The University of Wisconsin Badgers played an absoulutely pathetic game
tonight, in a 4-0 home shutout loss at the Great Dane. In all my years of
watching these games, I've never seen a Wisconsin team look so inept and
un-organized. This was the first shutout allowed at home by Wisconsin since
a 1-0 loss to Minnesota in 1988. That game and it was one of the greatest
college hockey games I've ever seen. Saturday nights loss to UMD wasn't.
Credit UMD's freshman goalie, Brent Nicklin, who played very well. Coach
Jeff Sauer's comment in the morning paper was "Our power-play stinks" or
something just like that. And another UW player said "they simply beat us in
every aspect of the game." He isn't kidding.
The Badgers had many power-play opportunities, including one 5-3 advantage,
which they couldn't convert. The crowd at the Great Dane was electric and
ready to explode, but no Wisconsin goals. With about 6 minutes remaining,
Brad Englehart took not one, but two separtate penalties on the same shift,
and effectively stuck a fork in Wisconsin's dim hopes of a comeback.
This was a wasted opportunity, as Minnesota lost to Northern Michigan.
Wisconsin could have established themselves solidly in 4th place in the WCHA,
but now they will have to sweep Alaska Anchorage, in Anchorage, which doesn't
happen often.
I hope Coach Sauer skates them 'till they puke today. Perhaps that will
motivate a very talented group of players.
Yours,
Terry E. Tuschen Jr.
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University of Wisconsin-Madison WISCONSIN BADGERS
Space Science and Engineering NCAA DIV. 1 Mens Ice Hockey Champions
McIDAS Archive 1973, 1977, 1981, 1983, 1990, 1997?!
[log in to unmask] "A great day for hockey!"
http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/~terryt/ssec.html
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