Athletic departments of power-conference universities, including Wisconsin, are often criticized for scheduling overmatched opponents early in the year. That certainly will not be the case for the Badger men's hockey team this season. Wisconsin jumps right into conference play, hosting Colorado College this weekend to open its rigorous 2009 campaign.
While opening the season with a slew of tough opponents seems like a daunting task, senior forward Blake Geoffrion sees it as a positive challenge.
""I think that's good for us, to get right in there and get used to it right away,"" Geoffrion said. ""We're going to face adversity this weekend. How fast we can get out of that adversity and move on will contribute to how confident we're going to be this year.""
The Badgers faced a tough start to the season last year as well, and did not fare so well. Facing primarily ranked teams, Wisconsin struggled to a 1-6-1 start, kicking off what would be an up-and-down campaign. This season, the Badgers are more experienced, a factor Geoffrion believes will help the unit avoid another poor start.
""We all know what it takes to win,"" Geoffrion said. ""In years past we've maybe come out a little bit soft, but we're going to come out and play hard. Just go out and play shift by shift, game by game.""
That experience, combined with a deep and talented rotation of players, has the Badgers ranked No. 13 in the USCHO.com/CBS College Sports preseason poll.
However, this is not a team without questions. The Badgers need to find a replacement for now-graduated goaltender Shane Connolly. The odds-on favorite for the job is junior Scott Gudmandson, who made three starts last year, but has never handled regular duty in the WCHA. Consistent play between the pipes could be the difference between another decent season and a run at a national title, and Gudmandson says he is ready for the challenge.
""This is what I've been waiting in the wings for,"" he said. ""The opportunity to be a starting goalie in this league.""
Colorado College has won seven of the last eight meetings between the two teams, and sports a wining record (7-6-3) at the Kohl Center. The Tigers also have a regular season series already under their belts, as they split with No. 20 Northeastern last week.
""Colorado College has already had a weekend to knock off the rust,"" Gudmundson said. ""We've been trying to do that with practice and scrimmages.""
Whether or not Wisconsin will come out this weekend and hit on all cylinders remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that the guys in the home locker room are itching to hit the ice.
""We've been going [through training] for a month now,"" Geoffrion said. ""I'm just ready to get out there and play.""
The two-game series begins tonight at 7 p.m., with the second game, also starting at 7 p.m., on Saturday.
