If reading that header makes your brain hurt, I don’t blame you. Both games against the No. 20 Minnesota State Mavericks go in the books as a tie, but the Badgers prevailed in the exhibition shootout each night to send the fans home happy.
This has turned into a nice little rivalry, with head coach Mike Hastings facing his old program for the first time since coming to Wisconsin and plenty of Maverick faithful making the trip. Senior Simon Tassy, an ex-Maverick who joined Hastings in the transition,
factored into both game-tying goals with a primary assist Thursday night and a third-period goal to force overtime on Friday.
Wisconsin (2-0-2 overall) battled back from overtime deficits in both games. You’d like to make sure you win at least one of those at home, but the Badgers should feel good about not taking a loss either night. Let’s dig into it a little bit.
Here’s what I feel good about:
Daniel Hauser. The freshman goaltender has been very good through his first four games, and he was a perfect 11-for-11 in the two shootout wins. He was crucial in limiting the damage against his first ranked opponent and giving his team a chance to battle back.
Wisconsin’s resolve is also encouraging. They dug a hole on Friday with some pretty poor penalties early, but they shut the door and fought back from a two-goal deficit to force the tie. Freshman Oliver Tulk had a goal and an assist over the weekend, and newcomer Luke Osburn set up Simon Tassy for Friday’s equalizer. The youth movement is already showing up in tough games.
My concerns:
It might just be some lingering scar tissue from last year, but the Badgers would be better off not forcing themselves to play from behind. Friday was an uphill battle from the start, as freshman Vasily Zelenov received a game misconduct for boarding early in the first period. Wisconsin was doing a fantastic job killing the major penalty when sophomore Jack Phelan was sent off for cross checking. They killed off over a minute of five-on-three hockey before Minnesota State finally broke through.
Minutes later, Maverick transfer Aiden Dubinski was guilty of a hold on former Badger Sawyer Scholl, leading to another power play goal for Minnesota State. Wisconsin was able to overcome the deficit, but they certainly made it difficult for themselves.
Was it a perfect weekend for Wisconsin? No. There was an extra degree of pressure added to both games with all the Minnesota State-Wisconsin storylines at play, so coming away with two neutral results feels lackluster. But I’d posit that the extra pressure was a great learning experience, especially when you know goals are hard to come by with a seasoned goaltender like Alex Tracy. Wisconsin didn’t ace the exam, but they definitely received a passing grade while laying some strong foundation as they build toward Big Ten competition.
Next up is Alaska at home before welcoming Minnesota to begin conference play.
