MINNEAPOLIS — Davis Drewiske might have said it best.

After the University of Wisconsin men's hockey team rallied four times Saturday night to produce a vital 4-4 overtime standoff with Minnesota before a crowd of 10,231 at Mariucci Arena, he offered a verbal salute to all the kids on the score sheet who made it happen.

"Big response from the young guys," said Drewiske, the UW senior defenseman and captain.

Indeed, the goals came from two sophomore left wingers — John Mitchell and Michael Davies — and two freshmen right wingers — Podge Turnbull and Patrick Johnson — 24 hours after many of the youngsters looked and performed like they were intimidated playing in this environment for the first time.

Drewiske noted as much after the 10th-ranked Badgers tiptoed through most of a 4-2 loss in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association series opener Friday night.

It was the first time that six freshmen — Turnbull, Patrick Johnson, centers Sean Dolan and Kyle Turris and defensemen Craig Johnson and Cody Goloubef — had played a shift here.

Meanwhile, sophomore left winger Blake Geoffrion and sophomore center Aaron Bendickson saw action briefly in their first game here last season before getting hurt.

"We said whatever intimidation or nervousness you brought with you to the game tonight, leave it here," Drewiske said of the loss. "It's not coming back."

That it didn't was just one story line on a night when tons of weird things happened both ways.

The Badgers (14-13-7 overall, 10-11-5 with 25 points in league play) played well enough to win — their 41 shots on goal was the most against a league opponent this season — but they had to settle for the one point that gives them sole possession of fourth place heading into their last two games of the regular season.

Things still look pretty dicey for UW, though. It currently leads Minnesota State-Mankato and hard-charging St. Cloud State by one point with Minnesota-Duluth three points back and Minnesota (13-13-8, 7-11-6, 20 points) four points behind.

More concerns: The Badgers have played two more games than all four clubs in their immediate orbit and must travel to St. Cloud State for a high-stakes series next Friday and Saturday.

Given the Gophers finished overtime on the power play and nutty things were happening left and right, UW coach Mike Eaves had a practical view of the outcome.

"This time of year, it's about getting the points more than anything else," he said.

One night after the Badgers got practically nothing from their freshmen — a combined five shots and a minus-three — the group generated 19 shots, two goals and put the rookies over 100 points on the season (37-64-101).

"I just think tonight we felt a little more comfortable and it paid off," Turnbull said.

The goals by Turnbull and Johnson were great examples of how funky things were this night. Both were simple, what-the-heck shots that somehow beat Gophers goaltender Alex Kangas (37 saves).

Late in the second period, Turnbull erased a 3-2 deficit when he threw the puck from the far left boards and a screened Kangas never saw it.

"A couple of those goals probably shouldn't have gone in tonight, but we had bodies going to the net and pucks at the net and good things happened," Turnbull said.

Early in the third, a great feed from Turris gave Patrick Johnson an open shot from the slot that would have put the Badgers ahead, but Kangas made a great pad save.

"Tried to put it top shelf," Johnson said. "Nine times out of 10, I would, but that one I didn't."

Late in the third, in roughly the same spot, Johnson gloved a puck out of midair, spun and beat Kangas with a random shot that tied it at 4.

"Just kind of throwing it on net," Johnson said.

The Gophers scored two goals that clipped UW defensemen and beat junior goaltender Shane Connelly (28 saves).

The Badgers got one from Mitchell in which Kangas had the harmless-looking wrister glance off the heel of his glove.

"I'm not sure you're going to make the goaltenders' highlight reel off this game," Minnesota coach Don Lucia said.

On second thought, Turnbull might have said it best. After four mini-comebacks were triggered by guys who began the weekend on their heels, he put the experience in perspective.

"Places like this," he said, "define your character."