The No. 17 Wisconsin Badgers men’s hockey team (11-14-3) visited the No. 4 Minnesota Golden Gophers (21-6-3) Friday and Saturday for the first competition against their border rival since November. Wisconsin lost both games, falling to fifth place in the Big Ten with one month left in the regular season.
First night fall
Despite two goals in the first period, Wisconsin could not keep up as Minnesota responded with five unanswered goals.
Wisconsin junior forward Simon Tassy made the first score of the series three minutes into the first period on Friday night. Junior forward Jack Horbach passed to freshman defender Logan Hensler who took a shot on goal from the right side. Minnesota goalie Liam Souliere moved away from the net just enough for Tassy, who had position in the crease, to slip Hensler’s attempt left and into the goal.
This marks Tassy’s fourth goal of the season, his third in the past three series.
The Badgers kept the night going with Ryland Mosley’s 12th goal of the season, a player who hasn’t scored for Wisconsin since the Frozen Confines Tournament on Jan. 4 against Michigan State.
Freshman forward Gavin Morrissey received the puck from Zach Schultz and made a circle move around the net. Morrissey took a wrap-around shot that deflected off a Minnesota player, and to Mosely, as he moved in behind for a rebound in the crease and sunk it.
The momentum the Badgers built in the first period ended, but it took the Gophers almost 13 minutes into the second period to get on the scoreboard. The No. 3 ranked player in the NCAA, junior forward Jimmy Snuggerud, cut the Badgers’ lead in half with his 19th goal of the season.
Freshman forward Brodie Ziemer of the Gophers tied the game with a minute left in the second frame.
Minnesota kept Wisconsin in a slump with three more unanswered goals in the third period. Freshman forward Erik Pahlsson scored the goal that put the Gophers ahead.
Snuggerud and Ziemer each scored their second goal of the game, making the final score 5-2, Minnesota.
Tommy Scarfone played in net for Wisconsin this game but came off the ice in the last three minutes, which allowed the Gophers to score an empty-net goal.
While four penalties were served, two for Wisconsin and two for Minnesota, no power play goals came of them Friday night.
The Badgers had a 35-28 advantage in shots on goal.
Second night setback
The first and second periods of game two were scoreless, but despite tough competition, the Badgers fell 4-1 to the Gophers.
Minnesota managed to score three times within five minutes before the Badgers could respond with a goal of their own 16:04 into the period. Wisconsin pulled their goaltender to gain an offensive advantage on the ice.
Wisconsin’s freshman forward Ryan Botterill got the rebound off of junior forward Christian Fitzgerald’s shot and tucked it in the net from the crease. Botterill scored his third goal of the season.
Wisconsin didn’t get the chance to go on a scoring run when Minnesota tallied their fourth goal at 17:45 with an empty-net goal.
Wisconsin had a lead over Minnesota again Saturday night when it came to shots on goal. Up 27-26, the Badgers also managed to kill their three penalties. But they did not capitalize on the power play opportunities given by Minnesota.
Where the Badgers are now
Wisconsin’s away game record dropped to 4-8-0 after this series, and their overall sits at 11-14-3.
Although Michigan split the series against Big Ten opponent Penn State, the Badgers lost their position above Michigan in the conference rankings.
Next week, Wisconsin faces off against Penn State at the Kohl Center. Wins in this series could be the boost Wisconsin needs to get back in the top four in the Big Ten, a position that gives teams home ice advantage in the first round of the tournament.
