Badgers Win Exhibition Game over Team Italy
December 12, 2002 | Men's Hockey
The Badger hockey team downed Team Italy 7-0 to win its first exhibition since 1984 when the Badgers defeated the U.S. Olympic team.
Defenseman Mark Jackson scored two goals and Bernd Bruckler made seven saves in the shutout victory. Wisconsin completely dominated the game, outshooting Italy 35-8 and six Badgers had two points.
Wisconsin got on the board with 13:55 left in the first period on John Funk's first goal in a Badger uniform. He picked up a loose puck in front and fired it past Italy goaltender Gunther Hell.
Jackson's first goal of the evening gave the Badgers a 2-0 lead with 1:41 to go in the period. Pete Talafous hit Jackson as he was skating down the slot and Jackson went top shelf for the score.
In the second period, defenseman Andy Wozniewski, serving as captain for the game, scored with 15:07 left in the frame to put Bucky ahead by three goals. Wozniewski took a pass and from the top of the circle rocketed it over Hell's shoulder.
The Badgers continued to pile it on in the third period, scoring four goals while limiting Italy to one shot. Jackson put the Badgers up 4-0 when he scored through traffic from the point only 1:15 into the third. Brad Winchester and Rene Bourque scored just over a minute apart later on to make it a 6-0 game.
Winchester spun around in front of the net and slid the puck through Hell for the power play goal and Bourque tallied one of the prettiest goals of the season when he got his own rebound and while skating backwards, flipped the puck over the sprawling goaltender. A.J. Degenhardt scored the final goal of the evening when he one-timed a pass from Adam Burish through the legs of Hell.
The win raised Wisconsin's exhibition record to 3-21-2 all-time and was the Badgers' first ever victory over an international opponent in an exhibition game.
Wisconsin will have the next two weekends off and returns to action on Dec. 29 and 30 in the Bank One Badger Hockey Showdown at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. The Badgers play Colgate on the first night with the face-off scheduled for 8:05 p.m. while Harvard and Northern Michigan play at 5:05 p.m. in the second game. On Dec. 30, the consolation game takes place at 5:05 p.m. with the championship game set for 8:05 p.m.
