Varsity - The Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics

Varsity - March 7, 2013

Varsity is the free Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics, covering Badgers football, basketball, hockey and more each week.

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VIDEO: THE 'WATER BOTTLE GAME' ed even did a story on them. Despite all of these sights and sounds, there was nothing that could top the squirt. Most will remember the Jan. 30, 1982 matchup between North Dakota and Wisconsin as the "Water Bottle Game." For the record, the Badgers won 3-0 behind the goaltending of Terry Kleisinger. Also for the record, UW defenseman Chris Chelios scored on what was estimated as a 190-foot slap shot from the right circle in his own defensive zone after Ken Keryluk won the draw. Chelios was just trying to clear the puck which took a number of zany bounces and skipped past goalie Jon Casey. But it was all overshadowed by the squirt from a water bottle; actually it was two squirts. After a third-period whistle, while the teams were in the process of a line change, North Dakota's Gord Sherven and Wisconsin's Bruce Driver began jawing at the blue line. Sherven's teammate, Cary Eades, joined the conversation and shoved Driver before the officials separated the players. As Eades skated past the Wisconsin bench, John Newberry squirted him with a water bottle. Eades stopped and Newberry squirted him again. An enraged Eades charged through the open gate on the bench and UW defenseman Pat Ethier welcomed him with a punch to the head. Game off, brawl on. Wisconsin sophomore winger Ted Pearson was not dressed for the Saturday night rematch because of a knee injury. But he was a central figure in the fracas that developed between the bench areas and moved down a hallway which led to one of the beer gardens in the Coliseum. North Dakota's Jim Archibald confronted Pearson, who grabbed his facemask and dragged him about 10 feet. Pearson remembered being knocked to the floor by one of Archibald's teammates. "When I got up,'' Pearson said, "a policeman was holding me and their trainer punched me in the face.'' Archibald then charged into the Badger bench and began swinging wildly at Newberry, who was being held back by UW trainer Denny Helwig. On the ice, North Dakota's Dan Brennan sucker-punched Steve McKenzie, who went down, popped back up and decked Brennan with a left hook. Order was eventually restored, but not before Archibald and a fan mixed it up over the Plexiglass and several UW players tossed North Dakota gloves into the stands. The WCHA suspended Newberry and Eades two games each. Archibald drew a fivegame suspension. By the way, Archibald, like Polich, skated off the Coliseum ice without his jersey. The Banshees howled long into the night. 19

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