One week after playing in its second consecutive Frozen Four, North Dakota is down two players for an attempt at a repeat performance in 2006-07. Junior defenseman Matt Smaby — UND’s captain in 2005-06 — and sophomore forward Travis Zajac have decided to forego their remaining college eligibility and sign professional contracts, the school announced … Read more
It was Oct. 11, 2002, and Rensselaer had just beaten Wisconsin, 5-1, in the opening game of that year’s Ice Breaker Invitational, hosted by the Badgers in Madison. “They capitalized on every opportunity,” UW head coach Mike Eaves told USCHO’s Jayson Moy after the game. “Every chance they had, they took advantage.” That was what … Read more
With three goals and an assist on the weekend, everybody in the state of Wisconsin knew that junior forward Robbie Earl would be the Frozen Four’s Most Outstanding Player. Everyone, it seems, except Earl. “I didn’t even know until we got the locker room when coach told me. It’s a great honor. But there’s so … Read more
At times we forget about an important principle in sports: sportsmanship. Mike Volonnino tells us about the great displays this weekend at the Frozen Four.
Tonight’s win gave Wisconsin its sixth NCAA title, the fourth-most of any program. Only Michigan’s nine, and North Dakota and Denver with seven, top the Badgers. Wisconsin finishes with its seventh 30-win season and the first since 1999-2000. Title IX: Two Titles Wisconsin is the first team to have men’s and women’s national championships in … Read more
Most everyone in the WCHA may know Ryan MacMurchy and Jack Skille, but if you’re a college hockey fan who lives east of Milwaukee, chances are that when you think “Badger hockey,” you think “Brian Elliott.” If you’re a diehard college hockey fan, you may even know the play of sophomore Joe Pavelski, junior Robbie … Read more
When the Wisconsin Badgers walked into their locker room for the first time at the start of the 2005-06 season, they were greeted with an assortment of hardware. There was the Pettit Cup from the 2002 Badger Hockey Showdown, representing the last time Wisconsin took its own home tournament, as well as a WCHA playoff … Read more
It’s not quite a three-peat, but Denver defenseman Matt Carle finished his college hockey career a champion once again. Carle was named the 26th recipient of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award Friday evening at the Bradley Center. He won two national championships in his first two seasons with the Denver Pioneers and took home the … Read more
Once Wisconsin qualified for the Frozen Four, the home-ice advantage was obvious. The Badgers would play for their fourth national championship in their home state. But some things have to be heard to be believed. Thursday evening, the crowd reverberated every time a Wisconsin player touched the puck. The compact Bradley Center shook when Brian … Read more
Chess matches happen all the time in hockey. Bench bosses Jerry York of Boston College and Dave Hakstol of North Dakota waged one during their NCAA semifinal on Thursday at the Bradley Center. In the end, BC won 6-5. Two pawns in this match were 6′-5″, 220-pound defenseman Matt Smaby of NoDak, and 6′-7″ 240-pound … Read more
It was a question for the Fighting Sioux all year: Could a team with such a young defense survive the season? Everyone in Milwaukee knew the answer to that question by the 18:08 mark of the first period in the first semifinal between Boston College and North Dakota. It was at that point that the … Read more
Wisconsin’s instant-classic win over Cornell was the culmination of a long road for the Badgers — and for Nicholas Jon Wood.
Another Wednesday, another early departure for Minnesota’s men’s hockey team.
Jordan Parise would probably like to forget the 2006 Frozen Four. After a stellar season, Parise had one of those games straight out of a goaltender’s nightmare on the largest stage in the sport. It wasn’t Jordan Parise’s day Thursday against Boston College (photo: Melissa Wade). The numbers spell disaster pretty quickly: three goals on … Read more
The postseason is a time for stars to shine, heroes to emerge and, unfortunately for some, careers to come to a close. When Wisconsin squares off against Maine Thursday in the Frozen Four, each team will boast a special senior class, one of which will see their collegiate careers stopped short of a national championship … Read more
It’s typical that the day before the Frozen Four starts, most of the players and coaches are still pretty loose, pretty relaxed, having a lot of fun. Mike Eaves oversees the Badgers’ Wednesday skate at the Bradley Center (photo: Melissa Wade). According to Wisconsin captain Adam Burish, that enjoyment is something that was part of … Read more
The Minnesota Golden Gophers’ 2006-07 prospects sustained another blow Wednesday with the departure of junior forward Danny Irmen, who renounced his final year of college eligibility to move into the professional ranks. Irmen, a native of Fargo, N.D., signed a contract with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, team president and general manager Doug Risebrough announced. The … Read more
Appearances Can Be Misleading North Dakota is a team of seeming paradoxes. With more freshmen than any other team in the Frozen Four, the Sioux are the only team making a return appearance to try for the national title. And while there are 13 rookies on the Sioux squad, North Dakota faces the youngest team … Read more
Last year when the Fighting Sioux returned to North Dakota after losing the NCAA championship game, assistant coach Cary Eades remarked, “We didn’t win a championship, but we won a lot of respect.” For the second straight year, the Sioux are back in the Frozen Four with their sights set firmly on winning an eighth … Read more
The big, punishing, veteran defensemen who carried North Dakota to the Frozen Four in 2005 are long gone. According to some, the group replacing them is less physical, more finesse-oriented and too inexperienced to replace what UND lost last season. So if that’s the case, why is this year’s Sioux team giving up the exact … Read more