Box Score Jan. 2, 2010
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MADISON, Wis.--In the final Badger Hockey Showdown, the No. 7 Badger men's hockey team (12-5-2, 8-4-2 WCHA) started 2010 with a 5-4 victory over the Merrimack Warriors (7-9-0, 4-6-0 Hockey East). Badger senior Michael Davies (St. Louis) did not score any goals for UW, but he contributed three assists in the victory for UW. The Badgers face Yale tomorrow night at 7 p.m. in the championship, while Merrimack meets Ferris State at 4 p.m. in third-place game.
Merrimack notched the first goal of the game. Skating with a five-on-three advantage, senior defenseman Karl Stollery scored a one-timer from just outside the faceoff circle. This put the Warriors on top, 1-0, with 10:54 remaining in the first period.
With 6:54 remaining in the first, Warrior senior Justin Bonitatibus scored MC's second goal of the contest, putting Merrimack on top, 2-0.
However, the Badgers got on the board just 35 seconds later when junior defenseman Craig Johnson (Waupaca, Wis.) scored his first goal of the season in his first game of the year. An assist from sophomore forward Matt Thurber (Beaver Dam, Wis.) found Johnson wide open just outside the faceoff circle. His one-timer rifled through a crowd of defensemen and stormed into the net, inching UW closer. Senior forward Michael Davies contributed the secondary assist. The score now read 2-1 in favor of Merrimack heading into the second period.
The Badgers successfully crawled their way back into the game when UW freshman defenseman Justin Schultz (West Kelowna, British Columbia) notched his second goal of the year on the UW power play. Davies was there again to assist in the score. He found Schultz wide-open just inside the faceoff circle. From there, Schultz waited for an opening and put a wrist shot into the back of the net, knotting the game at two with just over 17 minutes remaining in the second. Fellow freshman Derek Lee (North Vancouver, British Columbia) had the secondary assist on the sequence.
The Badgers took their first lead of 2010 just over seven minutes into the second. After Michael Davies advanced the puck up the ice to sophomore forward Jordy Murray (Fairbault, Minn.), the only thing in the way of the goal was Merrimack goaltender Joe Cannata. Murray charged the net and used some nifty puck-handling to get Cannata out of position, before sliding the puck behind the goaltender for the highlight-reel goal. Thurber also contributed an assist on the score, his second of the game. This gave UW its first lead of the game at 3-2.
Wisconsin added to its lead with just over six minutes remaining in the second when junior forward Sean Dolan (St. Louis) scored his second goal of the season from just outside the crease. In a crowd of Badgers and Warriors, Dolan was able to find an open puck and muscle it into the back of the net to give UW a 4-2 advantage. Badger junior forward Patrick Johnson (Madison, Wis.) and senior Andy Bohmbach (Hudson, Wis.) got the assists on the play.
This is what the scoreboard read heading into the final period. After two periods of play, UW was outshooting MC, 30-19.
Merrimack inched its way a bit closer in the final period in what became a see-saw battle. With just over 13 minutes remaining in the game, junior captain Chris Barton scored for the Warriors, bringing the score to 4-3 in favor of the Badgers.
The Warriors tied the game at four at the halfway point of the third. Freshman forward Stephane Da Costa punched in the goal for Merrimack.
The Badgers snatched the lead back shortly after when junior tri-captain Ryan McDonagh (Arden Hills, Minn.) slapped in a shot from straight on during the Wisconsin power play. The shot pinged off the crossbar behind the goaltender and trickled in, putting UW up, 5-4, with just over 8 minutes to go. Junior defenseman Cody Goloubef (Oakville, Ontario) and Murray had the assists on the go-ahead goal.
This would be all the Badgers needed to ice the 5-4 victory. UW outshot MC, 40-30, in the contest.
Junior goaltender Scott Gudmandson (Sherwood Park, Alberta) stopped 26 Merrimack shots as his record climbed to 6-2-2 on the season. Cannata stopped 35 Badger shots as his record fell to 3-7-0 on the year.
In the first game of the Badger Hockey Showdown, the No. 8 Yale Bulldogs (8-3-2, 4-1-2 ECAC) topped the No. 11 Ferris State Bulldogs (13-4-2, 8-2-2 CCHA) by a score of 6-1. Yale was powered by senior forward Sean Backman, who knocked in two goals en route to the team's victory. The teams were tied at one after the first period, but Yale scored five unanswered goals to secure the victory. They will square off against Wisconsin tomorrow evening at 7 p.m. in the Badger Hockey Showdown championship.
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Brady Hartung, UW Athletic Communications
