Coming off of a tough weekend series against Ohio State, the University of Wisconsin men’s hockey team (9-14-5, 5-8-5 Big Ten) will seek a pair of wins against a Big Ten opponent on the road this weekend against the No. 15 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (15-10-3, 8-8-2).
Wisconsin did not fare well in their home series against the Fighting Irish Jan. 18-20, losing 6–4 and tying 2–2, but losing a potential extra point in overtime. Winning in regulation just once since Dec. 8, Wisconsin has struggled to put points on the board and move up the standings.
This will be another tough weekend for the Badgers, as Notre Dame sits in second place in the Big Ten behind Ohio State. With just six games remaining, a win or two this weekend will provide the Badgers with much-needed momentum as the Big Ten Playoffs approach.
The key players to look out for this weekend will be between Notre Dame defenseman Bobby Nardella and Wisconsin defenseman K’Andre Miller. The two defensemen lead their respective team in points, both having scored at least five goals and assisted on at least 15 goals.
The Badgers will also have to contain Notre Dame’s top scoring forwards Dylan Malmquist, Cal Burke and Michael Graham — each with nine goals. Allowing opponents to score an average of 3.3 goals per game, Miller and UW captain Peter Tischke will have their hands full this weekend.
Having looked up in the standings throughout the season, the Badgers have consistently dealt with adversity.
Men’s hockey: Looking back at how UW has fared since early December
Wisconsin’s most important job this weekend will be overcoming a 2-7-3 record on the road and outplaying the Fighting Irish’ balance of offensive and defensive play.
Game time is at 6 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday. Friday and Saturday’s games can both be viewed on the NBC Sports Network, listened to live on 1310WIBA or followed live on Twitter @BadgerMHockey.
