Sports

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Wisconsin takes series against No. 1 Denver

If there was any question as to what a series between two premier college hockey teams should look like, the No. 3 Wisconsin Badgers and No. 1 Denver Pioneers provided a clear answer at the Kohl Center this weekend. After battling back from a two-goal deficit in a frantic third period to force a tie on Friday night, Wisconsin took to the ice on Saturday in front of a sell-out crowd and grabbed an early lead. Denver clawed back into the game late, but senior forward Michael Davies notched the game winner for the Badgers with less than seven minutes to play, earning UW a three-point weekend while solidifying a spot in the thick of the conference championship race.

Kiffin's rise comes despite mediocre record and bad reputation

The person at the forefront of my first column may be the most hated sports figure of the new decade: Lane Kiffin.

Revenge a priority as Badgers host Pioneers

Eleven months ago, the Denver Pioneers entered the Kohl Center for a home series against the Badgers with a lot on the line. At the time, Wisconsin, Denver and North Dakota were fighting for the WCHA's regular season title and the MacNaughton Cup, and in two of their final three series of the 2008-'09 season, the Badgers would face both of those teams.

Poor shooting leads to home loss at hands of Penn State

For just the second time all season, and the first against a conference foe, the Badgers (5-4 Big Ten, 15-5 overall) dropped a game at the Kohl Center, falling to the Penn State Nittany Lions 54-43 Thursday night.

Downtrodden Nittany Lions next test for UW

After narrowly avoiding their first multi-game losing streak of the season against Michigan, the Badgers shift their focus to their second meeting of the season with Penn State Sunday.

Badgers squeak past Wolverines

Every game, Trevon Hughes wears the number three across the chest of his jersey. After nights like Wednesday against Michigan he might need to trade that three for a Superman ""S.""

Denver series huge change for UW hockey

Since hoisting the NCAA trophy in 2006, the Badger men's hockey team has always seemed to be just a bit less than the sum of its parts.

Wisconsin trudging along without Leuer's presence

The effect of junior forward Jon Leuer's hiatus was in plain sight Wednesday night and put Wisconsin in an unfamiliar place at the Kohl Center—trailing its opponent.

Thrilling finish sends Badgers home with gold

It sounds like the script from a Hollywood movie: after a heartbreaking loss to Canada a few days earlier, the U.S. national hockey team scored a game-winning overtime goal to upset the host country, silence a hostile crowd and earn the gold medal.

If there is no room for steroid users in Hall of Fame, there should not be any for Rose

With all of the decade retrospectives that went on last month, I started wondering about what the biggest sports controversies were of the past ten years.

Players: thank your teammates, not your God

Everyone has heard of the idea of separation of church and state. Well now I'm proposing a new one: the separation of church and sports.

Wisconsin looks to continue to climb Big Ten ladder

Prior to the start of the season, the Wisconsin women's basketball team was picked to finish as low as 10th in Big Ten. Those early expectations are something the team has not forgotten.

Wisconsin splits season series with Ohio State

It was easy for Ohio State and its fans to blame the 22-point loss to the Badgers in late December on the absence of junior guard/forward and Player of the Year hopeful Evan Turner. But Saturday night, with the roles reversed due to Wisconsin was without junior forward Jon Leuer, the Badgers could not pull out a victory,

Wisconsin begins Big Ten play well but will sorely miss Leuer

Coming back from winter recess is typically strange when following the Wisconsin men's basketball team. Before the break, Wisconsin has usually only played games against one or two worthy foes, which means many questions about how good the team is in a given year remain unanswered. Then, many students leave Madison for a month, and by the time they return, the Badgers have then played in five or six Big Ten games, and fans now have a pretty good idea of how the team can play that season. Ironically, the period when most students are out of town is one of the most important stretches of Wisconsin's schedule.

UW looks to continue home court advantage

After producing mixed results on the road last week and playing its first two games without injured junior forward Jon Leuer, No. 19 Wisconsin returns home for a two-game stretch, beginning tonight against Michigan.

Feast of famine: UW splits series with Tigers

The No. 3 Wisconsin men's hockey team blew out of the gate against No. 8 Colorado College Friday night, tallying its first goal less than a minute into the game en route to a dominating 4-0 victory. But the Badgers then gave up four first-period goals, and, despite a comeback, fell 6-5, splitting the series and missing a chance to gain ground in the race for the MacNaughton Cup.

Steinbauer shines as Badgers keep improving in win over Ilini

The Wisconsin women's basketball team has seen its fair share of highs and lows this year. But since reaching its lowest point following a last-second loss at Illinois two weeks ago, the team has reached new heights.

Bielema overcomes low expectations, earns redemption in bowl win

Columnist's note: Last year at this time, this space was used to highlight Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema's responsibility for his team's troubling season. In light of his performance this year, it is only fair that the following is written.

UW struggles on road, falls in first series sweep

The Wisconsin women's hockey team fell in a pair of close contests to the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs on the road, coming up short in a comeback effort Saturday and struggling offensively Sunday. Those losses mark the first time the Badgers have fallen in a series sweep this season.

Hughes' clutch scoring pulls Leuer-less Badgers past Wildcats