The Matchup: #4 Wisconsin vs. #9 Minnesota-Duluth
When: Friday March 15, Saturday March 16, (Sunday March 17, if necessary)
Where: Kohl Center (15,359)- Madison, Wis.
Ice Sheet: 200' x 97'
TV: Saturday live on Wisconsin Channel
Radio: WIBA-1310 AM
All-Time Series: Wisconsin leads 89-61-15
Last Meeting: UW 2, UMD 2 (10/27/12)- Third period goals from Mark Zengerle and Michael Mersch helped the Badgers overcome a 2-0 deficit and salvage a tie with the Bulldogs. Wisconsin picked up three points on the weekend.
About the Bulldogs:
Record: 14-17-5 (10-13-5 WCHA, 25 points)
Head Coach: Scott Sandelin – 13th year at UMD, 231-227-63
Notable: Bulldogs junior defenseman Tim Smith hails from Superior, Wis. He is the only Wisconsin native on the UMD roster.
Statistics:
Points: Austin Farley/Tony Cameranesi – 34 points
Goals: Mike Seidel – 17 goals
Assists: Tony Cameranesi- 20 assists
Save Pct.: Matt McNeely – .900
GAA: Matt McNeely- 2.73 gaa
About the Badgers:
Record: 17-12-7 (13-8-7 WCHA, 33 points)
Head Coach: Mike Eaves, 11th season – 226-166-51 record
Notable: This is just the third time the Badgers have faced the Bulldogs in the first round of the WCHA playoffs. The other two meetings were back in 1978, 1991. Wisconsin is 4-0 all-time against UMD in the first round of the league playoffs.
Statistics:
Points: Michael Mersch – 34 points (22 goals, 12 assists)
Goals: Michael Mersch – 22 goals
Assists: Derek Lee/Mark Zengerle – 18 assists
Save Pct.: Joel Rumpel – .928
GAA: Joel Rumpel – 1.94 gaa
Quick Analysis: For the first time since the 2009-10 season, the Badgers will get to host a series in the opening round of the WCHA playoffs.
UW is just 7-7-3 at the Kohl Center this season. Though the final outcome of the season will determine how likely it is that a sub-par showing like that is forgotten, the Badgers could atone for the struggles in their own barn with a series win over Minnesota-Duluth.
This Bulldogs’ squad, while respectable, does not have nearly the offensive fire power, nor the goaltending that last week’s opponent St. Cloud State had. But that does not mean UMD should be taken lightly.
Though it has been a down year, the Bulldogs have a decent group of upperclassmen that are no strangers to postseason success. UMD has made it to the WCHA final five in each of the last three seasons and have qualified for the NCAA tournament three times in that span, including 2011 when they captured the only national championship in program history.
Couple this with the fact that Wisconsin has played down to the level of their opponents at times this season, and there is plenty of reason to not look past the Bulldogs.
As of this writing, it looks as though senior center Derek Lee, who is tied for the team lead in assists, will not be available for the weekend. UW has made due without him, but his absence has been noticeable on more than one occasion.
Mark Zengerle and Michael Mersch should play a key role in this series. The duo has combined for two goals and three assists against UMD this season and at least one of them has factored into every goal the Badgers have hung on the Bulldogs this year.
Prediction: UW wins series 2-1.
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