Fresh off a men’s hockey road trip to Minneapolis, Anthony Winker joins Kedrick Stumbris for another weekly edition of the Badger Breakaway podcast, discussing the week that was and to come in Wisconsin Badgers hockey and hoops.
First, Wisconsin men’s hockey stayed unbeaten and atop the polls with another pair of stalwart defensive performances, this time inside 3M Arena at Mariucci against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. A red-hot Gophers goaltender prevented the Badgers from getting a win outright on Thursday, but a 1-1 tie turned into a shootout victory in the Big Ten Standings thanks to some heroics by UW goaltender Alexis Cournoyer.
Head coach Mike Hastings’ squad followed up that performance in the series finale with a 6-0 victory in which netminder Daniel Hauser backstopped Wisconsin to its first road shutout of Minnesota since 2010. Plus, junior defender Jack Phelan scores his first and second-career goals.
UW now prepares for the program that has been the biggest thorn in the Badgers’ proverbial side in the Hastings’ era: the Ohio State Buckeyes. After splitting last year’s regular-season series, Wisconsin suffered its worst playoff loss in a generation at the hands of Ohio State to open the Big Ten Tournament.
Then, Badgers men’s basketball managed a pair of victories over low-major opponents and put together its most-complete performance of the young college basketball season with an 89-42 drubbing of the Fairfield Stags. UW has an impressive defense, but concerns remain about the Badgers’ ability to find their groove offensively with just one more contest remaining before facing high-major competition.
Finally, No. 3 Wisconsin women’s hockey returns from its bye week with sights set on a sweep of the St. Thomas Tommies top open a three-week homestand. The Badgers will again be shorthanded up the middle as Rosalie Tremblay and Adéla Šapovalivová compete for their respective countries at the IIHF Women’s World Championship.
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