After an improved effort Saturday night in a 3-1 win at St. Cloud State, the No. 12 Wisconsin Badgers hockey team returns home to face their Achilles heel, the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves.
No question, the Seawolves have done more than spook the Badgers in recent years. The matchup has turned into quite a rivalry, despite the geographical distance and the usually wide talent gap.
Last year was a glaring example. During the regular season, the Badgers whipped the Seawolves all over the ice, winning all four meetings by a combined 17-4 score, exacting some payback for an ugly three-game home playoff series loss to Anchorage in '04.
But just like in '04, in the playoffs Alaska played like a totally different team, giving the Badgers all they could handle in three tight one-goal games against the NCAA-bound Badgers. In game one of the series, the Seawolves led 4-2 heading into the third period, and only a frantic comeback in the final frame saved the Badgers from defeat. The Seawolves took game two, 2-1, and led 1-0 in game three before Wisconsin rallied to win 2-1 and take the series.
'We have had a lot of trouble with Alaska in the playoffs the last couple of years. For some reason, they give us plenty of problems,' junior defender Jeff Likens said.
As it seems every year, this series should heavily favor Wisconsin on paper but, much like the St. Cloud State team they faced last weekend, if the Badgers let down, the Seawolves are good enough to steal a win.
Alaska has had a decent start to the season, splitting their first four games. The Seawolves dominated a decent Rensselear team 6-3 and beat their arch rival Alaska-Fairbanks, 2-1. To add to that game, Fairbanks was coming of a three-point weekend at then top-ranked Minnesota.
Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves expects more of the same type of Alaska team this weekend that they have seen the last few years.
'They have good goaltending, they work hard,' Eaves said. 'Alaska gives themselves a chance to be in every game because of that work ethic and goaltending.'
Sophomore Nathan Lawson and senior John DeCaro are both excellent goaltenders for Alaska Anchorage, both can handle a lot of shots in support of a Seawolf team which lacks an offensive punch.
Junior forwards Justin Bourne and Charlie Kronschnobel were the only Seawolf players to score more than 20 points last season. Despite the lack of a major scoring threat, UW junior goaltender Brian Elliott knows Alaska-Anchorage is a dangerous team.
'In our league, anybody can win on any given night. It depends on how hard you work, and Alaska is a very hard working team,' Elliott said.
Perhaps the most overlooked factor in this series is coaching. Former Alaska-Anchorage head coach John Hill was let go during the off season, but the Seawolves seem to be responding well to new head coach Dave Shyiak.
All of this should lead to another interesting and exciting series, since the Badgers seem to bring out the Seawolves' best performance.
'This is a big series, as the opening WCHA series at home. Everybody is ready to go,' Likens said.
