"There's no margin for
error,'' Rumpel said of the
Badgers' mission at the
WCHA Final Five. "We
can't lose any games or
we'll be looking at our
season ending.''
Sans tuque, Wisconsin will need that Rumpel
-- the Rumpel that stymied the Gophers -- against
Minnesota State in Thursday's quarterfinals of the
WCHA Final Five in St. Paul, Minn.
To stay alive for the NCAA tournament, the Badgers must get on a winning streak. "There's no
margin for error,'' Rumpel said. "We can't lose any
games or we'll be looking at our season ending.''
The Badgers skated themselves into this tenuous position by going 1-7-2 over the first 10 games.
Since then, they've been 18-5-5.
Rumpel's play has been a notable factor throughout the season.
Along with four shutouts, the third-highest single
season total in school history, Rumpel leads the
WCHA with a .932 save percentage in all games. He
has been particularly good of late.
Getting the starting call in the last six games,
Rumpel has responded by posting a 5-1 record with
a 2.01 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage. His timing couldn't have been better.
40 ยป VARSITY
MAR CH 21, 2013
"The more you play,'' said Rumpel, who has been
the goalie of record (13-8-4) in 25 of UW's 38 games,
"the more you start getting into a groove and the
more you start getting your rhythm.''
But he was quick to cite the important role that
Landon Peterson has played in giving the Badgers a
reliable tag-team in the crease. Peterson, a sophomore from Oregon, Wis., has a 6-4-3 mark.
"It's nice when you have two goalies who are playing well and your team has confidence in both,''
Rumpel said. "That was big for our team in turning
things around this season.
"It's a friendly competition. He's an amazing goaltender and he pushes me every day. I feel like I have
to push him as well. It's a good dynamic that we
have here.''
If there was a personal turning point, Rumpel felt
like it might have been a January showdown with
highly-touted Miami (Ohio) at the Kohl Center. He
had 26 saves in a 1-0 win and 30 in a 2-1 loss.
"I learned a lot that series,'' he said.
