Nevertheless, despite their recent success, former All-Big Ten player and first-year head coach Todd Yeagley insists the team is still hungry.
“They’re not satisfied with this little run here — they want more, and that’s what’s exciting,” Yeagley said. “I’m pleased where we are, but we have an unbelievable task ahead of us. We’ll continue to ride this momentum and confidence, but the guys know what challenges lay ahead.”
Looming ahead for the team is postseason play and the conference tournament. Something that bodes well in the postseason is the team’s stellar record in overtime games. Yeagley points toward his team’s high work ethic and the Badgers’ new workout regiment as advantages over the competition in overtime contests.
“Our strength and conditioning gives us a little bit of an edge,” Yeagley said. “The extra work in the weight room and the hard training pays dividends in those overtime situations.”
But not only that, overtime takes a certain mental state of mind of which Yeagley has tried to integrate into his team’s focus.
“We train and talk about mental discipline, staying in the moment and staying confident,” Yeagley added.
Following the team’s Oct. 17 overtime victory over Northwestern, the team boasts an impressive overtime record of 3-1-2. However, it was another overtime win that Yeagley points to as the turning point in the team’s season.
A 2-1 victory over the Michigan State Spartans Oct. 11 was won on a Scott Lorenz goal in double overtime. This was the team’s first Big Ten win and a win against arguably one of the top contenders in the conference this season.
“The overtime win against Michigan State was great because we hadn’t won a Big Ten game and our focus was on those last eight games [of the season],” Yeagley said. “It went right with our theme of really capturing the second half of the season, and to do it in dramatic fashion always adds a little more emotion to it. We played well and got a result against a quality team.”
The Badgers now stand in first place in the Big Ten with a 3-2-1 conference record, their best mark in the Big Ten since 2006. If they win their final game against Penn State, UW has a shot to remain atop the Big Ten standings.
Last night’s final home game marked Senior Night, in which eight Badger seniors were honored for their contributions to the team. Yeagley and the rest of the coaching staff credit a lot of this year’s success to this being a senior-laden team. Two seniors that especially stand out are goalie Alex Horwath and forward Scott Lorenz.
Horwath, who is now fifth in school history in shutouts, has been bothered by a nagging hamstring injury for most of the season and has missed some time earlier in the season. Yeagley seemed confident, however, that Horwath would miss no further time.
“Al’s fine, he’s just got a little bit of a hamstring injury, but this time of year, everyone has some nagging injuries,” Yeagley said. “He’s a warrior, and we’re optimistic that he won’t miss any more time.”
Wisconsin’s leading scorer, Scott Lorenz, is listed as a forward, but has played midfield as well this season. A scrappy player, Lorenz has been praised for his versatility and his unquestionable commitment to the team.
“He has the ability and composure to score goals, but we’ve needed him in different spots,” Yeagley said. “He’s been very versatile, and it’s a credit to him [that] he’s been a real steady, very good player for us.”
The Badgers will continue to need players like Horwath and Lorenz to perform down the stretch of the season. Yeagley promises they will not look forward to the postseason before they are actually there.
“One game at a time, they really in believe that,” Yeagley said. “When you do that, you put yourself in good situations [to win].”
