DULUTH, Minn.—Coming into this weekend's series with league-leading Minnesota-Duluth, the No. 2 Wisconsin Badgers had the top of the WCHA square in the crosshairs. That target looked even more attainable after a 5-2 victory on Friday night that featured good goal play and stellar special teams. However, UW slipped drastically in both areas Saturday night, took a season-high 13 penalties, looking completely destitute in a 4-0 loss.
The two teams put their dynamic offenses on display from the first period on Friday night. Minnesota-Duluth scored just 1:26 into the contest. The two teams then skated scoreless for nine minutes after that, but the Badgers picked up some momentum. Two penalties for UW put the league's most dangerous power-play unit on the ice for four minutes. However, the Badgers did not allow a single shot on goal in that stretch.
""We knew we had to make a statement on their power play because it is so good, and that was a good way to start it off,"" senior forward Blake Geoffrion said.
Senior forward John Mitchell evened the score midway through the period when he took a nifty pass off the side of the net from freshman forward Craig Smith and beat sophomore Bulldog goalie Kenny Reiter. Wisconsin took the lead just 20 seconds later when senior Aaron Bendickson won a face off, kicking the puck to sophomore defenseman Jake Gardiner, who popped in a wrist shot from the top of the right circle.
The Bulldogs responded 22 seconds later, but UW took the lead in the second period on a face off play very similar to the one Gardiner scored on. This time, junior defenseman Brendan Smith collected the puck and sent a slap-shot rocket into the back of the net.
Special teams proved to be the key Friday night, as the Badgers went a perfect 7-for-7 on the penalty kill and scored two goals as a direct result of face-off victories. Junior goaltender Scott Gudmandson also played well, making several big saves before the Badgers widened the lead late.
""I thought, especially early on, he was square,"" head coach Mike Eaves said of Gudmandson. ""He handled himself pretty well in there.""
Saturday night, fellow junior goalie Brett Bennett got the call in net, and the results were not nearly as good. Minnesota-Duluth scored on two of its first three shots, prompting Eaves to replace Bennett with Gudmandson just 3:12 into the contest.
""We weren't going to wait around to see if he was going to get himself going,"" Eaves said. ""We had to make a change. Sometimes that's what a head coach has to do.""
Already trailing 2-0, the Badgers only made a comeback more difficult for themselves by continually taking penalties. A momentum swing seemed possible after UW killed off a five-minute major early in the second period, but the offense could not get ramped back up to speed before having to play a man-down again.
""We seemed to be swimming upstream the whole night,"" Eaves said. ""Part of it was because the way we kept going to the penalty box.""
While the obvious disadvantage of taking penalties is playing a man down, senior forward Ben Street noted that it also negated the Badgers' biggest advantage: Their depth.
""Last night we rolled four lines,"" he said. ""Tonight we played the same six guys to kill penalties.""
Now, the Badgers (11-6-3 WCHA, 15-7-4 overall) stand three points off the lead in the WCHA. While they are still right in the thick of the race of the McNaughton Cup, the team can ill-afford another performance like Saturday's.
""We couldn't get anything going,"" Eaves said. ""It was a tough night.""
