Football
The Badgers will compete in their second consecutive Big Ten Championship game this Saturday, taking on the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
The team was unable to secure a win against Penn State, dropping its second straight game in overtime and ending the regular season 7-5 overall and 4-4 in the conference.
The season didn’t end quite the way he would’ve liked, but head coach Bret Bielema isn’t focused on his team’s record. “I told our guys, hey, you’re a 7-5 team going to Indianapolis,” he explained to the media Monday.
“If you were 8-4, 9-3, 10-2, 11-1, or 12-0, you would still have to do the exact same thing you have to do this weekend, which is play Nebraska for an opportunity to go to the Rose Bowl.”
Bielema also noted that his team has a chance to draw on some experience from a previous matchup. “You have to obviously learn from the mistakes you made the first time and also realize the advantages you have from playing someone a second time.”
The team received some good news in the form of injury updates. Redshirt junior wide receiver Jared Abbrederis will be able to join the team in practices later this week after being sidelined Saturday.
Men’s Hockey
Things have not gotten any better for the men’s hockey team (1-5-2 WCHA, 1-7-2 overall) who were swept by Minnesota State this past weekend.
The Badgers have failed to lock up a victory since Oct. 28, and have yet to win a game at the Kohl Center this season. The team heads to Colorado to take on the No. 5 ranked Denver Pioneers (7-1-0, 9-3-0) this weekend.
One bright spot for the Badgers is the return of freshman forward Nic Kerdiles, who is eligible to play Nov. 30 after serving a 10-game NCAA suspension. Head coach Mike Eaves is looking forward to seeing what Kerdiles can bring to the ice.
“What [fans] should expect from Nic is energy,” he said. “One of his greatest assets is his skating ability. He can play at a high tempo and pace. He shoots the puck well, and he has a nose for the net.”
However, Eaves did stress that his players, including Kerdiles, can’t expect everything to get better immediately.
“Nic’s not going to be the guy that leads us out of the desert here. He’s going to be part of the solution.”
The Badgers won’t have an easy opponent against Denver, who is backed by not only a strong defensive system but an explosive offense as well. However, it’s something that Eaves believes can be used to his team’s advantage. “I think it’s a great opportunity for us,” he stated. “We have another quality opponent, and what better way to right this ship than playing well?”
Junior forward Mark Zengerle remains out with a hand injury, although his stitches will be removed this week. Freshman forward Morgan Zulinick also remains sidelined with an injury to his upper thigh but is engaging in on-ice workouts.
Men’s Basketball
After splitting their games in the Las Vegas Invitational, the men’s basketball team (4-2) returns to Madison to host the Virginia Cavaliers (4-2) Wednesday as part of the ACC/ Big 10 Challenge.
Head coach Bo Ryan met with the media Monday to talk about the opponents his team has already faced, as well as those still to come. “We had Creighton, Arkansas, Virginia, California. It’s a pretty good stretch here.”
Ryan was overall pleased with the team’s performance in Nevada, and hopes to continue to improve on their game. “ I saw a little spark there [against Creighton]. I saw some things that hopefully we can build on.”
Women’s Basketball
The women’s basketball team (3-2) will head to Blacksburg, Va. for the ACC/ Big 10 Challenge Wednesday, facing off against Virginia Tech (2-2).
The Badgers then return to Madison to host Alabama (5-0) at the Kohl Center Saturday.
Head coach Bobbie Kelsey spoke about how her team is getting along thus far in the season.
“We’re a young team, work in progress,” she said. “I think the kids have really improved from last year.”
Kelsey feels that both teams will test the abilities of her team, noting that each opponent plays a similar aggressive style.
“They’ll jump over you if you don’t do the little things,” she said. “But I know our kids are up to it. We’re up to it.”
