Hockey: Notre Dame visits Wisconsin this weekend. Here's what you need to know
COLLEGE HOCKEY
Who: Notre Dame Fighting Irish (20-8-0 overall, 12-6-0 Big Ten for 32 points and fourth place) vs. Wisconsin Badgers (8-19-3 overall, 5-14-1 Big Ten for 17 points and fifth place)
When: Saturday at 9:30 p.m. EST and Sunday at 9 p.m. EST
Where: Kohl Center (15,359), Madison, Wisconsin
TV/Streaming: Big Ten Plus
Radio: WZOC-FM (94.3) and UND.com
► More:Notre Dame's hockey series rescheduled because of COVID issues at Wisconsin
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Recaps: Coach Jeff Jackson’s Fighting Irish extended their winning streak to three games by sweeping visiting Penn State in a Big Ten Conference series, winning 7-2 Friday and 3-0 Saturday. … Coach Tony Granato’s Badgers saw their losing streak extended to six games with 4-3 overtime and 6-2 setbacks at Ohio State.
Rankings: Notre Dame is No. 11 in both USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine (coaches) poll and USCHO.com (media) polls. … Wisconsin is unranked. … In latest NCAA Tournament Pairwise Comparison Ratings as of Wednesday, Notre Dame is No. 12 and Wisconsin No. 36.
Rivalry: Wisconsin leads 46-27-9 in series which began with 3-0 victory by Notre Dame on its outdoor Badin Rink Feb. 18, 1922. … Earlier this season, Notre Dame swept Wisconsin 5-1 Nov. 12 and 3-0 Nov. 13 at Lefty Smith Rink in Compton Family Ice Arena. … In games played in Madison, Notre Dame is 12-22-3. … Since Jackson became head coach in 2005-06, Irish are 9-8-2 against Badgers, including 4-2-1 in Madison.
Scouting Fighting Irish: Junior goaltender Ryan Bischel won Big Ten First Star of Week after stopping 67 of 69 shots (.971 saves percentage) against Penn State and seeing his record improve to 10-4-0, his saves percentage to .930 and his goals-against to 1.93. … Graduate goalie Matthew Galajda also is 10-4-0 with a .922 saves percentage and 2.13 average and like Bischel has two shutouts this season. … Junior right wing Max Ellis continues to pace Irish in scoring with 16 goals, 11 assists and 27 points. … Next are sophomore right wing Ryder Rolston (9-15-24), sophomore left wing Landon Slaggert (9-12-21) and senior defenseman Spencer Stastney (5-16-21). … Nineteen different players have scored goals for Irish. … Graduate defenseman Adam Karashik leads the team in blocked shots with 61. … Cam Burke (.592) and fellow senior center Jake Pivonka (.560) pace Irish in faceoff victories. … NCAA team statistics (out of 59 teams): Scoring offense, 3.54 goals per game (7th); scoring defense, 2.11 goals per game (8th); scoring margin, 1.43 goals per game (9th); faceoff-win percentage, 0.529 (863-768) (11th); power-play percentage, 0.198 (18 of 91) (25th); power-play goals scored, 18 (30th); penalty-kill percentage, 0.933 (97 of 104) (1st), shorthanded goals scored, 6 (2nd); penalty minutes per game, 10.50 (34th).
Scouting Badgers: Wisconsin is happy to be home – on the road the Badgers are 1-11; at home they are 6-8-2. … Corson Ceulemans, a 6-foot-2 freshman defenseman from Regina, Saskatchewan, and a 2021 NHL first-round pick (25th overall) of the Columbus Blue Jackets, leads the Badgers in scoring with seven goals, 12 assists and 19 points. … He is followed by senior forward Tarek Baker (5-12-17), senior center Brock Caufield (6-10-16) and sophomore right wing Mathieu De St. Phalie (8-7-15). … Junior Jared Moe (6-12-3, 2.95 goals-against average, .915 saves percentage) and sophomore Cameron Rowe (2-7-0, 4.17, .868) share the netminding duties. … NCAA team statistics (out of 59 teams): Scoring offense, 2.07 goals per game (52nd); scoring defense, 3.50 goals per game (49th); scoring margin, -1.43 goals per game (55th); faceoff-win percentage, 0.508 (943-914) (22nd); power-play percentage, 0.183 (20 of 109) (32nd); power-play goals scored, 20 (22nd); penalty-kill percentage, 0.709 (56 of 79) (58th); shorthanded goals scored, 3 (12th); penalty minutes per game, 10.77 (31st).
Quoting Jackson: “Wisconsin is still a dangerous team. They certainly gave Ohio State all they could handle last Friday. They are always a good transition team. We have to be conscious of their speed and their ability. They’ve got good defenders and a goalie who is one of the top goalies in the conference in Moe. They have had their struggles, but a lot of it has been based on injuries and they’ve had a couple of times going through COVID.”
– John Fineran, Tribune Correspondent
BIG TEN STANDINGS
(Conference)
Pts, GP, W-L-T, SOW, OW-OL, GF-GA
Ohio State 42, 20, 13-5-2, 1, 1-1, 70-43
Michigan 39, 18, 12-6-0, 0, 0-3, 68-45
Minnesota 37, 18, 12-6-0, 0, 1-2, 60-42
Notre Dame 32, 18, 12-6-0, 0, 5-1, 56-43
Wisconsin 17, 20, 5-14-1, 0, 1-2, 46-77
Penn State 17, 20, 5-14-1, 1, 1-1, 52-78
Michigan State 14, 18, 5-13-0, 0, 1-0, 38-62
(Overall, W-L-T, .Pct, GF-GA)
Ohio State 21-7-2, .733, 112-63; Michigan 21-7-1, .741, 112-65; Minnesota 17-11-0, .607, 94-69; Notre Dame 20-8-0, .714, 99-59; Wisconsin 8-19-3, .317, 62-105; Penn State 14-15-1, .483, 96-98; Michigan State 11-16-1, .411, 62-82.
Friday, Feb. 11
Minnesota at Ohio State, late
Michigan State at Michigan, late
Saturday, Feb. 12
Minnesota at Ohio State, 6 p.m.
Michigan vs. Michigan State at Detroit, 7 p.m.
Notre Dame at Wisconsin, 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 13
Notre Dame at Wisconsin, 9 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 18
Notre Dame at Michigan State, 7 p.m.
Minnesota at Penn State, 6:30 p.m.
Ohio State at Michigan, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 19
Notre Dame at Michigan State, 7 p.m.
Minnesota at Penn State, 6 p.m.
Ohio State at Michigan, 8:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 25
Michigan at Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m.
Penn State at Michigan State, 7 p.m.
Wisconsin at Minnesota, 9 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 26
Michigan at Notre Dame, 6 p.m.
Penn State at Michigan State
Wisconsin at Minnesota