The Badgers put together about twenty-five minutes of great hockey to give them a 4-1 lead over the number sixteen ranked Michigan Wolverines.
They slipped in the following fifteen but managed a one goal lead going into the final twenty minutes.
A dejected Badger team took the ice in the third period and could not match the energy of a surging Michigan team who ended up winning the first game in the series 7-4.
The Badger offense was clicking on all cylinders during the first period of play.
It started early into the game for the Badgers, putting their first shot on goal past Michigan’s Steve Racine.
The Badgers went on a power play early into the first period and Joesph LaBate made them pay.
He grabbed his third goal of the year just two minutes and forty-eight seconds into the contest to give the Badgers an early one goal lead.
Jack Dougherty was awarded the assist on LaBate’s power play goal, his fifth of the year.
The Badger’s penalty killing unit would be tested later in the period.
Morgan Zulinick was called for hooking at 11:24 and shortly after Brad Navin was call for the same penalty giving Michigan a five on three advantage for thirteen seconds.
The Badgers managed to kill the thirteen seconds despite one shot pinging off the right post of Rumpel.
However, the ensuing 1:47 of the power play for Michigan was too much and Michigan Junior Justin Selman tied the game up at one 13:47 into the game.
The Badgers did not waste much time regaining the lead however.
Grant Besse came over the blue line and fired a shot the handcuffed Racine and trickled into the net just twenty-six seconds later giving the Badgers the lead once more.
At 17:38 Michigan’s Tony Calderone checked Senior Chase Drake into the boards from behind. He was given a five minute major.
The Badgers would capitalize on his mistake.
Wisconsin set up the power play in Michigan’s zone and had possession for awhile when LaBate found Besse in the slot.
Besse ripped home the power play goal. This was his second of the game, eighth on the year.
This was Besse’s second game in a row where he scored two goals and his fifth in three games.
“When the puck starts going in the net you’ll see that he (Besse) will shoot even more and that’s a good thing” said Head Coach Mike Eaves after the game.
The Badgers took a two-goal lead and a two minute thirty-eight second power play into the second period.
The Badgers did not waste much time.
Jedd Soleway received the puck at a tough angle but ripped a wrist past Racine at 2:21 into the second period to give the Badgers a commanding four to one lead.
Kevin Schulze and Cameron Hughes were given the assists on the power play goal. It was the second goal for the Badgers due to the five-minute boarding call on Calderone.
Michigan would not give up, however and put together a good eighteen minutes of hockey.
They responded quickly after Zach Hyman’s backhand went wide and got Rumpel out of position. Hyman chased down his own rebound and centered the puck to Justin Selman for an easy tap in goal and his second of the game.
Michigan remained on the attack outshooting the Badgers by eleven in the second period.
After a Brad Navin penalty, Michigan converted on the power play to climb within one.
At 14:53 Alex Copp converted on his eleventh goal of the season to get the Wolverine’s right back into the contest.
Micheal Downing and JT Compher combined to assist on Copp’s goal.
The Badgers clung desperately to the one goal lead as the second period wined down but Michigan almost got their equalizer.
At the 18:27 mark Michigan Alex Kile came flying into the crease with the puck, running Rumpel over in the process and leaving the puck sitting on the goal line for Max Shaurt to clean up easily.
The play was originally called a goal but after review it was waved off and the Badgers took a one-goal lead into the third and final period despite being out-shot twenty-five to ten.
The third period belonged to the Michigan Wolverines from the start.
Michigan looked threating all period but finally got their equalizer with 10:41 left in the game.
Zach Hyman took the puck behind Rumpel and wrapped around the net. He flipped up a backhand top shelf and tied up the game at four games a piece.
After squandering the three goal lead, the wheels quickly became loose for the Badgers.
Minutes later Andrew Sinelli received a beautiful pass across the mouth of the goal from Max Shaurt and one timed it home to make the comeback complete for the Wolverines and to put them up 5-4.
“It’s pretty disappointing. Giving up six unanswered goals is unacceptable” said Grant Besse following the game
Like Grant alluded to, Michigan was not done.
Justin Selman on seemingly the next chance for the Wolverines scored his third of the game to give Michigan a two goal lead with eight minutes remaining in the game.
After the Badgers pulled Rumpel with over a minute left on the clock they could not hold the zone and Andrew Copp added an empty netter at 18;52 to ice the 7-4 victory for the Wolverines.
This one hurts for the Badgers.
Wisconsin is still winless in Big Ten play and had a three-goal lead on a ranked opponent and watched it hopelessly slip away.
Coach Mike Eaves says the team can not think about that now.
“Our talk after the game was what matters is what we do between now and tomorrow night”
The Badgers finish up their series against Michigan Saturday night at 7 PM at the Kohl Center.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
