Feb. 12, 2010

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MADISON, Wis.—After falling behind, 1-0, late in the second period, the Badger men’s hockey team (17-7-4, 12-6-3 WCHA) scored three power-play goals to close out the segment en route to its 4-3 victory over the Minnesota State Mavericks (12-15-2, 6-14-1 WCHA). Wisconsin saw a goal and three assists by senior tri-captain Blake Geoffrion (Brentwood, Tenn.).

The Badgers had to adapt back to indoor hockey against MSU after last week’s outdoor Classic. The opening period was a physical, defensive battle that saw 10 total penalties and no goals. Wisconsin had 17 shots-on-goal in the first, and Badger goaltender Scott Gudmandson (Sherwood Park, Alberta) turned away all five Minnesota State attempts.

After nearly 15 minutes of scoreless hockey in the second, Minnesota State broke the 0-0 tie. Maverick sophomore Mike Louwerse scored on a top-shelf shot from just outside the crease to put MSU up, 1-0, with 5:36 remaining in the second.

However, just over one minute later, the Badgers got on the board. After two MSU penalties on the same play, Wisconsin found itself on a 5-on-3 advantage. Geoffrion won the power-play faceoff, then fellow senior tri-captain Ben Street (Coquitlam, British Columbia) got his stick on the puck at the side of the MSU goal. Street’s cross-slot pass found Michael Davies (St. Louis), who punched in his own rebound for the Badgers’ first goal of the game.

Less than one minute after that, Davies was back at it. Still on the power play, sophomore Derek Stepan (Hastings, Minn.) fired a point shot off Geoffrion’s head and the puck bounced to defenseman Justin Schultz (West Kelowna, British Columbia). From there, Schultz passed the puck to Davies, who was camped out on the far side of the net. Davies punched in his 13th goal of the season, and he gave UW its first lead of the game at 2-1.

The Badgers were not done.

With 47.4 seconds remaining, on a UW power play, Geoffrion scored for UW. Sophomore defenseman Jake Gardiner (Minnetonka, Minn.) started the sequence by passing the puck from the blue line to the corner to Davies. From there, Davies sent it across the net to a blitzing Geoffrion. After his initial shot failed, Geoffrion stayed persistent and muscled in his team-high 19th goal of the season, putting UW up 3-1.

The Badgers added to their lead with 8:27 left in the third. Senior forward Aaron Bendickson (Thief River Falls, Minn.) gave UW its fourth consecutive special teams tally with a short-handed goal. Junior tri-captain Ryan McDonagh (Arden Hills, Minn.) started the score by forcing a turnover outside the UW blue line with a big hit. Geoffrion picked up the loose puck and skated up ice on a two-on-one with Bendickson. Geoffrion slid the puck across the slot to Bendickson’s swinging stick for his fifth goal of the season. The top-shelf goal put Wisconsin up 4-1.

Minnesota State inched within two goals at the 15:48 mark of the third. Senior forward Zach Harrison scored short-handed for the Mavericks. However, UW still skated with a 4-2 advantage.

After a Badger defender grabbed the puck in the crease, MSU was awarded a penalty shot with one minute left. The penalty shot was the second for MSU in two seasons against the Badgers. Last season, Shane Connelly stopped Trevor Bruess in Mankato, but this time senior forward Kael Mouillierat scored on Gudmandson’s glove side to close the Mavericks to within 4-3. That is what the score read at the final horn.

Gudmandson halted 19 Maverick attempts to extend his unbeaten streak to 10 games (7-0-3) and improve his record to 10-2-4 on the season. MSU goaltender Phil Cook turned away 40 Badger attempts as his record dropped to 4-2-1 on the season.

The Badgers square off against the Mavericks again tomorrow night, as UW looks for the WCHA-sweep. The game starts at 8 p.m.

Brady Hartung, UW Athletic Communications