54 // VARSITY March 20, 2014
What a difference a year
makes in league tourney
This year, Badgers comfortably in NCAA field
L
ast year at this time, the
Wisconsin men's hock-
key team was sitting out-
side the NCAA tournament,
looking in, as they prepared
for the 2013 WCHA Final Five.
They knew the only way
to continue their season was
to win their first conference
tournament since 1998. The
Badgers defied the odds and
did just that with victories on
three consecutive days to cap-
ture the Broadmoor Trophy.
Fast forward to 2014 and
the inaugral Big Ten tourna-
ment. This time around, the
Badgers are comfortably in
the NCAA tournament field,
no matter what kind of result
they produce. That doesn't
change the fact that the Bad-
gers want to win back-to-back
crowns for the first time since
1982 and '83.
A tournament title would
likely mean a No. 1 NCAA seed
and a trip to Cincinnati for the
Midwest Regional. It would
also mean more hardware to
add to the trophy case.
Whatever their fate this
weekend, the Badgers will sit
down in front of a television
on Sunday at 11 a.m., turn to
ESPNU and watch to see who
they will play in the first round
of the 2014 NCAA Tourna-
ment. That will get them one step clos-
er to the ultimate goal of playing at the
2014 NCAA Frozen Four in Philadelphia.
SIX BADGERS NAMED ALL-BIG TEN
● Led by first-teamers Mark Zengerle,
Michael Mersch and Jake McCabe, UW
hockey was well represented on the
inaugural All-Big Ten hockey teams.
Along with second-team picks Nic
Kerdiles, Frankie Simonelli and Joel
Rumpel, Wisconsin skaters made up
half of the 12-member All-Big Ten
squads.
SCHEDULE (22-10-2, 13-6-1-0)
LAST TIME OUT
March 14 at Michigan St. L, 5-4 (OT)
March 15 at Michigan St. W, 4-3
COMING UP
Friday Big Ten Semifinal 2 p.m.
Saturday Big Ten Final 7 p.m.
March 28 NCAA Regional TBD
March 29 NCAA Regional TBD
March 30 NCAA Regional TBD
INSIDE
MEN'S HOCKEY
BY PAUL CAPOBIANCO @BADGERMHOCKEY
