MADISON, Wis. — In 2016-17, the Wisconsin Badgers were one of the NCAA’s top offensive teams. This season, expect more of the same thanks to dynamic freshman forward Linus Weissbach.
In his first collegiate game, the Gothenburg, Sweden, native scored a pair of goals, carrying the 12th-ranked Badgers to a 3-2 win over Michigan Tech in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game Sunday at the Kohl Center.
“What a great start for Linus,” Wisconsin coach Tony Granato said. “He’s got breakaway speed, great hands and is a good competitor for a smaller guy. He got two huge goals tonight and two goals on plays that not many players make. He’s going to be an exciting player for us and it was a big night for him.”
Five minutes after Will Johnson opened the scoring for Wisconsin, Weissbach got his first NCAA goal on a power play. Sneaking in from the left point, the freshman forward took a shot that was blocked by Huskies defenseman Mitch Reinke. Weissbach collected the carom and quickly ripped a shot over Huskies junior goaltender Patrick Munson’s right shoulder.
“It was great to start off the season with a win and also to get a goal there in the first period,” Weissbach said.
After Michigan Tech cut the lead to one in second period, Weissbach restored the two-goal lead at 3-1 on a three-on-one rush. Badgers senior forward Ryan Wagner’s saucer pass found the 2017 Buffalo draft pick in the slot. He then waited out Munson to find a gaping net over his left shoulder.
“It was a great play by Wags there as he made a great pass,” Weissbach said. “I saw the goalie sliding over and I just tried to shoot as fast as I could [the other way].”
Granato credited Wagner with a great setup on the game-winning goal.
“Wags made that play by slowing it down and making a great saucer pass right into Linus’ wheelhouse,” Granato said. “Linus positioned himself well and made it hard for the goalie by shooting back to the weak side.”
Making his first start for the Badgers, senior goaltender Kyle Hayton, who transferred from St. Lawrence in the offseason, made 20 saves for the win.
“It was great to start the season with a battle,” Hayton said. “This game will pay off for us later on in the playoffs.”
Munson, who like Hayton was a transfer in the offseason (from Denver after a prior stint with Vermont), made 24 saves in the loss.
“I thought we were good tonight, even with the loss,” Huskies forward Jake Lucchini said. “After the first period, I thought we settled down and played pretty well.”
Facing 2-0 and 3-1 deficits in the second period, the Huskies made things interesting with a pair of power-play goals.
Tech’s top returning scorer Joel L’Esperance picked up the Huskies’ first tally of season, catching a 150-foot stretch pass from defenseman Mark Auk before ripping a shot over Hayton’s right shoulder. The goal made it 2-1 with just over five minutes to play in the second period.
Lucchini cut the Badgers’ lead to 3-2 late in the second period, cutting in from the left side of Hayton and sneaking a short-side shot under the goalies arm.
“We came back when we needed to and that says a lot about our team,” Lucchini said. “It shows that we have confidence in ourselves coming into this building and playing on the big rink.”
Johnson’s first goal of the season for Wisconsin came after junior forward Seamus Malone wrapped the puck around to the left side of Munson. The Badgers junior forward banged home the rebound over Munson’s left leg pad to give Wisconsin the early 1-0 edge just under six minutes into the game.
The Badgers will host Ohio State to open Big Ten play next week, while Michigan Tech will continue non-conference play against Union in the Ice Breaker Tournament.
“It was a pretty solid game for us and it was very hard fought,” Granato said. “It wasn’t the Picasso that everybody would like, but I did like a lot of things that happened for us with Big Ten play starting next week.”
Legendary Boston University coach Jack Parker, Gold-Medal winning U.S. Women’s Olympic Hockey coach Ben Smith, all-time winningest American-born NHL coach Ron Wilson, 17-year NHL veteran Scott Young and longtime NHL referee Kevin Collins made up the 2017 class of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. A formal induction ceremony will take place on Dec. 13 at the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel.
