| | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | Wisconsin
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | N. Michigan
| 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | | | | | Scoring Summary | | 1st | 7:41 | NMU | Nowick (Siemer, Salminen) | | 2nd | 2:08 | NMU | Trenz (Shine, Sooth) | | 3rd | 18:10 | NMU | Shine (Sooth) (Empty Net) | | 3rd | 18:27 | WIS | Navin (Drake, Wagner) | | 3rd | 19:49 | NMU | Kesti (Empty Net) | | | Goaltender Summary | Min | GA | Sv | | WIS | Rumpel (0-3-0) | 57:53 | 2 | 14 | | NMU | Dahlstrom (2-0-0) | 60:00 | 1 | 24 | | Statistical Comparison
| WIS | NMU | | Shots on Goal | 25 | 18 | | Power Plays | 0-7 | 1-2 | | Penalties-Minutes | 3-6 | 8-27 | | |
Oct. 18, 2014
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Wisconsin men’s hockey team was unable to capitalize on power-play opportunities Saturday night at the Resch Center in Green Bay, as Northern Michigan completed the series sweep with a 4-1 win.
UW goaltender Joel Rumpel recorded 14 saves in his third consecutive start in net, while Matthias Dahlstrom got the nod for NMU, stopping 24 shots.
| Fast Facts | | • Brad Navin netted his first goal of the season | | • Joel Rumpel made 14 saves | | • Grant Besse led all players with seven shots | |
Prior to the start of the series, Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves referred to Northern Michigan as a blue-collar team—a squad that relies much more on hard work than flashy play to have success.
The Wildcats demonstrated Eaves’ characterization perfectly on their first goal.
Nearing the halfway point of the first period, John Siemer stickhandled along the goal line and to the left of the Badgers’ net, scanning the slot for an open teammate. Noticing a lapse in Wisconsin’s defense, Siemer found Darren Nowick parked in front of Rumpel who caught the pass and poked at the puck two or three times before finally shoving it over the line.
Despite trailing on the scoreboard, UW led Northern Michigan, 11-7, in shots after one period.
NMU added to its lead in the second period on a goal that eerily resembled a Wildcats’ tally from Game One of the series.
Dominik Shine, lining up for a faceoff directly to the left of Rumpel, won the puck back to Ryan Trenz at the left defense position. Trenz fired a puck through traffic, which tipped the stick of a Badger and redirected into the cage.
Wisconsin sustained some pressure in the middle period, including a Brad Navin breakaway chance that Dahlstrom denied with his right pad.
Following an empty-net score which extended NMU’s lead to three, the Badgers fought to net their lone goal of the weekend with 1:33 left in the game, spoiling the Wildcats’ second-straight shutout to begin the 2014-15 campaign.
Navin got credit for the goal—his first of the season—with assists coming from Chase Drake and Ryan Wagner.
The Wildcats capped the series sweep with a long-distance empty-netter.
Wisconsin’s power play woes continued in the loss, as the team went 0-for-7 on the man advantage. NMU finished the weekend with 12 penalty kills.
UW now has nearly three weeks off from games, before it opens the season at home against North Dakota on Fri., Nov. 7 at 7 p.m.
