Wisconsin vs. Minnesota, it is already the marquee rivalry for both schools, but when something as rare as an outdoor game is added to the mix, the series becomes something even more special.
The No. 18 Badger men’s hockey team (9-6-7 WCHA, 12-9-7 overall) will take on the No. 2 Gophers (11-5-4, 19-5-4) at the Kohl Center Friday before relocating to Soldier Field in Chicago for Sunday’s Hockey City Classic.
“It’s always fun playing against Minnesota, it’s a rival and I think the guys can get up for that and the fans as well,” senior center Derek Lee said. “Playing outdoors is cool. It kind of brings you back to the roots of the game and it’ll be kind of a cool experience playing on a neutral site at Soldier Field.”
The two teams will play the second game of a doubleheader, following a matinee between Miami University and Notre Dame. Over 46,000 tickets have already been sold, according to event organizers, who expect to draw around 50,000 fans in total to the games.
Wisconsin last played in an outdoor game in 2010 when they took down Michigan 3-2 in Madison at the Camp Randall Classic. Senior defenseman John Ramage is the only remaining Badger player who took part in that game, and that experience should help him and his team prepare for this weekend.
“How do you measure how much it helps? I’m sure [Ramage will] be chirping in there, ‘keep it simple,’” head coach Mike Eaves said. “Hopefully he’ll have some affect on our guys.”
“Just being in that environment, [I] kind of know what to expect a little bit,” Ramage said. “Obviously it’s at Soldier Field this time, but it’s still going to be a lot of fun—and cold—so you’ve got to stay warm.”
Minnesota leads the nation in scoring (3.75 goals per game) with an offense that is centered on junior forward Erik Haula and sophomoreforward Kyle Rau. Haula’s 35 points is a team-high and good for the eighth most in the country.
While Minnesota has the top overall offense, their defense is stellar as well, ranking fourth in the nation in goals allowed (1.93), just one spot ahead of Wisconsin (2.04). Despite both teams’ top-ten defenses, Ramage doesn’t expect it to be a slow series.
“Oh no, not at all,” he said when asked if he expected a slower paced series. “If anything, it’s going to be a faster pace just with the amount of passion that’s going to be in these games and how important these points are to both teams.”
The Badgers currently have 25 points in the WCHA conference, one point behind Minnesota and six points behind conference leader St. Cloud State. With four points on the line this weekend, the Badger players understand that this is a critical series even if there wasn’t an outdoor game.
Wisconsin is coming off a 3-point series at home against Bemidji State last weekend in which they played without Lee Friday night and sophomore defenseman Jake McCabe for both games. Lee returned last Saturday and McCabe—who was sidelined with an ankle injury—is expected to be back in action Friday night.
With a healthy lineup and the excitement of both a Minnesota series and an outdoor game, the Badgers will have to keep their emotions in check if they want to come away with points against the Gophers.
“If anything, we’re going to have to play with poise and confidence,” Eaves said. “Play within yourself, make it a simple game plan. It’s outdoor ice, we’re on a smaller sheet—that may help in itself.”
