MTU was out skated and out played by a healthy Wisconsin team
last night. MTU was really never in the game from the opening
minutes. While Wisconsin powered past MTU, MTU was able to keep
the game close. Bianchi got an easy unassisted goal at 11:16
in the first to open up the scoring for Wisconsin. Bianci was
able to get the puck off a faceoff at Caravaggio's left and put
a quick shot on net before MTU reacted.  This was a replay of
a Wisconsin goal two years ago when Zent got a goal on Ram on
their ice in Madison. It seems that Wisconsin practices this
particular play and executes it very well. Brent Peterson
got the only MTU goal on a powerplay at 17:22 with assists from
Jimmy Roy and Jason Wright. This goal was a classic power play
goal in which the puck was moved from the point to a player at
the left circle (Peterson) who put a hard shot on net before
the Wisconsin defenders were able to compensate.
 
Wisconsin got two more in the second period in almost identical
plays. Tompkins brought the puck down the right hand side of the
ice and then as the MTU defenders and the goalie moved to the
right, Tompkins fed the puck across the deep center to the scoring
player. In the first case, it was Mark Strobel. In the second case
it was Shawn Carter. The last goal was an open netter in the
third when MTU's defensemen lost the puck at high center ice to
two Wisconsin players.
 
Wisconsin was very good at closing off MTU's passing lanes and
interfering with quick poke checks. MTU was able to get shots on
goal but could not follow up with rebounds. I did not think that
the Wisconsin goalie, Daubenspeck, did  a very good job of killing
rebounds; however, Wisconsin supported him very well by checking
MTU players away from the puck. In contrast, Caravaggio was often
left at the MTU end alone to face several Wisconsin shots before
the MTU defense came in to assist him. MTU also had trouble rotating
in behind clearing players. As a result, several MTU back passes
went into open ice areas or directly to Wisconsin players.
 
MTU has a lot to learn, both good and bad, from the films of this
game. Wisconsin swept us at home but the season is not over. MTU
can beat Wisconsin if they are able to take momentum without
taking a needless cross checking or roughing penalty. MTU did a
very good job of keeping Wisconsin from getting odd man rushes.
On special teams, MTU was more than able to keep the puck from
reaching the goalie although they could improve their ability
to ice the puck and to pick the red shirts in the offesive zone.
 
As a MTU fan, it was not a good game but I suspect that this
opinion would be expressed differently by the hundred or so
Wisconsin fans in the audience.
 
Walt Olson
MTU