Box Score 
| | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | Michigan Tech
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Wisconsin
| 0 | 1 | 1 | 2
| | | | | Scoring Summary | | 2nd | 14:36 | WIS | Zulinick (Soleway, Davison) | | 3rd | 18:55 | WIS | LaBate (Dougherty) | | | Goaltender Summary | Min | GA | Sv | | MTU | Phillips (15-5-0) | 59:39 | 1 | 17 | | MTU | EMPTY NET | 0:21 | 1 | 0 | | WIS | Rumpel (2-9-1) | 60:00 | 0 | 47 | | Statistical Comparison
| MTU | WIS | | Shots on Goal | 47 | 19 | | Power Plays | 0-4 | 1-1 | | Penalties-Minutes | 1-2 | 4-8 | | |
Jan. 3, 2015
MADISON, Wis. -- Joel Rumpel was a brick wall for the Wisconsin men's hockey team (2-11-1) in its 2-0 victory over No. 5 Michigan Tech (15-5-0) at the Kohl Center on Saturday night. The result gave him the second-most shutouts in UW history (10).
"We talked with Jeff Sanger in the locker room after the game, our volunteer goaltending coach, and he said that he'd be hard pressed to think of another game that was as good as that," UW head coach Mike Eaves said. "He was in control of his rebounds ... he fought to see pucks through screens."
| Fast Facts | | • Rumpel made career-high 47 saves | | • Rumpel earned 10th career shutout | | • Zulinick scored in fourth-consecutive game | |
Rumpel made a career-high 47 saves in the win--the second-most ever by a UW goalie in a shutout--including 25 in the third period, which also rank second for the most all-time by Wisconsin in a period. The Swift Current, Saskatchewan, native now has 51 wins, tying him for fifth in program history. Brian Elliott, Bernd Bruckler and Julian Baretta also have 51 victories wearing the Cardinal and White.
Rumpel's historic performance came just 24 hours after he was pulled halfway through the first period of Friday night's 8-1 loss.
"Obviously after a game like that on Friday, you want to put your best foot forward even though you might be a little nervous or doubting yourself," Rumpel said.
"It never feels good to get pulled. But I got back to work and skated hard. You just have to get out there and work harder so you're confident going into that game."
Rumpel stood on his head for the final few minutes of the contest, stoning the Huskies on numerous point-blank opportunities. His biggest save of the night may have come against Michigan Tech captain and New Jersey Devils draft pick Blake Pietila.
A pass from behind the net was received in the skates of a tied-up Pietila, but he found a way to kick it to his stick and fire a shot from just a few feet outside the goal crease. Rumpel swiveled his attention away from the passer just in time to slide across and emphatically glove the puck.
The save ignited an already fired up crowd and foreshadowed the stoutness of Rumpel's play for the remainder of the game.
"I feel like Rumpel was a little like Jimmy Craig out there (goaltender from 1980 Miracle on Ice)," Jack Dougherty said.
"Every two seconds there's a big save and the crowd roars. We knew we could jump on his back and we knew he was going to have to come up big this year and maybe steal some games and that's what happened tonight."
But the Badgers' net minder was not the only member of the roster that came to play after an embarrassing loss at home the night before.
Wisconsin's entire lineup showed visible energy, determination and pride from the first drop of the puck.
"There was an air of determination in that room," Eaves said. "I think what happened last night kind of embarrassed them, getting beat like that at home. So there was an air of determination. In the first period, they expressed that with the tempo they played and they battled more fiercely for pucks right away."
There was no scoring in the first period and none through three-fourths of the second until Morgan Zulinick tallied at 14:36 on the power play.
The Badgers failed to mount any pressure for the first minute and a half of the man advantage, but found a hole in the MTU defense to take the lead.
Jedd Soleway tipped a contested puck toward a streaking Zulinick who made a quick stick handle and, losing his balance, wristed the puck blocker side past Huskies goalie Jamie Phillips.
The score marked the Kamloops, British Columbia, product's fourth in four games. Zulinick has also registered four of UW's last seven goals and leads the team with five overall.
"I hopped on the ice right away and I looked up and Jedd fell down and the puck was right there," Zulinick said.
"He kind of poked it, and then I grabbed it and had a partial breakaway. The goalie I think thought I was going to cut to my back hand but I didn't think I had that option so I held the puck over here (on the opposite side) and saw a lot of net and it went in. It's a good feeling."
In addition to Soleway, Tim Davison also picked up an assist, tying him for the team-lead with five helpers.
Joesph LaBate added an empty netter with just over a minute left in the contest to seal the win.
Wisconsin's defense held strong despite going up against a Michigan Tech offense that tallied eight times Friday and has scored at least four goals in 10 of 20 games this season.
The Badgers amassed a whopping 27 blocked shots, as Dougherty, Chase Drake and Kevin Schulze all had five.
Dougherty came up with a block from his knees in the second period, as an MTU player attempted a wraparound on what would have been a sure-goal on an empty net.
After tonight, we took a huge step forward, and we aren't looking back," Dougherty said. "We don't want to take a step backwards. It was a gutty win. A lot of effort from everybody, and it's a good feeling."
There were also less obvious aspects of UW's play that allowed the team to force the series split.
Ryan Wagner provided a spark plug up front and helped to kill four Michigan Tech power plays. The freshman finished with a team-high four shots.
Aidan Cavallini forechecked by himself late in the third, holding the puck along the back boards of the MTU zone long enough for his line mates to get a change and preventing an odd-man break opportunity for the opponent.
UW's victory snaps a five-game winless streak against Michigan Tech (0-3-2). The contest was the Badgers' last of eight against WCHA competition. Wisconsin previously played Alaska, Alaska Anchorage, Ferris State and Northern Michigan.
"In talking with the coaches after, we said in the beginning of the year that this was going to have to be our formula: have great goaltending from Joel (Rumpel), find a way to score and then find a way to win," Eaves said.
"That was the recipe tonight starting with Joel, got a power-play goal, killed four off. We won more battles tonight ... we played at a higher pace. Those are the kind of things that indicate that we're moving forward."
The Badgers play next against Boston University, as UW welcomes the top-ranked Terriers to the Kohl Center for a Friday-Saturday series. The puck is set to drop at 7 p.m. both nights.
