UW men's hockey opens 2008-09 slate vs. NCAA champs
The University of Wisconsin men's hockey program faces a stern test in the first month of its 2008-09 campaign, with its initial eight games all against NCAA tournament qualifiers, and six of those contests on the road.
In all, the Badgers will play 20 of their 36 games against teams that made last season's 16-team field. Facing high-level competition paid dividends for UW this past season, when it qualified for the NCAA tournament despite a sub-.500 record due to its strength of schedule. The Badgers came within a game of reaching the Frozen Four, finishing at 16-17-7.
Wisconsin kicks off the upcoming season with an East Coast trip that includes a matchup at defending national champion Boston College on Oct. 10 and a game at New Hampshire on Oct. 11.
The Badgers are quite familiar with BC, having beaten the Eagles in the NCAA title game two seasons ago but dropping both games against them in Madison at the beginning of the 2006-07 season. However, this will mark Wisconsin's first meeting with UNH since the 1998 NCAA tournament. The Wildcats dropped the Badgers 7-4 in the NCAA East Regional.
Wisconsin then travels to Denver for a series at Magness Arena on Oct. 17-18. This will be the Badgers' first time back at the site of their infamous 3-2 loss this past Jan. 11 in which Wisconsin forward Matt Ford appeared to have tied the game with 0.9 seconds remaining. However, WCHA referee Randy Schmidt incorrectly overturned the call, prompting an apology the next day from the conference to Wisconsin, which won the series finale 7-2.
The Badgers' home slate begins Oct. 24 with a series against rival Minnesota, which lost to Boston College in the first round of the NCAA tournament last season.
A week later, Wisconsin ventures to Grand Forks, N.D., to face the Fighting Sioux in a rematch of last season's NCAA Midwest Regional final, which North Dakota won 3-2 in overtime. The Badgers have won their last four games in Grand Forks, but this will be their first trip to Ralph Engelstad Arena since Dec 9, 2006.
After hosting Michigan Tech on Nov. 7-8, Wisconsin travels to Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State for a pair of WCHA series.
The Badgers will continue their tough non-conference schedule when the College Hockey Showcase comes to Madison on Nov. 28-29 for games against Michigan State and Michigan, respectively. Two seasons ago, Wisconsin shut out the eventual champion Spartans 2-0 in Madison.
Wisconsin ends its first half schedule with a home series Dec. 5-6 against Alaska Anchorage.
After three weeks off, Wisconsin will host the 20th annual Badger Hockey Showdown on Dec. 27-28. This season's tournament will bring Alabama-Huntsville, Lake Superior State, and Harvard to Madison. Pairings have not been announced.
A home nonconference series against Northern Michigan and a trip to Alaska Anchorage leads into a home series against Colorado College.
Wisconsin will try to solve Colorado College goalie Richard Bachman, last season's WCHA Rookie of the Year, who made 43 saves on 44 shots in a series in Madison last season. Furthermore, Wisconsin will have its lone chance of the regular season to prevent Tigers senior forward Chad Rau from scoring shorthanded on the Badgers. Last season, Rau scored four shorthanded goals in four games against Wisconsin.
Badgers fans will be treated to the aggressive goaltender of Minnesota Duluth goaltender Alex Stalock, which often takes him to all ends of the ice to play the puck, when the Bulldogs come to Madison at the end of January.
On Feb. 6-7, the Border Battle will be renewed once again when Wisconsin heads to Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis to face Minnesota, a place at which the Badgers lost and tied last season.
After a bye week, Wisconsin hosts Denver on Feb. 20-21 at the site of the Badgers' 6-2 victory over the Pioneers in the Midwest Regional semifinals.
Wisconsin will then travel to Mankato to face Minnesota State on Feb. 27-28. The Badgers are 1-4-1 in their last six on the road against the Mavericks.
In the final series of the regular season, North Dakota comes to Madison on March 6-7 to face the Badgers.
2008-09 SCHEDULE
All Times Central*
Home games listed in CAPS.
Oct. 10, at Boston College, 6 p.m.
Oct. 11, at New Hampshire, 6 p.m.
Oct. 17, at Denver, 8:30 p.m.
Oct. 18, at Denver, 8 p.m.
OCT. 24, MINNESOTA, 7 P.M.
OCT. 25, MINNESOTA, 7 P.M.
Oct. 31, at North Dakota, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 1, at North Dakota, 7 p.m.
NOV. 7, MICHIGAN TECH, 7 P.M.
NOV. 8, MICHIGAN TECH, 7 P.M.
Nov. 14, at Minnesota Duluth, 7 p.m.
Nov. 15, at Minnesota Duluth, 7 p.m.
Nov. 21, at St. Cloud State, 7 p.m.
Nov. 22, at St. Cloud State, 7 p.m.
COLLEGE HOCKEY SHOWCASE at Kohl Center
NOV. 28, MICHIGAN STATE, 7 P.M.
NOV. 29, MICHIGAN, 7 P.M.
DEC. 5, ALASKA ANCHORAGE, 7 P.M.
DEC. 6, ALASKA ANCHORAGE, 7 P.M.
BADGER HOCKEY SHOWDOWN at Kohl Center
DEC. 27, Pairings not set (Harvard, Alabama-Huntsville, Wisconsin,
Lake Superior State), 4/7 P.M.
DEC. 28, Consolation/championship game, 4/7 P.M.
JAN. 2, NORTHERN MICHIGAN, 7 P.M.
JAN. 3, NORTHERN MICHIGAN, 7 P.M.
Jan. 9, at Alaska Anchorage, 10:30 p.m.
Jan. 10, at Alaska Anchorage, 10 p.m.
JAN. 16, COLORADO COLLEGE, 7 P.M.
JAN. 17, COLORADO COLLEGE, 7 P.M.
JAN. 30, MINNESOTA DULUTH, 7 P.M.
JAN. 31, MINNESOTA DULUTH, 7 P.M.
Feb. 6, at Minnesota, 7 p.m.
Feb. 7, at Minnesota, 7 p.m.
FEB. 20, DENVER, 7 P.M.
FEB. 21, DENVER, 7 P.M.
Feb. 27, at Minnesota State, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 28, at Minnesota State, 7 p.m.
MARCH 6, NORTH DAKOTA, 7 P.M.
MARCH 7, NORTH DAKOTA, 7 P.M.
March 13-15, WCHA Playoffs (Campus Sites)
March 19-21, WCHA Final Five (St. Paul, Minn.)
March 27-28, NCAA East and Midwest Regionals
(Bridgeport, Conn., and Grand Rapids, Mich.)
March 28-29, NCAA Northeast and West Regionals
(Manchester, N.H., and Minneapolis)
April 9-11, NCAA Frozen Four
(Washington, D.C.)
* - Times listed for road contests are based on past start times
and subject to change.
Associated Press
Wisconsin and Michael Davies came within an overtime loss of the Frozen Four last season.
