Badgers Advance to NCAA Championship Game
April 06, 2006 | Men's Hockey
Junior Brian Elliott made 31 saves while Robbie Earl scored two goals, including the game-winner, to lead the Wisconsin men's hockey team past Maine 5-2 Thursday night in the second NCAA Semifinal at the Bradley Center.
The Badgers (29-10-3 overall) will meet Boston College in their first NCAA Championship Game since 1992 in search of the program's sixth national title.
Elliott (Newmarket, Ontario) earned his 26th win of the season despite seeing his school and league record shutout streak snapped at 269:52. That total included 188:47 of NCAA tournament action.
Earl (Los Angeles) scored his 22nd and 23rd goals of the season to tie Joe Pavelski (Plover, Wis.) for the team goal-mscoring lead. Earl also added an assist to push his season point total to 49. With one more point for Earl, he and Pavelski would become the first UW 50-point tandem since Dany Heatley and Steve Reinprecht did so in 1999-2000.
On the other end, Ben Bishop made 34 saves for the Black Bears, who finished the season with a record of 28-12-2.
Captain Adam Burish (Madison, Wis.) opened the scoring for the Badgers 10:11 into the first period. Pavelski picked up a turnover in the offensive zone and made a quick pass to Burish. The two skated in on a 2-on-1 and Burish saw his attempted pass back to Pavelski deflect off of a Maine defender and past Bishop. Earl also added an assist on Burish's ninth goal of the season.
Maine tied the game with 2:23 left in the first when Michel Leveille 's shot deflected off of a UW skate and into the net.
UW went back out in front 4:18 into the second. Playing shorthanded, Ross Carlson (Duluth, Minn.) stole the puck from a Maine defenseman on the blue line and carried it up ice. The junior then cut around a Black Bear at the left circle, regained possession of the puck and ripped a slap shot under Bishop. The unassisted goal was Carlson 's first career shorthanded goal.
Earl opened up a 3-1 lead less than four minutes later. Burish made a quick pass to Earl in the neutral zone to spring them on a 2-on-1. Earl carried it into the zone and fired a wrist shot past Bishop for a power-play goal that proved to be the game-winner.
The Black Bears cut the lead to one goal 11:29 into the third period when Mike Lundin beat Elliott high to the glove side for his third goal of the season.
However, Wisconsin responded just 57 seconds later. Freshman Ben Street (Coquitlam, British Columbia) put a shot on Bishop and then finally knocked in the second rebound for his 10th goal of the season. Carlson and Jack Skille (Madison, Wis.) earned assists on the play.
Earl closed out the scoring with an empty-net goal with 1:44 left in regulation. Sophomore Josh Engel (Rice Lake, Wis.) added an assist to give him two in as many games.
The Badgers finished the game 1-for-6 on the power play while the Black Bears were 0-for-7. Coming into Thursday's game, Maine had scored on 22.5% of its power plays.
Wisconsin will face Boston College in the NCAA Championship Game Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Bradley Center. ESPN will provide live television coverage around the country as the Badgers go for their sixth national championship and first since 1990. Wisconsin also won titles in 1973, 1977, 1981 and 1983.
