Badgers Face UND Before Break
December 07, 2006 | Men's Hockey
Nearly two weeks have passed since Wisconsin men's hockey last played a game, and the Badgers (5-9-2, 3-6-1 WCHA) look to continue building on the team's 2-0 victory over then-No. 6 Michigan State in the UW's last action. The Badgers return to action with a WCHA road series at No. 10 North Dakota (7-6-1, 5-4-1 WCHA) this Friday and Saturday. Both games ' Friday at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday at 7 p.m. ' willl be shown live on FSN North and can be heard on the Wisconsin Radio Network (1310 AM in Madison) or at UWBADGERS.COM.
The Badgers are about as healthy as they have been all year, as sophomore forward Jack Skille made his return during the UW's last action and has had two additional weeks to return to game shape. Skille, a recent addition to the 2006 U.S. World Junior Team, scored a short-handed goal in his first weekend back at the College Hockey Showcase.
Other positive signs during the UW's last action included the end of the UW 's six-game losing streak, the first points of the season for junior defenseman Kyle Klubertanz, the team's top returning defenseman from 2005-06, as well as senior captain Andrew Joudrey's first goal after a 10-game scoreless string. Other good signs include sophomore forward Ben Street's two goals in his last three games and sophomore goaltender Shane Connelly's second shutout in as many starts.
Wisconsin currently sits in eighth place in a tight WCHA, where one good weekend can vault a team into the upper division and into playoff home ice position.
The Badgers proved successful in 2005-06 in Grand Forks, N.D., sweeping UND and improving to 3-4-1 all-time at Engelstad Arena. The Badgers hope for similar results to take the team into semester break in the squad's last series before the 18th annual Badger Hockey Showdown, Dec. 29-30 at the Kohl Center.
