University Chronicle

Issue date: 11/29/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Enisha Shrestha SCSU goalie Jase Weslosky stops shots from his teammates during practice Tuesday afternoon.

Media Credit: Enisha Shrestha Head coach Bob Motzko talks with his players during practice Tuesday afternoon.

The No. 10 ranked SCSU Huskies have made it known they are back.

After a rocky start, they are now sitting comfortably at 7-3-2 and coming off a weekend split against No. 9 ranked Clarkson.

"We are happy how we came out. We took some positives from it after the break, but I think we are going to rebound even better this week," sophomore forward Ryan Lasch said.

While the Huskies certainly did not have their best performances of the season in Postdam, N.Y. this past weekend, they found a way to show they are still a force to be reckoned with.

Friday, they put up just 13 shots on goal but won 4-1 behind a pair of Lasch goals and a 32-save performance from goaltender Jase Weslosky.

Saturday, they battled tight with the Golden Knights but fell 3-2 as Nick Dodge beat Weslosky, who was relieving freshman Dan Dunn late in the third period to break a 2-2 tie.

Yet again this week they will have a chance to prove a point as they are set for a two-game series with the No. 13 ranked Wisconsin Badgers.

Madison has not been a friendly place for the Huskies They are 0-7-3 in their past 10 trips there and have not beat Wisconsin on the road since Feb. 17, 2001.

The Kohl Center is regarded as one of the most difficult places to play in the nation.

"I would say it is the toughest place to play," SCSU forward Andreas Nodl said. "They have such a big student section and a good team. So it is always going to be an extremely tough weekend."

Playing in front of such an energized crowd in Madison, one that claimed the best attendance in the nation last year, may intimidate the younger players for the Huskies.

"It was intimidating the first time I went out there, but now I look forward to playing there," Raboin said.

Yet many of the players feel that as the game rolls along, it will become business as usual.

"It will just take a couple of shifts, just get a hit in or get the puck deep and battle," Nodl said. "You just can't get intimidated."

The intense atmosphere should contribute to higher adrenaline for the players.

"It sometimes helps to have a bigger stadium like that. It gets you going and gets the blood pumping," Raboin said.

Huskies on offense

After falling below expectations offensively earlier in the year, SCSU has elevated itself to fourth in the nation on offense, averaging 3.75 goals per game.

Leading the way for the Huskies this season has been freshman Garrett Roe and Lasch, who are both tied for second in the nation with 1.67 points per game. Lasch has been extremely dominant of late, recording a point in each of the past eight games while totaling nine goals and six assists during that span.

"I just got my work ethic back," Lasch said. "I have been competing down low and trying to win battles and it has just been working for me."

A key for the Huskies will be how well they handle the sizeable Badger defenders, who own a reputation for being physical.

"We are just going to have to give it back to them," Lasch said. "We can't shy away from them. We have to be competitive and not back down."

The speed of SCSU should also help create some opportunities.

"Our transition game is pretty good. We have some skilled forwards, so I think we will be pretty good for this weekend," Nodl said.

With a tight match-up expected, the Huskies will have to rely on their No. 6 ranked power play unit.

"When you get your power play chances you have to bury those," Nodl said. "We just have to make sure we battle for loose pucks, set it up and get some shots."

The Badgers rank in the middle on the penalty kill at No. 27 in the nation.

The Huskies will being going up against junior goalie Shane Connelly, who is 4-6-0 on the year with a .899 save percentage.

Huskies on defense

Despite being known as a defensive-minded team, the Badgers have been solid on offense this year, ranking sixth in the nation with 3.58 goals per game.

They will face the surprising SCSU defense unit, who came into the season with many question marks but currently sit ninth in the nation with a 2.08 goals allowed per game average.

The key will be to stop the young Badger forwards, who have lived up to their high recruiting status and have contributed immediately.

Leading the team is freshman Kyle Turris, a top recruit from last year. The Coyotes draft pick turned down many high-level Canadian junior offers to play at Wisconsin.

Turris currently lead the Badgers in scoring with five goals and 10 assists.

The Badgers will work against goalie Jase Weslosky, who owns a 6-3-0 record with 2.09 goals allowed average.

The defense in front of him will also have to work hard to keep up with the physical mindset of Wisconsin.

"It is going to need to be physical especially in our defensive zone," Raboin said. "We know our forwards are going to get knocked around, but it's a different style of game out there and we are looking forward to it."

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