Wisconsin continued an unexpected start this weekend, sweeping
Minnesota-Duluth on the road, 3-0 and 4-2, to improve their record to 7-1,
earning at least a tie for first in the WCHA at the end of the weekend.
 
UW goalie Mike Valley made 32 saves Friday to earn his first collegiate
shutout. The Badgers got goals from T.R. Moreau and Joe Bianchi to build a
2-0 lead, and Mark Smith added an empty-netter. It was Wisconsin's
first-ever shutout of the Bulldogs in Duluth.
 
Wisconsin fell behind 2-0 in the first 102 seconds of Saturday's game on
goals by the Bulldogs' Colin Anderson and Curtis Doell. The Badgers cut the
lead in half after one on Joe Bianchi's third goal of the year, a power play
tally.
Dustin Kuk evened the game 30 seconds into the second, and the two teams
settled into a defensive stalemate for the next 35 minutes.
 
Wisconsin's Chad Stauffacher broke the defense with a goal with 2:58 left to
give the Badgers the lead and Erik Raygor scored on a breakaway with 1:38
left for insurance.
 
"The bottom line is we battled back and got the win -- that showed a lot of
character," Wisconsin coach Jeff Sauer said. "We're getting contributions
from everybody, that's what's nice about this club."
 
The Badgers improved to 4-0 both on the road and on Saturday this season,
and take on Michigan State Friday and Michigan Sunday in the College Hockey
Showcase.
 
(Thanks to Paul Braun and Bill Brophy's radio broadcast and info from the UW
web site for the information)
.......................................................................
Todd D. Milewski                        [log in to unmask]
Sports Editor, The Daily Cardinal       http://www.cardinal.wisc.edu
 
"If you can't annoy someone, there is little point in writing."
                                                            -Emile Zola
 
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