Box Score

Dec. 4, 2009

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MADISON, Wis.-Senior tri-captain Blake Geoffrion (Brentwood, Tenn.) recorded his first career hat trick to lead the Badgers (9-5-1, 6-4-1 WCHA) to an 8-2 victory Friday night in the Kohl Center over the Michigan Tech Huskies (3-10-0, 2-9-0 WCHA). Junior defenseman Brendan Smith (Mimico, Ontario) also chipped in four assists in the game for the Badgers.

Badger junior Patrick Johnson (Madison, Wis.) put the Badgers up 1-0, just 4:12 into the first period. Six seconds after the end of a UW power play, senior forward Andy Bohmbach (Hudson, Wis.) took a pass from junior defenseman Brendan Smith behind the Michigan Tech net. From there, Bohmbach found a wide-open Johnson standing just outside the crease. From there, he was able to cash it in to give UW the early lead.

Just 4:03 later, Geoffrion scored his team-high 10th goal of the season. On the UW power play, Geoffrion received the puck from fellow senior Michael Davies (St. Louis) in between the faceoff circles. From there, Geoffrion went to pass it to the boards, but the puck deflected off a Husky defender's skate and ricocheted into the net for UW. Sophomore forward Derek Stepan (Hastings, Minn.) had the secondary assist on the play. This put the Badgers up, 2-0, with 12:15 remaining in the first period.

The Huskies closed to within one at the 4:34 mark after senior defenseman John Kivisto scored a power-play goal for MTU. After the puck deflected off a Badger defenseman, it managed to trickle its way into the net. The score then read 2-1 in favor of UW.

The scoring did not stop. At 17:19, Geoffrion tallied his second goal of the night on the UW power play backhand shot from in between the faceoff circles. Brendan Smith, who was positioned outside the faceoff circle, found a wide-open Geoffrion and hit him in stride to put UW up 3-1. Freshman defenseman Justin Schultz (West Kelowna, British Columbia) started the scoring sequence when he found Smith and contributed the secondary assist.

Less than 30 seconds later, junior tri-captain Ryan McDonagh (Arden Hills, Minn.) punched in his second goal of the season after UW won a faceoff. Junior forward Sean Dolan (St. Louis) won the puck to McDonagh at the point, who fired and hit the back of the net to put UW up 4-1 heading into the second period.

The Badgers outshot the Huskies, 15-11, in the period. Both teams were also very productive on the power play; the Badgers went 2-for-3, and MTU went 1-for-1.

Just over 10 minutes into the second, Geoffrion was at it again on the Badger power play. He managed to tip Brendan Smith's point shot past the Husky relief goaltender Kevin Genoe. The goal gave Geoffrion the hat trick for the night and his 12th goal of the season. Derek Stepan had initially passed the puck to a wide-open Smith, who took the shot from just inside the blue line. Geoffrion's redirection of the shot surprised the goaltender and gave the Badgers the 5-1 advantage.

Geoffrion became the first Badger to register a hat trick since Jack Skille did it on January 27, 2007, versus Minnesota State at the Kohl Center. The goal, his third power-play goal in the contest, also tied the UW record for most power play goals by a player in a game.

Less than three minutes later, freshman forward Derek Lee (North Vancouver, British Columbia) cashed in his first goal of the season and his first as a Badger. An original shot from senior forward Ben Grotting (Birmingham, Ala.) hit players in front and bounced right to Lee at the side of the net, where he one-timed the puck home. Senior tri-captain Ben Street (Coquitlam, British Columbia) had the secondary assist on the goal.

With just under five minutes left in the second, UW scored its seventh goal of the game. Brendan Smith gained control of the puck on the defensive end for the Badgers and advanced the puck up the ice to Lee. From there, Lee hit Street cutting to the net for a tap in. The goal was Street's fifth of the season and the assist was Smith's fourth of the contest.

Heading into the final period, UW was skating with a 7-1 advantage.

After a scoreless first 13:48 of the final period, the Huskies scored their second goal. Superior, Wis., native Brett Olson got the goal for Michigan Tech.

The Badgers closed out the scoring at 19:47 when Bohmbach tallied the Badgers' final goal of the contest. Freshman defenseman John Ramage (St. Louis) ripped a slap shot that hit off Patrick Johnson's chest. The puck fell just outside the crease in front of Bohmbach's swinging stick, whose goal cemented the Badgers' victory, 8-2.

Junior goaltender Brett Bennett stopped 20 Husky shots, as his record climbed to 6-3-0 on the season. Michigan Tech goalie Josh Robinson absorbed the loss by saving 10 shots, as his record fell to 1-4-0 on the season. Kevin Genoe stopped 28 shots in relief for the Huskies.

The Badgers get back into the action tomorrow night, when the team will square off against the same Michigan Tech Huskies. The puck will drop at 7 p.m.

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Brady Hartung, UW Athletic Communications