Badger Hockey Showdown Set for Dec. 28-29
December 20, 2007 | Men's Hockey
The No. 13 University of Wisconsin men's hockey team (7-7-2, 4-5-1 WCHA) will host the 19th annual Badger Hockey Showdown on Dec. 28-29 to open up the second half of their 2007-08 season. The Badgers will be playing without three of their top five scorers, who are overseas skating in the 2008 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior Championships.
The Badgers will be without freshman Kyle Turris (Canada) and sophomores Blake Geoffrion (USA) and Jamie McBain (USA), who will be competing with their respective country 's team in the Czech Republic through Jan. 5.
Wisconsin will welcome Colgate (7-7-2, 1-3-2 ECAC Hockey), No. 11 Northeastern (7-4-2, 6-3-1 Hockey East) and No. 19 Bowling Green (8-6-0, 5-5-0 CCHA) to the Kohl Center for the Showdown next weekend.
The opening game of the tournament will showcase No. 11 Northeastern and No. 19 Bowling Green at 4 p.m. on Friday. The Northeastern Huskies will enter the Showdown riding an eight-game unbeaten streak (6-0-2), dating back to their 2-1 victory over then-No. 4 New Hampshire. Bowling Green had won seven of their last nine games, prior to facing CCHA leader Michigan, who has only fallen in one game this season. The Falcons last won the Badger Hockey Showdown in 1998.
In their first game of the tournament, the Badgers will face a familiar foe, Colgate University. Wisconsin battled Colgate in the 1990 NCAA championship game, where it downed the Raiders to win the national title. The Badgers most recently skated against Colgate in the 2002 Showdown, topping the Raiders to bring their all-time record against Colgate to 4-0-0.
Wisconsin has won nine of the 18 Showdown titles, most recently in 2005, where it defeated Northern Michigan in the championship game.
Saturday's second round games will have Colgate taking on either Northeastern or Bowling Green at 4 p.m., while Wisconsin will play the other of the two teams at 7 p.m. Both of Wisconsin's 7 p.m. games will be broadcasted live on My Madison TV and tape-delayed on Wisconsin Public Television.
Live stats can be followed on UWBADGERS.COM for all of the weekend's games. A live gameday blog will also be available for Wisconsin's games on both nights.
