CONTENTS MARCH 8, 2017 ▪ VOLUME 7, ISSUE 29 DAVID STLUKA

UP FOR GRABS The Big Ten Tournament is here and it’s a basketball fan’s dream come true. Highly competitive hoops in the nation’s capital. And every team’s got a shot at the title … including Wisconsin. DAVID STLUKA FEATURES HOCKEY IN [FOCUS] LETHAL TOP LINE The week's best photos

Wisconsin’s leading scorers on the BY THE NUMBERS No. 1 women’s hockey team skate Facts and figures on UW together on its top line. And that’s a dangerous combo for opponents. WHAT TO WATCH Where to catch the Badgers

LUCAS AT LARGE ASK THE BADGERS Favorite part of spring? GREATEST TEAM? BADGERING Could UW’s 1977 hockey team be Riley Budde (Track & Field) the best ever in college history? The Badgers’ national champs reunite INSIDE MEN’S BASKETBALL Saturday to celebrate their legacy. The Badgers’ joy is back

-SCROLL FOR MORE- INSIDE MEN’S HOCKEY Five takeaways vs. Penn State Wisconsin Athletic Communications Kellner Hall, 1440 Monroe St. Madison, WI 53711

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© 2017 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. All rights reserved worldwide. LUCAS AT LARGE BY MIKE LUCAS ▪ UWBADGERS.COM Celebrating the 1977 hockey Badgers DAVID STLUKA

s one of the goaltenders municate with an interim head of their former teammates this on the Greatest College coach, specialized in free-wheel- weekend in Madison to cel- AHockey Team Ever (GC- ing rushes up-ice and popular- ebrate the 1976-77 season HTE), Julian Baretta answered to ized a fancy pirouette, a 360-de- during which the Badgers went “Sieve-y” — a nickname derived gree spin on his skates, leaving 37-7-1 and won the Big Ten, the from a derisive chant aimed at forecheckers in his wake. WCHA and the NCAA champi- opposing goalies at the Dane As the poster boy of the 1977 onships. Besides making a clean County Coliseum, wore contact national championship game, sweep of all the titles, this was lenses (20-400 vision), threw up Steve Alley didn’t hear coach Bob a team (GCHTE) that converted in the locker room before open- Johnson’s inspirational speech on 39 percent of its power plays ing faceoffs and hummed the between the third period and (GCHPPE), 93 of 238 chances. Beatles song “Penny Lane” to overtime because he was in the “I really think we were the stay focused when the puck was bathroom, sitting in a stall, giving greatest college hockey team in in the other end of the rink. himself a pep talk and visualizing history,” Alley said with convic- As the quarterback of the scoring the game-winning goal. A tion. “Bob Johnson was not only Greatest College Hockey Pow- feat which he ultimately accom- known for power play hockey er Play Ever (GCHPPE), Craig plished, leading the Badgers to a and offensive innovation, but we Norwich considered leaving the 7-6 overtime win over Michigan spent more time on defensive Wisconsin program over Christ- at Detroit’s fabled Olympia. coverage and the defensive as- mas of his sophomore season Forty-years later, Alley, Nor- pects of the game than we did because of his inability to com- wich and Baretta will join many on the offensive aspects.

LUCAS AT LARGE PAGE 1 OF 4 LUCAS AT LARGE BY MIKE LUCAS ▪ UWBADGERS.COM DAVID STLUKA “THROUGH AND THROUGH, WE WERE A 200-FOOT HOCKEY TEAM. BUT THE DIFFERENCE MAKER WAS THE POWER PLAY. WE HAD THE BEST POWER PLAY OF ALL-TIME. NO COLLEGE TEAM EVER HAD A POWER PLAY LIKE THAT.”

“Through and through, we were a 200-foot hockey team. We played in both ends of the rink and we’re going to match up with anybody in history on that basis. But the difference maker was the power play. We had the best power play of all-time. No college team ever had a power play like that.” True or false? Best team ever? “It’s in the conversation,” said Mark Johnson, the son of Bad- ger Bob. True or false? Best power play ever? “It’s in the conversation,” said Johnson, an integral contributor with the man advantage. True or false? No one can match Alley’s energy and enthu- with many old friends when the and great hands. And he had siasm? ’77 team is honored at the Kohl a fifth gear. For a little guy, he “He’s always fired up no matter Center. could really skate.” what,” said Johnson, laughing. “Mark Johnson should have On the No. 1 power play, Forty years ago, Johnson was been on the 1976 Olympic Johnson was on the right circle, a true freshman and the leading team as a senior in high school former UW coach Mike Eaves goal-scorer (36) on the GCHTE. (Madison Memorial), he was was on the left circle, Alley was Today, he’s the ultra-successful that good,” said Alley, who along in front of the net, Taft was on head coach of the Wisconsin’s with defenseman John Taft took the left point, Norwich was on women’s hockey team that will a one-year leave of absence the right point. Alley described face Robert Morris in an NCAA from the UW program to skate Norwich as the “special secret quarterfinal game Saturday af- for Bob Johnson at the Win- sauce.” A two-time All-American, ternoon at LaBahn Arena. That ter Olympics held in Innsbruck, Norwich was responsible for night, he’s hoping to reconnect Austria. “Mark had a great shot breaking down the defense and

LUCAS AT LARGE PAGE 2 OF 4 LUCAS AT LARGE BY MIKE LUCAS ▪ UWBADGERS.COM

keeping the puck moving. Pass, “The game was different then tant that season at Wisconsin, pass, shoot, score. and I understand all of that,” said will be among the team mem- “He was the starting point,” Johnson, noting the equipment bers recognized Saturday night Johnson agreed. “Especially as changes for goalies, the ad- along with Alley, Baretta, Nor- you start coaching yourself, vanced technology and scouting wich, Taft, Johnson, Eaves, Mark you’re looking for a good quar- and a more defensive brand of Capouch, Ron Griffin, Dave terback, someone to run the hockey. “We didn’t have video Herbst, Norm McIntosh, Brad power play, someone able to like we do now and if you saw Mullens, Ian Perrin, Rod Roman- read and figure out what the us for the first time, it was going chuk, Lee Skille, Mike Dibble, other team is trying to do to to be a challenge. I remember it Tom Ulseth and Tim Phippen. defend. And, obviously, with drove Herbie nuts (Herb Brooks It’s the first reunion for the ’77 him (Norwich) you had someone was the former Minnesota Go- champs. The late Bob Suter will back there who was able to do phers coach).” be here in spirit. “He was pound- it at a real high level relative to Grant Standbrook, who was for-pound probably the tough- what the other team was doing with Badger Bob in the Olym- est player I’ve ever seen,” Alley to try to kill it. pics and served as his top assis- said. “Bob Johnson used to say, ‘He was fearless.’ It was true. We’d scrimmage against his unit in practice every Tuesday and I probably had five or six fights with Bobby. That’s how intense our practices could be and he was one of the reasons.” To this day, Alley also still thinks of Badger Bob. “Probably the most positive person I’ve ever met,” Alley said. “He used to say to me, ‘You’ve got a choice every morning. You can get up on the good side of the bed. Or the bad side of the bed.’ I basi- cally had that instinct anyway, but it cemented the importance of a positive attitude and it has helped me in my business career and my family life.” Forty years later, the March from Madtown to Motown, culminating with back-to-back overtimes victories and the school’s second NCAA title, is still fresh in Alley’s mind. In the Steve Alley’s game-winning goal semifinals, Eaves used quick- ness and deception to beat New

LUCAS AT LARGE PAGE 3 OF 4 LUCAS AT LARGE BY MIKE LUCAS ▪ UWBADGERS.COM

From left: John Taft, Steve Alley and Mike Eaves

Hampshire’s Barry Edgar on the hands (Johnson held out his and I was thinking to myself how draw in the right faceoff circle hands in clear view of his team) we got ourselves in this unbe- and lifted a shot over the shoul- and you’ve got a lot of great lievable position of letting them der of Dan Magnarelli, 42 sec- memories preserved in these get back into the game. All of a onds into the OT. rings — championship rings.” sudden, we were tied. And we In the finals, the Badgers should have won in regulation. squandered a 5-2 third period “I was just meditating on how “WINNING HERE WILL MEAN lead to Michigan, an opponent I might contribute to scoring A LOT MORE TO YOU 10 YEARS that they had already beaten in a goal. We’ve got to win this, FROM NOW THAN IT WILL TO- five of six meetings that season. right? I lost track of everything. NIGHT. YOU CAN ALWAYS LOOK Before going out for the over- Dick Perkins, one of our grad- AT YOUR HANDS AND YOU’VE time, Bob Johnson gathered uate assistants, was looking for GOT A LOT OF GREAT MEMORIES everyone and showed them me. I heard him say, ‘Where’s Al- PRESERVED IN THESE RINGS — the rings that he was wearing. ley?’ So, I got up and they were CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS.” One was his 1976 Olympic ring. already going on the ice. I really The other was his 1973 NCAA wasn’t listening to Hawk (John- championship ring (Alley and Taft How did the super-charged son), which is uncharacteristic were freshmen on that team). and emotional Alley react to of me. But I had my own speech Surveying the room, Badger such motivation? that I was giving myself.” Bob assured his players, “Win- “Believe it or not, I had left the Twenty-three seconds after the ning here will mean a lot more to main dressing room and went puck was dropped for overtime, you 10 years from now than it into the bathroom,” he admitted. Alley scored the game-winner. will tonight. When you get down “I went into one of the stalls, It was a memorable goal that on yourself every once in awhile, not because I had to go to the put GCHTE and GCHPPE in the you can always look at your bathroom, but I just sat there conversation for the ages.▪

LUCAS AT LARGE PAGE 4 OF 4 ASK THE BADGERS

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF? SPRING? JACK MCLAUGHLIN JACK MCLAUGHLIN GREG ANDERSON DAVID STLUKA

JAKE BUNZ CAYLA McMORRIS ALEX MASBRUCH MARISSA BERG Soph. ■ Men’s Hockey Junior ■ W. Basketball Junior ■ Men’s Soccer Junior ■ W. Swimming Middleton, Wis. Brooklyn Park, Minn. Slinger, Wis. Monticello, Wis.

“My favorite part “My favorite part “My favorite part “My favorite part about spring is going of spring is that the of the spring is the about spring is the to Memorial Union weather is starting opportunity to work warmer weather. I and hanging with the to get warmer, which and practice more love being able to guys out by the lake. means it’s almost with the team with- walk around campus Also hanging out at summer time! I like out the interferences when it’s warm and one of the pools at being outside and I of games. I am also a the sun is shining! I the top of one of love nice weather.” fan of the opportu- also love going to the the apartments. Just nity that the spring Terrace and laying hanging out with the presents to focus out on the docks.” guys and not having more on academics to be anywhere, or and have a break work out, just being from the constant able to relax.” travel that the sea- son brings.” BADGERING DAVID STLUKA RILEY BUDDE

Riley Budde thought his future was in football when he graduated from Beaver Dam (Wisconsin) High School, but despite earning second-team all-state honors as an offensive guard he didn’t get much interest on the scholarship front. But when that door appeared to close, another opened. Budde found his way to the Wisconsin men’s track and field team, working with one of the best throws coaches in the country in Dave Astrauskas. Their collaboration has yielded impressive results. Budde, a redshirt junior, finished third in the Big Ten Conference indoor meet in the weight throw and qualified for the NCAA championships, which will be held Friday and Saturday in College Station, Texas. Prior to a recent workout with Astrauskas, Budde talked about being a jack-of-all-trades athlete, his odd path to UW and why his dream job involves driving a tractor. Interview by Andy Baggot: How often do people mispronounce your last name? “All the time. Like, 95 percent of the time.”

So they usually call you what?

SCROLL “Buddy.”

What’s the proper way to say it? “Boo-dee.”

When did qualifying for the NCAA indoor meet become an attainable thing for you? “That’s always the goal because it’s the biggest meet of the year. I didn’t really think much about it before the season, but then I opened up the year at 21.74 (meters, or 71 feet, 4 inches, which is an NCAA qualifying distance). … It was like ‘Wow, I can actually do this.’ It was kind of cool.”

You didn’t win a state track title in high school, yet you’re in a major track program headed for the national meet. Are you a late bloomer or is there something else at work? “In high school I guess I was as good at all the sports I did, but I wasn’t really great at any one of them. I placed in state wrestling. I placed in (state) track. I was pretty good in football. I didn’t have that one thing I was really great at. When I got here I didn’t know what the hammer and weight throw were because Wisconsin doesn’t have them for events in high school. It was new to me when I got here and I just took to it and ran with it.”

Did Wisconsin throws coach Dave Astrauskas recruit you to come here? “Not actively. If I remember right, he assumed I was going to play football somewhere because I did some camps and visited a bunch of places for football, but didn’t have any (scholarship) offers or anything like that. I came to Dave’s track camp in January of my senior year and he asked me about it. I said, ‘I don’t know where I’m going to go.’ He said, ‘Do you want to come on a visit here for track?’ I said, ‘Sure, why not.’ I didn’t have anything else going and didn’t know where I was going. I kind of took the offer and ran with it.”

If your bio is correct, you’ve improved your weight throw 10 feet since you first arrived here, going from 62-8 to 72-11¼. What’s your reaction to that? “That’s kind of crazy. I guess I wouldn’t say I expected it to happen, but I’m not surprised. I always set my goals really high and just keep working hard.”

Have you had an “ah-ha” moment with Dave in the weight throw? “I’ll have days where I can really feel my technique and can feel my positions and can really be technical with my movements. But I wouldn’t say ‘Ah-ha, I’ve got it.’ because there’s still a lot of work that I need to do to keep throwing farther. But I definitely think my awareness has gotten better. That’s probably come from me getting older and more used to it.”

Former Badger Michael Lihrman famously won NCAA titles and set school records (83-11¼) in the weight throw. Do you envision moving the bar even further? “I’d like to think that I could. I don’t know if it’s an unrealistic thing. It’s definitely a tall goal and I’m always striving for the best that I can do.”

Is there another student-athlete at UW that you’d like to trade places with for a day? “That’s a tough one. I don’t know if there’s a name in particular, but it’d be kind of cool to see what goes on with the football players and stuff, especially since that was my main thing in high school. It would be cool to see what they go through on a daily basis because I know it’s really different than what we do.”

What intrigues you most about going to your first NCAA meet? “My biggest thing is trying to stay calm. In the back of my mind I know it’s the biggest meet of the year for me and everything. I’ve just got to think of it as just another meet, and go out there and do what I do. I don’t want to over-think stuff. I tend to do that. I might not throw as well if I do that. I just have to stay calm and get after it.”

You major in agronomy. Why? “My dad worked on a farm when I was younger, so I grew up around agriculture. We used to raise pigs for the fair, stuff like that. When I first came here I was in biological assistance engineering. I think it was the middle of my sophomore year and I decided I just didn’t like where I was going. I didn’t like my classes at all. I decided to make a change. Agronomy seemed like the direction to go.”

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? “Being a farmer. I know you don’t necessarily need to go to school for that, but I supposed any- thing helps. That would be my goal. I’d have my own farm.” ■ DAVID STLUKA The Big Ten Tournament is here and it’s a basketball fan’s dream come true. Highly competitive, no-holds barred hoops in the nation’s capital. And every team’s got a shot at the title … including Wisconsin.

or one week in February — in what amounted er seed will have fallen to a lower one based on the to a revealing two-game window — there was wild momentum swings, the plethora of overtimes Fno greater example of parity in the Big Ten and the unpredictability of a regular season that has than the top four teams going a combined 1-7. given hope to everybody that they can come to our “How wild is that?” Wisconsin assistant coach Joe nation’s capital and create some memories. Krabbenhoft posed incredulously. “It’s so balanced “The games will be ultra-competitive,” predicted and there’s just a lot of parity. You can see it night- UW associate head coach Lamont Paris. “No team in and night-out.” would probably ever admit this, but my guess would Purdue beat Penn State in overtime but lost to be in the past there have been a couple of match- Michigan. Wisconsin lost at Ohio State and Mich- ups where teams don’t really expect that they can igan State. Maryland lost to Minnesota and Iowa. have a great chance to win a game. Not this year. Northwestern lost to Illinois and Indiana. There won’t be any teams that don’t feel they can Outsiders might look at those results and suggest win any game at the tournament.” parody, not parity. Krabbenhoft wasn’t trying to sell tickets but he But that would be fake news to Michigan State’s couldn’t curb his enthusiasm. Tom Izzo. “If I’m a basketball fan, I’m sitting in the Verizon “Parity doesn’t mean poor,” Izzo stressed during Center because each game is going to be a coin Monday’s teleconference advancing this week’s Big toss,” he said. “Coach (Greg) Gard said it best. There Ten tournament at the Verizon Center in Washing- are no get-well games in January and there aren’t ton, D.C., a first-time site for the event. “Sometimes any at the Big Ten tournament. You’d better be parity means we’re deeper from top to bottom. I ready to go, one through 14, because if you’re not, think the tournament is wide open more so than it you’re going to get beat.” has ever been.” While the competition has been healthy, the na- By the time the Badgers start play Friday night tional rankings have been sickly. Purdue (No. 12) against either Indiana or Iowa, it’s likely that a high- and Wisconsin (No. 23) are the only Big Ten teams DAVID STLUKA

BIG TEN TOURNAMENT: UP FOR GRABS PAGE 2 OF 5 DAVID STLUKA

in the Top 25 Coaches poll, a point of contention “All of that is growth. Michigan State went through for Izzo. “I’m not playing the respect card or any- it. So now you have teams finally coming together thing like that. But I’ve been in this league for 30 where they’re a little bit more consistent. They’ve some years … Go ahead, tell me you’d rather play finally developed the chemistry they need —un- No. 12 or No. 7? Tell me, you’d rather play No. 13 derstanding roles, redefining roles, all that stuff that or 5? There’s a lot of parity and it means a lot of happens during the course of a season.” people beating up on each other.” Underscoring that developmental phase, Mary- Big Ten Network analyst Jon Crispin, a former land’s Mark Turgeon said, “We’ve got a tremendous Penn State and UCLA guard, subscribes to Izzo’s league that has just gotten really, really good in the reasoning. Before Sun- last month because we day’s game at the Kohl have great coaches in Center, the 30-year old “COACH GARD SAID IT BEST. THERE ARE NO the league that make Crispin said, “The con- GET-WELL GAMES IN JANUARY AND THERE their teams better and ference, as a whole, “ we have young teams AREN’T ANY AT THE BIG TEN TOURNAMENT. goes into the league that got better. It’s go- YOU’D BETTER BE READY TO GO, ONE tournament with a little ing to be some big-time more so to prove. You THROUGH 14, BECAUSE IF YOU’RE NOT, basketball and we’re heard Tom Izzo’s com- YOU’RE GOING TO GET BEAT.” just glad that we get to ments. He’s 100 per- do it in our backyard.” cent correct. We haven’t done enough marketing The Verizon Center is 10 miles from the Xfinity on how good this conference is.” Center on the College Park campus. When Crispin was asked what he expected to see “I know we’ve sold all our allotment and I’m sure over the five days at the Verizon Center, he said, “I Terp fans have been trying to snatch up tickets,” would say it’s going to be as unpredictable as the Turgeon said. “On Friday night, we should have a season, because the teams that you saw the first pretty good group. If we’re lucky enough to advance time around are completely different. For instance, … which is not easy to do at this time of the year … Iowa is a much different team. Rutgers is a much if we continue to advance our crowds will continue different team. Indiana, not in a positive way, is a to grow. We’re looking forward to playing in an are- much different team. I look at Illinois, even though na that we feel comfortable in.” they lost to Rutgers, nobody wants to play Illinois On Nov. 15, Maryland rallied to nip Georgetown, right now.” 76-75, at the Verizon Center. He put Iowa in that category, too. “They look great, “It’s going to be pretty wide open, kind of like the then they look awful,” Crispin said of the Hawkeyes. season has been,” echoed Big Ten Network analyst

BIG TEN TOURNAMENT: UP FOR GRABS PAGE 3 OF 5 Shon Morris, a Northwestern grad. “You don’t have where they’ve shown their youth at times. There’s three or four teams at the top that are consistently maybe not a dominant team, you’d say, but the bot- night-in and night-out demonstratively better than tom teams have been very competitive.” everyone else. The bottom quartile of the league is Northwestern’s Chris Collins doesn’t believe the better than it has been. A lot of the talent is young.” Big Ten has to take a backseat to anyone. Very young. Michigan State started three fresh- “We’ve been very undersold during the season,” men (Miles Bridges, Nick Ward, Joshua Langford). asserted Collins, the former Dukie. “This is a real- So did Maryland (Anthony Cowan, Justin Jackson, ly good league. I think what you’re going to see is Kevin Huerter). So did Penn State (Tony Carr, Lamar once we get on the national stage and the teams Stevens, Mike Watkins). Iowa started two (Jordan that have the opportunity to play (in the NCAA Bohannon and Tyler Cook). And both were named tournament), when it’s all said and done are going to the Big Ten’s All-Freshman team, along with to do very well. There are many teams in this league Bridges, Carr and Minnesota’s Amir Coffey. that are built to win in the postseason.” “There are some pretty good freshmen,” Morris Purdue’s Matt Painter added the NCAA caveat, observed, “that I think will stick around for a cou- “We have to prove that we have a good league.” ple of years. In a couple of years, you’ll probably Crispin, for one, believes that the top Big Ten have some teams at the top of the league that are teams will benefit from a change of scenery. more senior or junior-laden that will be maybe a lit- Speaking directly to Wisconsin, he said, “This is tle more dominant than some of the top teams we like the perfect team to say, ‘They need to get the see now. All of this stuff is cyclical.” heck out of the conference.’ I think they’ll thrive Brands are forever, though. As Gard opined, “The once they do. Teams in this conference understand league has traditional powers and if they aren’t nec- how to take away what they want to do. And the essarily at the top then it’s viewed as the league is way to take away what they do is to force them to down. With the youth in the league, you’ve seen do things that they don’t want to do. If you’re fol- surges throughout the year. But then you’ve seen lowing me and what I’m saying.”

▼ TAP TO WATCH - Top 5 Plays vs Minnesota DAVID STLUKA

BIG TEN TOURNAMENT: UP FOR GRABS PAGE 4 OF 5 “WE’VE BEEN VERY UNDERSOLD DURING THE SEASON. THIS IS A REALLY GOOD“ LEAGUE. THERE ARE MANY TEAMS IN THIS LEAGUE THAT ARE BUILT TO WIN IN THE POSTSEASON.”

win over Minnesota during which the Badgers shot 50 percent in the second half (8-of-10 on 3-pointers), “it’s more of a mental hurdle than physical. The biggest thing they can take out of the conference tournament is figuring that out.” Singling out the UW’s low-post tan- dem of Happ and Nigel Hayes, Mor- ris said, “The two guys who are get- ting fouled the most, Happ and Hayes, don’t have to become Rick Barry at the foul line. But they have to see the ball go through. If you’re playing them

DAVID STLUKA right now, you can say, ‘Hey, I’m go- ing to come with that aggressive dou- ble-team and if we foul then we foul. We’ll take our chances with that.”’ Opposing defenses, he noted, have adjusted to Crispin outlined a potential scenario for the No. Ethan Happ by doubling the post. 2-seeded Badgers at the Verizon Center. “Getting “When you double team,” Crispin said, “you force out of the (Big Ten) tournament with a win or two a quick open shot within 15 seconds of the shot would be just fine,” he said, “because I think they’d clock and they don’t want to take it, so there’s no have all the confidence in the world getting into the rhythm for them. They want to operate the offense, NCAAs.” they want to execute and they want to beat you Of course, he could be saying that about many at the basket. That’s really what Wisconsin teams teams, maybe as many as seven or eight. want to do. I just think teams have gotten more “There are a bunch of teams I wouldn’t want to comfortable playing against this team.” play,” Morris said. “Even though they’re kind of Morris offered a similar viewpoint on the Badgers. struggling right now, I wouldn’t want to play Ne- “They really have to figure out the best way and braska in that setting because no one really shoots the most efficient way for them to attack those dou- the ball very well in that environment (an NBA ven- ble-teams,” he said. “Is it going to be getting the ball ue). And the way they can throw sand in the gears, out of Happ’s hands quickly? Is it going to be using I’m not going to be surprised if they win the 12/13 the fan dribble and utilizing some cuts? And then game and beat whoever they play the second day. guys just have to make some shots. That sounds “I think it’s going to be that kind of tournament.” JOHN FISHER simplistic. But it’s the truth. Somebody has to make some shots. For tickets, bracket, game details & “Just watching them,” he said prior to Sunday’s more, visit Tournament Central here.

BIG TEN TOURNAMENT: UP FOR GRABS PAGE 5 OF 5 DAVID STLUKA

READY FOR RIGHT NOW Lethal top line: UW’s leading scorers skating together are a dangerous combination

BY ANDY BAGGOT ■ UWBADGERS.COM INSIDER arah Nurse knew it might sound silly, but the For the last 10 games, UW coach Mark Johnson senior left winger for the Wisconsin women’s has opened the proceedings by pairing his top three Shockey team went ahead and said it anyway. scorers together. Asked what ingredient she brings to the most Pankowski has 52 points (24 goals, 28 assists), menacing forward line in the women’s game, Nurse Nurse has 50 (24-26) and Clark has 44 (18-26). In thought for a moment before answering. terms of points per game, they rank fifth, eighth and “I may be the decoy,” she said. 16th in the nation, respectively. Get. Out. The three are expected to ride together again Sat- This is the same Nurse who leads the top-ranked urday when Wisconsin (31-2-4 overall) faces Rob- Badgers in goals with 24 and paces the nation in ert Morris (24-4-6) in a NCAA quarterfinal game at hat tricks with three, including a four-goal outing. sold-out LaBahn Arena. The survivor advances to This is the same Nurse who ranks in the top 10 in the Frozen Four, which will be held March 17 and team history with 75 goals, 15 game-winners and 19 in St. Charles, Missouri. seven shorthanded conversions. The Badgers enter this stage of the postseason Nurse smiled at a bystander’s protest — c’mon, a riding an 20-game unbeaten streak (17-0-3) thanks decoy? — but she continued to embrace the idea of mainly to a supremely balanced approach. They lead a complimentary role playing alongside junior cen- the nation in scoring offense (4.03 goals scored per ter Emily Clark and junior right winger Annie Pan- game) and scoring defense (0.86 goals allowed per kowski. game). “I bring an extra threat,” Nurse said. “Teams can’t Woven into that is the work of a fearsome top just watch the two of them.” line that includes three all-WCHA award-winners

LETHAL TOP LINE READY FOR RIGHT NOW PAGE 1 OF 3 — Pankowski was a first-team pick, Nurse a- sec ed a few shifts, a period at most. The idea was to ond-teamer and Clark was named to the third team generate energy if not a goal or three. Even now, — and features a plethora of challenges for oppo- Johnson will tinker with his top line combinations nents. in-game, which means moving Nurse around. “They’ve been good in almost every game we’ve But Clark, Nurse and Pankowski are more of a played together,” Johnson package deal these days. said. “They’re three high lev- They conjure up memories “THEY’VE BEEN GOOD IN el players. They’ve got good of 2010-11 when Johnson ALMOST EVERY GAME WE’VE chemistry.” sometimes put the top three PLAYED TOGETHER,” JOHNSON SAID. In the 10 games they’ve goal-scorers in program his- “THEY’RE THREE HIGH LEVEL PLAYERS. started on the same line, tory — Hilary Knight, Brianna THEY’VE GOT GOOD CHEMISTRY.” Clark, Nurse and Pankowski Decker and Meghan Duggan have combined for 53 points — on the same line on the (22 goals, 31 assists) with 151 shots and a cumula- way to the NCAA title. tive plus-minus rating of plus-42. “We all think the game similarly, but we each kind Broken down, Nurse has 7-13-20, Pankowski of bring an individual skill set that complements shows 7-11-18 and Clark has chimed in with 8-7-15. each other,” Nurse said. Johnson has put the three dynamos on the same Clark, from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is creative, line periodically in their careers, but it typically last- quick and tenacious. Her third-period goal in the WCHA Final Face-Off semifinals vs. North Dakota, Badgers Win Third Straight WCHA Tourney Title ▼ TAP TO WATCH - producing a 2-1 victory last Saturday, was her na- tion-leading ninth game-winner. “It’s hard to pick just one (strength) with that girl,” Pankowski said. “She skates fast and she battles hard. She’s not afraid to get into corners and work.”

Nurse, from Hamilton, Ontario, has blazing break- DAVID STLUKA away speed and a knack for finding cracks in the defense. Her spectacular shorthanded conversion vs. Minnesota-Duluth last Sunday broke open a close WCHA playoff championship match and led to a 4-1 triumph. “I’d like to know how many breakaway goals she’s had in her career because she’s just able to find those seams and create space for herself,” Clark said. Pankowski, from Laguna Hills, California, has one the heaviest, deadliest shots in the women’s game. She has a team-best seven multi-goal outings this season, including one vs. Duluth in the WCHA championship. “I’ve never seen somebody who can finish like her,” Nurse said. “She takes the puck to the net and just wires the shot. It’s really incredible to watch.” The three are good friends, which aids their on- ice chemistry. “We have similar mindsets,” Clark said, noting that DAVID STLUKA DAVID STLUKA the three are easy-going off the ice and have similar instincts when it comes to the flow of a shift on it. “You can see the game a little better when you

LETHAL TOP LINE READY FOR RIGHT NOW PAGE 2 OF 3 see the game the same way as everyone on your Nurse and Pankowski. While Nurse is one of six se- line,” Pankowski said. niors, Clark and Pankowski are prime candidates to Clark said her piece of the threesome puzzle in- play for their respective national teams in the 2018 volves disrupting the opposition and being unselfish. Winter Olympics in South Korea. “Creating turnovers for (Nurse and Pankowski) If all goes according to plan, Clark and Pankowski and creating space out there,” she said. will take a year off — skating for Team Canada and Decoy status aside, Nurse believes her main con- Team USA, respectively — before returning to UW tribution to the line is seen in transition. for their senior seasons in 2018-19. “I think I bring some speed,” she said. Clark, Nurse and Pankowski are looking to finish Pankowski believes her ability to distribute the this chapter of their hockey careers with a flourish. puck is her biggest asset in the equation. That means winning the fifth NCAA championship “I think it really showed in the last couple games in program history. that I’ve been really good at finding them,” she said “We’re just looking to have a lot of fun,” Nurse of her line mates. “I can put the puck on their stick said. and they can put the puck in the net. That goes The Badgers haven’t won a national title since both ways.” 2011 and have lost three straight times in the Fro- Every good line deserves a memorable moniker, zen Four semifinals. but the three passed on the project. However, they have one of their strongest teams One suggestion: The PYP (Pick Your Poison) Line. in memory led by senior goaltender and two-time Wisconsin enters the NCAA tournament as the Patty Kazmaier Award finalist Ann-Renée Desbiens. No. 1 overall seed for good reason. It not only “It’s like, ‘We have to do it right now,’” Pankowski won the WCHA regular-season title for the second said. straight season and the Final Face-off for the third Clark said the future, while tantalizing, is not part consecutive time, it swept two highly-regarded of her thought process. non-conference opponents from the Eastern Col- “When we’re with Wisconsin, we’re definitely fo- legiate Athletic Conference ― Clarkson and Cornell cused on this team’s goals and where we are right ― along the way. now,” she said. “Right now, it’s more so being in the The NCAA matchup with Robert Morris will rep- moment.” resent a home-ice swan song of sorts for Clark, A moment waiting to be seized. DAVID STLUKA

From left: Pankowski, Clark and Nurse

LETHAL TOP LINE READY FOR RIGHT NOW PAGE 3 OF 3 INSIDE MEN’S BASKETBALL BY MIKE LUCAS ▪ UWBADGERS.COM SENIOR WRITER ICON SPORTSWIRE

▲ TAP TO WATCH - Badgers Send Seniors Out With Win Over Minnesota Lucas Lookback: The joy is back Breaking down a huge Senior Day win over Minnesota

ADISON, Wis. — Mike Lucas had a front-row seat for TAP TO VIEW SCHEDULE Wisconsin’s final regular-season matchup — a 66-49 Mwin against Minnesota — celebrating UW’s Senior Day at the Kohl Center Sunday. Here is what he saw from courtside.

PLENTY TO SMILE ABOUT When Vitto Brown walked on the floor during pregame se- nior introductions, he was accompanied by his folks, Angelo and Sheila. He also brought along an old friend: a smile. It was not a grin, but a smile; an ear-to-ear, mega-watt smile that has not been a part of Brown’s makeup lately. SCROLL “After the Iowa game,” Brown said, “that was rock bottom for myself and the whole team. I had to do a lot of re-evaluating — talking with my parents and brother. That was the main thing,

the main message I got out of it, that we have to be more posi- tive. We talked about that as a team as well. “So, I felt the best way to do that is to smile. I wanted to make

sure … (as he was speaking in the UW locker room, head coach TWEETS VIEW TO INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED Greg Gard walked up and hugged Brown who paused before completing his thought) … I wanted to make sure I started out SOCIAL MEDIA: the game with that smile and I tried to keep it, too.” Brown made reference to and confirmed a player’s-only meet- ing Friday. “It was Bronson’s and Showy’s idea primarily,” Brown said of the organizers, senior guards Bronson Koenig and Zak Showalter. “People chimed in here and there. Everybody was on the same wave length throughout the meeting.” What came out of it? “Positivity was the main takeaway,” said Brown. “We knew the way things were going it was easy for everyone to self-destruct with their own feelings in their heads. That was the main thing. If we could stay positive, we could get through anything.” Brown pointed out that it went beyond a final hurrah at the Kohl Center. “Moving forward, it was not just for the seniors,” he said. “Because of the implications this game had for seeding and going in on the right note to the Big Ten Tournament, we knew that we had to make a change.” With a little over six minutes left in the first half, the Badgers executed the inside-out game with Brown touching the post — Ethan Happ — which influenced Minnesota’s Eric Curry to leave Brown and trap Happ, who kicked it back out to Brown for a wide open 3-pointer. Despite his struggles (.254 from beyond the arc in Big Ten games), he nailed it. That put a ginormous smile on his face, again. “I tried to play it cool but I had to let it out,” he said. “It felt good. Ethan passed it to me and said, ‘C’mon, V.’ I heard him and I knocked it down. It was a great feeling.” So was the postgame senior celebration, especially with a win and No. 2 seed in hand for the Big Ten Tournament. “It felt awe- some,” said Brown. “We almost forgot what that feeling was like after going on that skid that we did. But to get a win against a team like that and have everyone’s family there made it so much better.” Looking ahead to the conference tournament, Brown added, “This is a whole new season starting. Winning this game (against Minnesota) doesn’t mean we’re going to beat the next team we play. But we know it’s definitely better going into that next game on a win than a loss.” INSIDE MEN’S HOCKEY BY ANDY BAGGOT ▪ UWBADGERS.COM INSIDER DAVID STLUKA

▲ TAP TO WATCH - Badger Hockey Digest Week 17 Five takeaways from split vs. Penn State Badgers look to lock up second place in final regular season series Move top up 2 & bottom down 1

ive takeaways on the Wisconsin men’s hockey team fol- TAP TO VIEW SCHEDULE lowing its Big Ten Conference series with Penn State: F One: If someone had told you three months ago UW would be in title contention heading into the final weekend of the regular season, you would have laughed. Loudly. Yet that’s a storyline for the Badgers going into their Big Ten series with Ohio State on Friday and Saturday at the Kohl Center. They tumbled into second place and need help to overtake front-run- ning Minnesota after their road split with the Nittany Lions — a 7-4 win and a 6-0 loss — but the moment begs for some per-

SCROLL spective. Remember that Wisconsin (19-12-1 overall, 12-6 with 36 points in the Big Ten) mustered five league victories and 26 points combined from 2014 to ’16. The 16th-ranked Badgers were projected to finish fifth in the six-school Big Ten — -cer tainly nowhere near a berth in the 16-team NCAA tournament field — yet are on the verge of securing a first-round bye for the league playoffs that run March 16 to 18 at Joe Louis Arena in INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED TO VIEW TWEETS TWEETS VIEW TO INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED Detroit. Two: Wisconsin followed up one of its most impressive show- SOCIAL ings of the season with one of its poorest. The 11th-ranked MEDIA: Nittany Lions have the best home record in the league at 14-5- 1, but the Badgers scored five or more goals for the 13th time this season — their most since 18 in 2009-10 — and wound up scoring a season-high in goals for an opponent at Pegula Ice Arena. One night later, UW was shut out for the second time this season and suffered its most one-sided road loss since a 6-0 setback at Boston College on Oct. 16, 2015. The Badgers have allowed six or more goals in a game on five occasions. Two have come vs. Penn State. Three: The top three scorers for UW — sophomore right winger and captain Luke Kunin (20 goals, 15 assists, 35 points), freshman center Trent Frederic (15-17-32) and junior center Cameron Hughes (7-23-30) — were held point-less in the Penn State series. That’s the first time it’s happened over the course of a weekend to Frederic and Hughes this season. Kunin was held off the score sheet vs. Boston College on Oct. 14 and 16. Four: Wisconsin has been a part of two leagues during the modern era — the Western Collegiate Hockey Association from 1969-70 to 2012-13 and the Big Ten from 2013-14 to the present — yet has had only one Coach of the Year recipient. That was the late Bob Johnson in 1976-77 while guiding the Badgers to WCHA regular-season, playoff and NCAA titles. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where first-year coach Tony Grana- to’s name isn’t added to that list in the coming weeks when all- league award ballots are distributed. Five: Thanks to a career-best three-point outing by junior right winger Will Johnson in the win over Penn State, the Badgers now have eight players with 20 points or more this season. Johnson (9-12-21) joins a list that includes Kunin, Frederic, Hughes, soph- omore center Seamus Malone (10-18-28), senior right winger Grant Besse (9-19-28), junior winger Ryan Wagner (9-18-27) and junior defenseman Jake Linhart (6-16-22). The last time UW had more 20-point sources was 2009-10 with 10. ■ INSIDE WOMEN’S HOCKEY BY A.J. HARRISON ▪ UW ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS JIM ROSVOLD

▲ TAP TO WATCH - 3 Takeaways with Women’s Hockey Badgers open quest for fifth NCAA title Wisconsin welcomes Robert Morris to a sold-out LaBahn Arena Saturday

o far this season, the Wisconsin women’s hockey team TAP TO VIEW SCHEDULE has scratched off two items on its checklist — winning the SWCHA regular season title and the WCHA Final Face-Off. The quest to check off the final box — capturing the NCAA crown — begins this Saturday as the No. 1 Badgers welcome Robert Morris to LaBahn Arena for an NCAA quarterfinal. “With our playoff system, everybody’s back at the starting gates,” UW head coach Mark Johnson said. “Now we’ve got eight teams at the starting gate and we’ll know in a couple weeks who’s going to hoist the national championship trophy.”

SCROLL The Badgers open this year’s NCAA tournament as the No. 1 seed, marking the first time since the 2012 national champion- ship that UW has held that ranking heading into the eight-team tourney. The No. 1 ranking is something the Badgers have had to deal with all year, but the players and staff try to make sure the pressure doesn’t get to them. “We knew we were going to be up near the top with the per- INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED TO VIEW TWEETS TWEETS VIEW TO INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED sonnel we had coming back from last year’s Frozen Four team,” Johnson said. “You find out you’re going to be number one and SOCIAL then it’s ‘Okay, we need to practice today, we need to get bet- MEDIA: ter.’ I think if it comes from the top, it comes from the coaching staff, and as I’ve talked about most of the year, our leadership is good. “The players understand what we’re trying to do and they’ve been able to focus in on the process and really focus in on what’s most important next.” What’s next for the Badgers is a battle against the No. 8 Co- lonials, the College Hockey American regular season and tour- nament champions. RMU will make its first-ever NCAA tourna- ment appearance on Saturday, while UW and RMU haven’t met since the 2010-11 season. INSIDE SOFTBALL BY KELLI GRASHEL ▪ UW ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS JIM HILTON

Badgers bring the heat to CSU Classic Wisconsin heads to Colorado after successful 3-0 weekend in Texas

ore wins. More records broken. More revelations. More TAP TO VIEW SCHEDULE reasons to get excited for the Wisconsin softball team Mthis season. The Badgers (15-2) went 3-0 through their weekend in the Houston Hilton Plaza Classic with two dominant wins and a spectacular comeback. Much of the success and high scoring trends can be credited to the spirited young staff head coach Yvette Healy has put to- gether. In her second year, Kirsten Verdun has been guiding a young

SCROLL pitching staff to five shutouts so far this season. That mark ties last season’s total and represents a 1.72 ERA that ranks second in the Big Ten. Assistant coach Danielle Zymkowitz is developing a strong lineup and helping them to soar to new heights with her exten- sive knowledge and enthusiasm for the game.

UW had a monster offensive weekend in Houston, setting TWEETS VIEW TO INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED season highs in runs scored (16 vs. Princeton), hits (16 vs. Sam Houston), RBI (15 vs. Princeton), home runs (3 vs. Princeton) SOCIAL and walks (10 vs. Princeton). MEDIA: Zymkowitz, a former All-American for Illinois, has plenty of experience in the Big Ten conference, but more importantly, she has played six seasons with the Chicago Bandits of the Na- tional Pro Fastpitch league. She brings first-hand knowledge to the Badgers as a top athlete in the sport and also from playing against top-level opponents. She’s helping veterans like Chloe Miller and Sara Novak to produce some of the biggest numbers they’ve ever put up. At the same time, Zymkowitz is mentoring newcomers like Brooke Wyderski and Kayla Konwent, who have both seen a lot of at bats so far. The Badgers will be faced with a new challenge next weekend meeting two teams on multiple occasions. Wisconsin will play Maine three times — the first time the squad will face a team more than twice in a weekend this season — and Colorado State twice. It will be strong preparation for the Big Ten conference season right around the corner, where the Badgers will play a three-game series every weekend. CSU will be a challenging opponent, starting the season with a 10-4 record and an unscathed 5-0 record at home. Three of the Rams’ losses were to Texas (receiving votes in both polls) on opening weekend, where they also defeated Big Ten foe Mary- land twice. That wasn’t their only win over a Big Ten team so far this season, as they defeated Penn State twice last weekend at home. Maine did not have as great of an opening weekend, dropping a pair of games to Creighton and another two to Grand Can- yon. The Black Bears were able to get one win over the Lopes in the Grand Canyon University Invitational. Maine has a mid- week game against Arizona State before heading to the Colora- do State Classic. Wisconsin heads to Fort Collins, Colorado to face both Maine and CSU on March 10-12. ▪ INSIDE WRESTLING BY KELLI GRASHEL ▪ UW ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS SAM JANICKI

▲ TAP TO WATCH - Nine Badgers will defend the W at the NCAA Championships Badgers boast nine NCAA qualifiers UW finishes Big Ten Championships with six earning podium spots

he Wisconsin wrestling team didn’t make the run in the TAP TO VIEW SCHEDULE Big Ten championships that the team wanted to, but there Twere plenty of highlights to take from the Badgers’ initial postseason appearance. “Ricky came back to take fifth and Christensen gave himself a chance to win and Martin won,” head coach Barry Davis said. “There were areas that we could have been a little bit better, but it is what it is and now we just have to go back and regroup. We’ll talk about NCAAs and I’m hoping for a couple wildcards too on Tuesday.

SCROLL “You sit down and talk with them and ask them what they’re feeling out there, you watch video and then you work on those positions and work from there. There are going to be slight changes, but nothing big because right now nothing is big. So we just have to do slight adjustments to figure it out.” In all, six Badgers — seniors Isaac Jordan (165) and Connor

Medbery (HWT.), junior Ricky Robertson (197), sophomore Ryan TWEETS VIEW TO INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED Christensen (174), and freshmen Cole Martin (141) and Hunter

Ritter (184) — earned NCAA automatic qualifier bids after se- SOCIAL curing spots on the podium this past weekend. Three addition- MEDIA: al wrestlers — senior T.J. Ruschell (157), junior Andrew Crone (149) and junior Johnny Jimenez (125) — were announced as at-large bids by the NCAA on Tuesday. In total, Wisconsin will send nine of its 10 starters to the NCAA Championships. This is the highest number of NCAA qualifiers the Badgers have had since 2007. It also marks the 10th time in the last 12 seasons that the Badgers have qualified five or more wrestlers. The Big Ten Championships saw second-ranked Medbery fin- ished runner-up to 2016 Olympic gold medalist Kyle Snyder, dropping a close 8-5 decision in the finals. As heartbreaking as it was to see Medbery’s undefeated streak come to an end, he battled Snyder for a great match and will use the experience he gained to his advantage as he makes his tear through the NCAA bracket.