The Wisconsin men’s hockey team will host the Alaska Nanooks in a two-game series this Friday and Saturday in the Kohl Center. These games are the third and fourth game of an eight-game home stretch in Madison for the Badgers.
The Nanooks (7-13-4, 5-11-4 WCHA) just traded games in a series at Northern Michigan and travel to Madison in the hopes of surpassing the .500 mark in away games for the first time this season. Wisconsin is the first non-conference opponent Alaska has faced since late October, giving extra incentive to win a few in this late-season matchup.
The Badgers (4-12-6, 1-7-2 Big Ten), coming off consecutive losses to rival Minnesota at home, are looking for a rebound series to boost them through to the rest of a nasty Big Ten Conference schedule. Even though Alaska is not an in-conference foe for Wisconsin, a win is much needed for a team on a four-game losing skid in danger of dropping out of the Big Ten race. The Badgers will suffer a loss as senior captain Eddie Witchow will miss the first five minutes of the Friday game against Alaska, a result from a penalty for a hit to the head on Minnesota’s Tommy Novak last Saturday.
Alaska and Wisconsin are both coming into this series with something to prove. Neither teams have lived up to expectations this year, but have shown moments of greatness at unlikely times. Wisconsin has surprising three-goal wins over both Michigan State and No. 1 North Dakota while Alaska boasts impressive victories over Northern Michigan and Bemidji State. Despite these brief moments of success, neither squad has been able to win close games against lesser teams and impose their will.
The winner will ultimately be determined by who is ready to play come Friday. The teams take the ice Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. CT.
Wisconsin keys to victory:
Create a more balanced offensive attack. The past few weeks the Badgers have been a one or two-man offensive threat, relying on Grant Besse or Cameron Hughes to make things happen. This lack of offensive depth limits the opportunities and possession time the Badgers have to wear down the opposing front, ultimately forcing the defense to pick up the slack.
Control possession of the puck. The inability to control the time of possession was a major factor in the second blowout loss to the Gophers, as Wisconsin lost the face-off battle 31-17 and turned the puck over at a very high rate. A more aggressive front on offense will shift the weight of defending onto Alaska and give Wisconsin a higher likelihood of a luck deflection or opportunity.
Alaska player to watch: Tyler Morley
The Nanook to keep an eye on over the weekend is senior captain Tyler Morley. The 5-foot-8 Canadian has been a force for Alaska over his career and is continuing it this season, leading the team with 12 goals while the next best scorer has only three. In his long history as a Nanook, he has notched 92 points in only 100 games and worked his way to one of the best forwards in the WCHA.
Morley’s quickness and agility will prove tough to deal with for the Badgers as they continue to struggle against a more agile attack. UW freshman goalie Matt Jurusik will surely be tested by this experienced member of a hungry squad. Watch for him to be the ringer for this Alaska team this weekend.
