[media-credit name=”Kelsey Fenton” align=”alignright” width=”336″][/media-credit]With a shot fired at Wisconsin’s net every two minutes and 12 seconds on average this season, being the man stopping the flying pucks has been no easy task.

Men’s hockey junior goaltender Landon Peterson has already weathered the storm a few times. After a 5-2 win with Peterson in net to open the season against Northern Michigan, the Badgers (3-2-1, 0-0 Big Ten) traveled to Boston riding on confidence and a No. 2 national ranking to take on two of Hockey East’s best in Boston College and Boston University.

Trading off games in the opening series with junior goaltender Joel Rumpel — the duo has for most of their three-year careers at Wisconsin — the starts in Boston rested solely upon the shoulders of Peterson, as Rumpel remained in Madison nursing an ankle injury.

That confidence was all but destroyed in the first 21 minutes and 45 seconds of the road trip as the Badgers saw six pucks grace the twine behind Peterson. An eventual 9-2 loss to BC was only to be repeated the second night as Boston University put up an additional seven goals to UW’s three, sending Wisconsin home winless and Peterson having seen 13 goals slip past his watch.

“Obviously his confidence, anyone who has a game like that against Boston, their confidence is going to dive a little,” junior forward Joseph LaBate said. “I wouldn’t say it hurt him. He bounced back the same old Landon.”

Returning to Madison with a weekend off from action, Peterson was determined to use the extra time of practice to see to it that he would be back performing how he finished last season — the top goaltender in the WCHA with a .928 save percentage.

“I just had to get back into that mindset and focus,” Peterson said. “I had to keep working hard and just control what I could control.”

What could be controlled was his confidence.

“I think for any goalie, for that to happen, it is natural to lose some of that confidence and then you kind of just have to work through it,” volunteer assistant coach Jeff Sanger said.

Coming off the bye week with Rumpel still not ready to return, the Badgers were looking to prove to themselves the performance in Boston was just a ripple in what they hope has the potential to be a special season.

Yet the opening moments against Lake Superior State were déjà vu all over again as three goals soared through the UW defense past Peterson in the first four minutes of play.

“It crosses your mind, definitely,” Peterson said of feeling that the woes of Boston were there to stay. “I just told myself to focus and get through the first period.”

Not only did Peterson get through the rest of the first period flawlessly, he went on to allow just one goal in the remaining five periods of hockey that weekend as the rest of his team fought back for a 3-3 tie in game one and in game two the following night to bring Wisconsin a much needed 8-1 trouncing. While the eight goals surely got all of the Badgers back on the right track, for Peterson it was a test of strength he came out passing with flying colors.

“I think that’s one of the toughest things for goaltenders is what’s between the ears,” Sanger said. “And he met the challenge.”

Now after another bye weekend, UW turns to face another tough nonconference opponent in No. 7 University of Miami (of Ohio) and for Peterson the battle never ends.

Throughout his career at UW, Peterson has always found himself battling alongside Rumpel for the starting job. Both highly skilled juniors, they entered the season knowing again that playing time was up for grabs. And as they had done for most of last season, the duo would be sharing the net.

A constant reminder that the position is one to be earned, not granted, Peterson and Rumpel have built a special bond that keeps both at the top of their games.

“It’s good friendly competition and we both make each other better and push each other. It’s good to have that,” Peterson said. “Off the ice we are really good friends […] but once we’re on the ice we both don’t like to lose.”

That drive to never suffer defeat has led Peterson to be looked upon highly by coaches and teammates alike as someone who might not have the loudest voice on the squad, but his work ethic speaks loudly to all.

“He’s mature and a guy whose teammates respect him. He leads by example by just working so hard in practice. That’s just kind of who he is,” Sanger said.

And LaBate was a near echo of the coach’s voice calling Peterson, “probably one of the hardest working guys on the ice.”

As the season wears on, having proven he can withstand a mental storm that would keep the weak from returning to the ice may be the best skill Peterson possesses.