March
17, 2005
Seems Like Old Times
North Dakota tops Wisconsin in WCHA play-in
game
By
Jess Myers
ST. PAUL,
Minn. — Winter storm warnings in the air in St. Paul made
Thursday's WCHA play-in game feel more like the dead of winter
than a sunny St. Patrick's Day. For North Dakota coach Dave Hakstol,
whose team survived and advanced to Friday's semifinals via a
3-2 win over Wisconsin, it was a fun flashback to a winter weekend
not so long ago.
"This
game was just a continuation of the series we had with Wisconsin
a few weeks ago," said Hakstol, referring to his team's win
a tie with the Badgers on Feb. 26-27. "It was physical, the
pace was good and it was tooth and nail until the last second."
| North
Dakota 3,
Wisconsin 2 |
| Team |
Goal |
Str |
| Time |
Assists |
| First
Period |
| 1-ND |
Brady
Murray (8) |
EV |
| 1:22 |
T.
Zajac, D. Stafford |
| 2-ND |
James
Massen (2) |
EV |
| 14:08 |
B.
Canady, E. Fabian |
| 1-UW |
Robbie
Earl (20) |
EV |
| 15:14 |
J.
Pavelski, R. Carlson |
| Second
Period |
| No
scoring |
| Third
Period |
| 3-ND |
Colby
Genoway (11) |
PP |
| 9:44 |
R.
Spirko, N. Fuher |
| 2-UW |
Adam
Burish (12) |
SH |
| 10:43 |
unassisted |
| Goaltending |
| ND:
Jordan Parise, 60:00, 33 saves, 3 GA |
| UW:
Bernd Brückler, 58:21, 25 saves, 3 GA |
| Penalties:
ND 6/12; UW 6/12 |
| Power
Plays: ND 1-5; UW 0-5 |
| Attendance:
15,583 |
While North
Dakota helped its NCAA cause with the win, the Badgers are now
squarely on the bubble after the loss put them at 3-7-3 in their
last 13 games. Despite goals by Robbie Earl and Adam Burish, the
Badgers had two first period turnovers that led to Sioux goals,
and trailed throughout despite putting 35 shots on Sioux goalie
Jordan Parise.
"As the game went on, we had moments where we created opportunities,
but we weren't as sharp, and Mr. Parise made some big saves,"
said Badgers coach Mike Eaves, who earlier in the day had learned
that his son, Boston College junior forward Patrick, was named
a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. "The difference in
the game was a puck going in off a shin pad, and we didn't get
that break. That's what happens at this time of year."
The shin pad in question belonged to Badgers defenseman Davis
Drewiske.
A third period power play shot by Sioux forward Colby Genoway
hit Drewiske's leg and sailed past Wisconsin goalie Bernd Brückler's
blocker for the eventual game-winner.
Brückler finished with 25 saves in what may have been the
final game of his collegiate career, while Parise finished with
33 saves – the second-highest single-game total of his career.
While Wisconsin awaits the results of the other tournaments and
pulls for the favorites to avoid upsets, North Dakota will face
top-seeded Denver on Friday afternoon in the Final Five semifinals.
An announced crowd of 15,583 – many of them clad in green
both for the Sioux and for St. Patrick's Day in the Irish hotbed
of St. Paul – saw the game.
