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Wisconsin men's hockey has a chance to reach its first Frozen Four in 16 years, but a familiar nemesis stands in the way.
Michigan State.
Two years ago, the Badgers entered the final weekend of the regular season with a chance to win the Big Ten title. The Spartans, however, scored the necessary series split with UW to capture the conference title by two points.
Last year, the Badgers lost three of four to Sparty. Three of those defeats came by one goal, two were in overtime and two came after UW led by two goals.
And this season, Wisconsin swept the then-No. 1 Spartans in November, but Michigan State returned the favor in January with a sweep in Madison that started the Badgers’ six-game slide.
We get the rubber match Saturday, March 28: Third-seeded Wisconsin (22-12-2) vs. No. 1 seed Michigan State (26-8-2) in an NCAA regional final at DCU Center in Worcester, Mass.
The puck drops at 3:30 p.m. The winner earns a spot in the Frozen Four April 9-11 in Las Vegas.
How to watch: What channel is Wisconsin vs Michigan State on today? NCAA hockey TV, time
“I don’t think there’s a ton of secrets,” Badgers coach Mike Hastings said on March 26 after his team’s 5-1 victory over Dartmouth in the regional semifinal.
“We go to battle, and they’ve got two and we’ve got two," he said. "They’re Big Ten hockey. They are deep, they’re talented. That top line is about as good a line as you’re going to see in college hockey.”
To advance, Wisconsin will need a strong effort on both ends of the ice. Michigan State ranks sixth in the nation in scoring offense (3.69 goals per game) and fourth in scoring defense (2.08). No other team ranks in the top six in both categories.
The top line Hastings referred to: senior center Charlie Stramel and wings Daniel Russell, a senior, and Porter Martone, a freshman, average 3.7 points per game.
Between the posts, the Spartans have All-American Trey Augustine.
“It’ll be a tough out,” Hastings said, “but it’s supposed to be tough at this time.”
Here are five Badgers to watch in the regional final:
The senior scored his 100th career point with an empty net goal against Dartmouth. It was just his third goal in the past six weeks, but he has been a great set-up man during that stretch. He is tied for the team lead in goals (16) and ranks third in points (30).
The junior scored an empty-netter during the final minutes of the win over Dartmouth, but he hit the post once and missed on a couple of other good chances when the game was still in doubt. If he gets those kinds of chances against Michigan State, we think he’ll cash in.
The freshman's ability to bounce back will be tested again Saturday. He didn’t play against the Spartans in November when UW scored its sweep. When the Spartans came to Madison, he allowed four goals in a Game 1 loss and didn't get the start the next night. He wasn’t tested much against Dartmouth, but that should change in the regional final. Sparty averaged 30 shots on goals vs. Wisconsin this season.
The sophomore missed the second game of the series when the Spartans swept UW in January. For this meeting, he is expected to be the center on the No. 1 line. He has scored a point in eight of the 12 games since his return from injury, a stretch when he has recorded five goals and seven assists.
The freshman center missed the entire series when UW and Michigan State played in January. Since his return, he has been one of the Badgers' top playmakers, recording three goals and five assists in 10 games.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 5 Wisconsin players to watch in the regional final vs. Michigan State
Continue reading...
Michigan State.
Two years ago, the Badgers entered the final weekend of the regular season with a chance to win the Big Ten title. The Spartans, however, scored the necessary series split with UW to capture the conference title by two points.
Last year, the Badgers lost three of four to Sparty. Three of those defeats came by one goal, two were in overtime and two came after UW led by two goals.
And this season, Wisconsin swept the then-No. 1 Spartans in November, but Michigan State returned the favor in January with a sweep in Madison that started the Badgers’ six-game slide.
We get the rubber match Saturday, March 28: Third-seeded Wisconsin (22-12-2) vs. No. 1 seed Michigan State (26-8-2) in an NCAA regional final at DCU Center in Worcester, Mass.
The puck drops at 3:30 p.m. The winner earns a spot in the Frozen Four April 9-11 in Las Vegas.
How to watch: What channel is Wisconsin vs Michigan State on today? NCAA hockey TV, time
“I don’t think there’s a ton of secrets,” Badgers coach Mike Hastings said on March 26 after his team’s 5-1 victory over Dartmouth in the regional semifinal.
“We go to battle, and they’ve got two and we’ve got two," he said. "They’re Big Ten hockey. They are deep, they’re talented. That top line is about as good a line as you’re going to see in college hockey.”
To advance, Wisconsin will need a strong effort on both ends of the ice. Michigan State ranks sixth in the nation in scoring offense (3.69 goals per game) and fourth in scoring defense (2.08). No other team ranks in the top six in both categories.
The top line Hastings referred to: senior center Charlie Stramel and wings Daniel Russell, a senior, and Porter Martone, a freshman, average 3.7 points per game.
Between the posts, the Spartans have All-American Trey Augustine.
“It’ll be a tough out,” Hastings said, “but it’s supposed to be tough at this time.”
Here are five Badgers to watch in the regional final:
Forward Christian Fitzgerald
The senior scored his 100th career point with an empty net goal against Dartmouth. It was just his third goal in the past six weeks, but he has been a great set-up man during that stretch. He is tied for the team lead in goals (16) and ranks third in points (30).
Forward Quinn Finley
The junior scored an empty-netter during the final minutes of the win over Dartmouth, but he hit the post once and missed on a couple of other good chances when the game was still in doubt. If he gets those kinds of chances against Michigan State, we think he’ll cash in.
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Goaltender Daniel Hauser
The freshman's ability to bounce back will be tested again Saturday. He didn’t play against the Spartans in November when UW scored its sweep. When the Spartans came to Madison, he allowed four goals in a Game 1 loss and didn't get the start the next night. He wasn’t tested much against Dartmouth, but that should change in the regional final. Sparty averaged 30 shots on goals vs. Wisconsin this season.
Forward Gavin Morrissey
The sophomore missed the second game of the series when the Spartans swept UW in January. For this meeting, he is expected to be the center on the No. 1 line. He has scored a point in eight of the 12 games since his return from injury, a stretch when he has recorded five goals and seven assists.
Forward Vasily Zelenov
The freshman center missed the entire series when UW and Michigan State played in January. Since his return, he has been one of the Badgers' top playmakers, recording three goals and five assists in 10 games.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 5 Wisconsin players to watch in the regional final vs. Michigan State
Continue reading...
