No. 1 Badgers Meet U.S. Under-18 Team Tonight
December 16, 2005 | Men's Hockey
No. 1 Wisconsin (14-2-2, 11-1-2 WCHA) skates for the last time before the Badger Hockey Showdown against the U.S. Under-18 National Team (18-8-1) tonight at the Kohl Center. The contest begins at 7 p.m.
The U.S. team is 3-6-1 against NCAA Division I opponents, including wins against Northern Michigan, Lake Superior State and Canisius. Losses have included a 3-2 overtime game at Boston University, and games at Cornell, Michigan State, Clarkson, Maine and Vermont. The team tied at Northeastern.
The Badgers come off a split at home against Michigan Tech, while the U.S. team beat Williams College, but lost to Vermont last weekend.
Wisconsin faces its first U.S. national team since falling to the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team, 7-3, on Dec. 7, 1987. That U.S. team included former Badgers Mike Richter, Jim Johannson and Tony Granato. This time, three future Badgers, forward Blake Geoffrion and defensemen Nigel Williams and Jamie McBain, will skate for Team USA. All three signed national letters of intent to play for Wisconsin next season.
Four current Badgers came from the U.S. Under-18 National Team before joining the cardinal and white. Juniors Jake Dowell, Robbie Earl and Jeff Likens, as well as freshman Jack Skille all spent time at the program based in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Former UW assistant coach John Hynes is the head coach for the 2005 '06 U.S. Under-18 National Team.
Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves is the former head coach of the U.S. National Team Development Program, under which the U.S. U-18 team falls. He spent two years with the program before returning to his alma mater for the 2002'03 campaign.
The exhibition is the first for the Badgers since defeating Latvia 's Riga 2000, 3-2, on Dec. 9, 2003.
Wisconsin's next regular-season games come at the Badger Hockey Showdown. The UW faces Western Michigan on Dec. 30, before playing either Northern Michigan or Wayne State on Dec. 31.
Season ticket holders who have Saturday night season tickets will notice tonight's game is part of their package. The game is available live on WIBA-AM 1310 radio with Brian Posick and Rob Andringa calling the action.
