Earl's Hat Trick Lifts Badgers
November 20, 2004 | Men's Hockey
Sophomore Robbie Earl (Los Angeles) scored three times in the second period to lead the fourth-ranked Wisconsin men's hockey team to a 4-1 win over Alaska Anchorage Friday night at Sullivan Arena.
Earl's second-period outburst marked the 17th time that a Badger scored three goals in one period and the first time since John Byce accomplished that feat on November 5, 1988 against Michigan Tech.
Sophomore Andrew Joudrey (Bedford, Nova Scotia) added the fourth goal for UW (8-3-0 overall, 6-3-0 WCHA) while goalie Bernd Bruckler (Graz, Austria) stopped 14 shots by UAA (5-5-1, 3-4-0) to record his 40th career victory .
The win keeps Wisconsin in a tie for first place in the WCHA and gives the Badgers their first road victory of the season.
Although UW held an 11-4 edge in shots in the first period, the opening session ended scoreless.
Earl broke the tie just 26 seconds into the second period when he stuffed the puck past UAA goalie Nathan Lawson. Joe Pavelski (Plover, Wis.) was credited with an assist on the goal.
UW extended the lead to two goals 2:26 later on a slap-shot by Earl from the point. Kyle Klubertanz (Sun Prairie, Wis.) and Pavelski added assists on the power-play goal.
UAA responded at 4:12 of the second when Charlie Kronschnabel knocked a puck out of mid-air to cut the Badger lead to 2-1.
Earl closed out his natural hat trick at 9:16 of the second, taking a pass from Klubertanz and notching his seventh goal of the season. The Badgers carried the 3-1 lead into the second intermission.
Joudrey closed out the scoring at 12:12 of the third period when he finished off a 2-on-1 with Ryan MacMurchy (Regina, Saskatchewan).
Wisconsin finished the game 1-for-8 on the power play while Anchorage went 0-for-5. UW also out-shot UAA 31-15 in the game.
Earl's hat trick was the first by a Badger on the road since Dany Heatley tallied three goals in a 5-0 win on February 19, 2000, also in Anchorage.
UW will look to extend its three-game winning streak when the Badgers and Seawolves conclude their series Saturday at 5:07 p.m. CT. The game can be heard live on WTSO-AM 1070 in Madison.
