canadian’s playmaking ability, Eaves spoke about Schultz’s heightened fitness and mechanics.

“I think one of the Justin has going for him is because he’s such an effective skater, he doesn’t have to work as hard as some people do when they skate,” Eaves said.

Rumpel stone cold in shutout

In a 4-0 decision Friday night, freshman netminder Joel Rumpel could not have been more solid in net or look more sure of himself. After turning away 23 shots, Rumpel earned his second shutout in a three game span and of the season.

The last time a rookie posted two shutouts in a single season for the Badgers was in the 1980-81 season.

Head coach Mike Eaves broke Rumpel’s performance down to the simple metaphor – that incidentally mixed two opposites.

“His virtue is his vice,” Eaves said Friday night. “His virtue of having ice in his veins is a very good thing as a goaltender because he’s not going to get rattled. At the same time that pilot [light] in his belly has got to be lit.”

And it certainly was.

While Rumpel gave up two goals the following night, he still faced a total of 50 shots on the weekend, resulting in 48 saves.

Rumpel has started all six games since the break and has only allowed eight goals through that stretch, going 5-1.

“He’s patient in there, and his rebound control has been looking really good,” Zengerle said, speaking to Rumpel’s development throughout the season. “There were some shots today, they were tough shots, a lot of deflections that he moved and got the save on.”

Notoriously one of the most laid-back players on the team, Rumpel’s calm demeanor and maturing confidence in the crease has started to trickle through the rest of the locker room.

“He’s one of the most laid back goaltenders I’ve ever played with; I think all the guys would agree with that,” freshman Jake McCabe said. “It was kind of scaring us at first. Usually your goalies are all nervous before the game, but he’s nice and relaxed. I think it’s starting to get us relaxed. We see him in net, nice and confident.”

While Rumple wasn’t able to cap off the sweep with another shutout, he still made key saves that kept the Badgers in the game.

Through the beginning of the second half of the season, Rumpel has started to pull away as Eaves’ go-to goalie, but the freshman can’t lose whatever is currently fueling his play.

“We as a coaching staff don’t to want him to ever lose that ice in the veins because that’s one of the skills he has, but he … is raising that level of competitiveness by turning up the flame in his belly,” Eaves said.