The biggest story in college hockey this week is right here in the Big Ten: Wisconsin is the No. 1 team in the country for the first time since the USCHO.com 2005-06 preseason poll.
While it’s been 18 years since the Badgers sat in that spot, it took Wisconsin less than a month to go from being noticed to being really, really seen.
The Badgers first received votes in the poll Oct. 16. The following week, they entered the rankings at No. 14. At the end of October, they were No. 5.
Last week, they were No. 3. This week, the Badgers are first in the nation with 32 No. 1 votes. That’s quite a feat after a bye week, too. Wisconsin hasn’t played since sweeping Michigan Nov. 3-4.
So what does Wisconsin make of this newfound recognition?
“As I’ve told the guys, when you have a peak appreciate it, but understand what it is,” said Wisconsin coach Mike Hastings. “It’s a moment. Being where we’re at in the polls doesn’t give us a goal lead, doesn’t give us an opportunity to be ahead in a game.”
At 9-1-0, the Badgers are off to their best start since 1999-2000, a season they began with a 10-1-0 record. Heading to East Lansing this weekend to play No. 11 Michigan State, Wisconsin is 4-0-0 in the Big Ten with that home sweep of Michigan and a road sweep of then-No. 1 Minnesota Oct. 26-27. Wisconsin’s only loss came to North Dakota in the title game of the Ice Breaker Tournament Oct. 14.
Hastings said that in the early part of the season, he and his staff have “leaned on” some of the more experienced players in the locker room, and that has helped the team keep perspective.
“They understand that your season’s a work in progress,” said Hastings. “You usually break it down into three parts – your first half, your second half and knock on wood, your postseason. Our guys have done a good job in the last month working on their dailies, and I haven’t seen that change so far.”
Although the Badgers have earned this recognition with their solid start, their position at the top of the poll is tied at least in part to the way other teams in the top 10 have fared recently. Boston College, who spent two weeks at No. 1, lost to and tied Maine last week and dropped to No. 4. Denver was No. 2 last week and is now third after having split with Arizona State.
Throughout the first month of the season, there’s been significant movement throughout the poll and quite a bit of shifting in the top 10. This week, while six of the Big Ten’s seven teams are ranked in the top 20, only Wisconsin and No. 6 Minnesota remain in the top 10. Michigan dropped from No. 8 to No. 12 following a home loss to and tie against Minnesota.
Hastings understands how quickly things can change. Of the ranking he said, “First of all, we respect it and we appreciate it, but just like with anything else, you have a really good weekend, you’d better reset in a hurry because that doesn’t set you up for any more opportunity for success or less.”
When the Badgers play the Spartans this weekend, they’ll do so after a bye week while Michigan State (8-3-1) got the best of Penn State last weekend with a tie and a win. Hastings said that Wisconsin used the bye week to recover from some injury and to breathe a little after an opening month that included a six-game road stretch.
“We wanted to give our guys an opportunity either to catch up or get ahead on the academic calendar, and then give some guys some rest that needed some rest,” said Hastings. “We did that through that week and then we picked up our week here on Monday morning, and from that point on, workouts and through two practices the guys have done a really good job of getting right back on the horse.
“We’ll learn a little bit more come Friday and Saturday on how we managed our week off, but from a coaching standpoint so far the guys have reacted very well to the week that we had previous to this and then resetting and getting back on it here on Monday.”
Now that the Badgers have had some time to look back on their series against Minnesota and Michigan, Hastings said that one area where Wisconsin would like to improve is in front of its own net. Kyle McClellan (.929 SV%, 1.79 GAA) has been outstanding in net, but he can’t do it all by himself.
“Defending a little bit better in front of our own net and being better off the rush, offensively,” said Hastings, “those are two things that I think were important for us over break to try and tidy up a little bit.”
McClellan has been especially good, said Hastings, at turning back multiple assaults on the same play.
“To me, it’s Kyle maybe making that second save and then us getting back with numbers and trying to get back inside those guys offensively and not give them that third one,” said Hastings. “I also think we’ve been a little fortunate, whether it’s a post, whether it’s somebody shooting the puck wide which I think can be influenced by pressure.”
Hastings said that Michigan State will be “dialed in” and knows that Wisconsin needs to “not take a long time to get up to speed” after its bye week.
“I’ve been on the other side of that where we’ve hosted a No. 1 team coming in and I can tell you as an opposing coach, it sharpens your pencil and it makes sure you’re on point,” said Hastings. “I’m just assuming we’re going to get State’s best and we’re going to have to be really good if we want to get any points out of this weekend.”
Wisconsin’s start has created a buzz amplified by the start of the women’s team, which is also ranked No. 1 in the USCHO.com poll this week after beginning their season 12-0-0. Hastings said that the men’s team has been “chasing” the success of the women’s team “since Day 1.”
“The history and what Mark [Johnson] has done and what the program here is on the women’s side really is unprecedented, what they do on a consistent basis,” said Hastings. “To be able to share that position in a poll at this time, I think it’s unique.”
Hastings is keenly aware of how hungry Wisconsin fans are for a good season from the men’s team. He said that when the opening night against Augustana drew 10,000 fans and 2,000 more came for the following game, he began to see how eager fans are to support the Badgers.
The support “came in a hurry,” said Hastings.
“We also want to make sure it doesn’t go away in a hurry,” he said. “The only way we make that happen is really if we stay on pace with what we get to control. We’re looking for people who are with us in the peaks and the valleys. Our job is to try and make sure we’re driving and putting on a product that they can be proud of. The guys have done a good job on that.”
That product, said Hastings, is a kind of hockey that reflects an attitude that Badgers fans value.
“Whether we’d have won those last two games we played [against Michigan] at home or not, I thought the guys have done a good job at going out and competing and playing for each other and playing a brand of hockey that I think is pretty selfless,” Hastings said.
“If I’m somebody that’s buying a ticket, I want to win every single game, but I want to feel that those guys are going through the same thing, win or losing as far as the effort and the attitude with what they’re representing here at the University of Wisconsin.”
