One of the most debilitating blows a team can suffer during its season is a loss to any team to which, on paper, they should never lose. Thus far this year, Wisconsin has evaded any let down, only losing to Minnesota and Minnesota-Duluth, two of the most talented and top ranked teams in the country.
For the Badgers to remain towards the top of the national rankings, they likely need to continue that trend of beating up on the lowly.
Wisconsin heads into the final series before the holidays still atop the conference (14-2, 10-2 WCHA) and second in the national polls against St. Cloud State (0-14-1, 0-11-1 WCHA), a group that has yet to tally its first outright win this season.
St. Cloud State’s poor record may exude inferiority, but like most WCHA teams, the Huskies boast a formidable goaltender in senior Ashley Nixon, who beat Minnesota-Duluth last weekend in a shootout and was named this week’s WCHA woman of the week.
“She can be a talented goalie on any given night so we can’t take them lightly,” junior winger Carolyne Prevost said.
However, Wisconsin has encountered a fair share of tough net minders this season: Zuzana Tomcikova from Bemidji State, who put up a whopping 41 saves against the Badgers back in October, and Minnesota’s Nooray Raty, who started for the Finnish Olympic team last year.
The experience against some of the toughest goaltenders in the country has provided the Badgers with a proven formula for how to put the puck into the back of the net.
“Like a lot of good goaltenders you move their eyes, you create tip-ins, you create rebounds and give yourself more opportunities to score goals. That’s what you need to do,” head coach Mark Johnson said.
Unfortunately for Nixon and St. Cloud State, however, after losing several key scorers from last year’s squad, the offense has not matched the premier goaltending. The Huskies have only mustered 1.08 goals per game this season, worst in the WCHA.
But for Johnson, the poor record and unflattering statistics are not reasons enough to take any team lightly, especially a team that is playing better regardless of where they sit in the standings.
“They beat Duluth in a shootout on Friday night, so obviously you don’t look at their win loss record. You look at how they are playing right now and obviously they must have put together a pretty good game. Whether we’re playing up there or whether we’re playing somebody else you’ve got to be concerned,” Johnson said.
The Badgers, on the other hand continue to lead the league in goals per game with 4.42, almost a full goal more than any other team in the WCHA (Minnesota-Duluth 3.50) and third in goals allowed per game with 2.33, only behind Minnesota-Duluth and Bemidji State.
But even with the intimidating stats, an impressive record and a top national ranking, Wisconsin can’t overlook any team, even one without an outright victory on the season.
“I try not to think about that at all, I take each game like it’s the first game of the season. Our team knows that these two games are very important before Christmas Break and everyone’s going to come ready to play,” senior defenseman Geena Prough said.
Though, several times over the course of this season, the Badgers have entered games as the heavy favorite and did not give their best effort, which allowed for tighter finishes with teams they should have handled with ease.
Prough and the rest of her teammates understand that letting down against any opponent in the WCHA is a mistake.
“We have to play a full 60 minutes and we have to work hard every shift and not quit until we get the win at the end,” Prough said.
