Nov. 27, 2009

Box Score | Box Score | Postgame comments with Mike Eaves

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The Badgers (8-4-1, 5-4-1 WCHA) unveiled a third jersey and an impressive offensive performance in a 7-3 victory at No. 7/8 Michigan State (9-4-2, 6-2-2 CCHA) Friday night. A five-point night by sophomore forward Derek Stepan (Hastings, Minn.) helped the UW to its first victory over a ranked opponent this season and an opening win in the 2009 College Hockey Showcase.

The Badgers appeared to start slow, but junior defenseman Brendan Smith (Mimico, Ontario) gave the Badgers a 2-0 lead by himself. At the 9:23 mark of the first period, Smith scored his fourth of the season on assists from Stepan and freshman Derek Lee (North Vancouver, British Columbia).

Then on the power play, Smith scored again at 12:25 with a point wrist shot that beat MSU goaltender Drew Palmisano through the legs. The goal came shortly after junior Michael Davies (St. Louis) was stopped twice at the doorstep by the right pad of Palmisano. Stepan also assisted the play.

MSU drew with one midway through the second period on a Derek Grant shot, but Wisconsin regained its two-goal lead on a strong individual effort by Aaron Bendickson (Thief River Falls, Minn.). The senior followed an MSU defender behind the net, stole the puck inches from the MSU goal mouth, then shoved the puck past Palmisano for the unassisted goal. It was his third tally of the year and came at 13:15 of the second period.

Just 1:02 later, Davies extended the lead to 4-1 from Stepan. Then Stepan scored his first of the night, finishing off a rebound of a Jordy Murray (Faribault, Minn.) point slapper at 17:15 of the second. Davies tipped the initial shot by Murray on the goal that chased MSU goaltie Palmisano.

MSU closed the gap to 5-2 withjust 3.2 seconds left on the clock in the second. A power-play goal for the Spartans, the goal was reviewed after an MSU player fell on the back of UW goaltender Brett Bennett (Williamsville, N.Y.), but the goal stood.

Then just 15 seconds into the third period, the Spartans made it a game again with a Corey Tropp tally. Tropp hit the post on his original shot going to the net on the rush, then tapped in the loose puck to make it a 5-3 contest.

MSU pressed over the early part of the second period, even getting some five-on-three power-play time, but the Badgers held and put the game away for good on a Blake Geoffrion (Brentwood, Tenn.) power-play goal at 11:42. It was the first of the game that beat MSU relief goaltender Bobby Jarosz and the senior's team-leading eight of the year.

Davies then closed out the scoring with the UW's third power-play goal of the game at 17:45. Stepan set up the play for his fourth assist and fifth point of the contest.

Bennett made 26 saves, including some key saves with the game still scoreless in the first 10 minutes, to improve to 5-3-0 on the season. Palmisano absorbed the loss with 21 saves on 26 shots. Jarosz stopped eight of 10 shots faced.

The Badgers return to action on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT at Yost Arena against Michigan. The Wolverines blanked Minnesota, 6-0, on Friday night.