Varsity is the free Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics, covering Badgers football, basketball, hockey and more each week.
Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/284355
48 // VARSITY March 27, 2014 T he Badgers were announced as the No. 1 seed for the NCAA Midwest Regional on Twitter an hour before the selection show aired Sun- day on ESPNU. Wisconsin knew its seed and that it would travel to Cincinnati for its regional semifinal but didn't know its opponent. An hour later, the Badgers gathered to learn they'd be facing ― guess who? ― North Dakota at U.S. Bank Arena in what will be the third meeting between the schools in the NCAA tournament. "I know they were excited about (making the tour- nament), and the next thing we knew was that we were going to play them," Simonelli said. "It's ironic, but we are excited to play them." So the Badgers get a ― very ― familiar foe as they look to advance to their 12th Frozen Four. "It's different from last year when we played a Hockey East team that we didn't know much about," McCabe said. "With a team like North Dakota, they are very similar to us. We have seen them so many years in the WCHA and they are a big-time rival. We know what to expect. They are going to play hard, they get pucks to the net and they have a good goaltender. They have good all-around players, just like us. "It will be a hard-fought game. We have to bring our hard hats." While the rivalry sat on the shelf during the regular season, it certainly hasn't collected any dust in the Badgers' minds. "We know their tendencies" Mersch said. "From doing the video on them the past two years, I have a good idea about what they do and that's fresh in my head. We are familiar with them, and that the main thing that will help us win against them." The Badgers hold a slight edge in an evenly- matched series, as UW has a 14-13-1 record against North Dakota with Eaves and UND head coach Dave Hakstol behind the benches. "They haven't changed in the 12 years we have been here," Eaves remarked. "They are go- ing to play hard, they are going to play physical and they are going to play with pace." Friday's contest marks the 164th game be- tween the two squads, the fourth-most played rivalry in program history. All-time, the Bad- gers lead the series 86-65-12. "Going back to my playing days, there have been great hockey games and great emotion over the years in the series," Eaves said. One of the most memorable incidents during the series occurred just a few years after Eaves' play- ing career. In with the famed "Water Bottle Game" in 1982 as a brawl broke out between the two teams on the Badgers' bench, helping ignite an already intense rivalry between the two teams. "Even though we are not in the same conference, there will always be those memories of what we have been through together," Mersch said. "It has been heated to say the least and we are looking for- ward to keeping that spark going." The flames will keep burning beyond this year, as the two teams are scheduled to face each other in up- coming seasons. Wisconsin will host UND next year at the Kohl Center before traveling to Grand Forks during the 2015-16 season. For now, the Badgers are focused on the task at hand ― advancing in the NCAA tournament against one of their biggest rivals. "I remember last year we had a couple scrums against them," McCabe said. "The blood is boiling, es- pecially when there is an NCAA tournament at stake. We want to advance, they want to advance and we aren't done playing hockey yet. "It starts this Friday."