MADISON – For now, it might be best to reintroduce the Wisconsin men's hockey team.
The Badgers haven't played a game since March 10. That means 18 days will pass until they face defending national champion Quinnipiac in the NCAA regional semifinals on Friday at 4:30 p.m. at Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island.
Every other team in the region played last weekend. That's the disadvantage of losing in Week 1 of the Big Ten playoffs.
Wisconsin (26-11-2) gets its 27th win.th They will be entering the tournament looking for their first win since defeating RIT in the 2010 national semifinals.
Here's what you need to know:
How can I watch the Wisconsin-Owinnipiac NCAA Men's Hockey Regional Game?
The game will be televised on ESPNEWS and streamed on ESPN+. You can listen to the radio broadcast on the Badgers app or the Varsity Sports app.
How was Quinnipiac doing this season?
The Bobcats (26-9-2) won their fourth consecutive ECAC hockey regular season title, but lost to St. Lawrence in the semifinals of the conference tournament on Friday. The team ranks second in the nation in defensive scoring with an average of 1.95 goals per game and fourth in offensive scoring with an average of 4.14 goals per game. The Bobcats are just one of two teams in the nation to rank in the top five in both categories.
How good is Quinnipiac's Colin Graf?
The junior forward is aiming for his second consecutive All-American appearance. He has already finished in the Hobey Baker Top 10 for two consecutive seasons. He ranks fourth in the nation with .69 points per game and seventh with 1.50 points per game.
Who is the other biggest threat in the Bobcats' offense?
Wisconsin goaltender Kyle McClellan leads the nation with a save percentage of .931. Besides Graf, who poses the biggest threat to him and the rest of the Badgers' defense? The Bobcats have three other players with 30 or more points: junior Jacob Killan (44 points); – 15 goals, 29 assists), freshman Mason Marcellus (36 – 14 goals, 22 assists) and sophomore Sam Lipkin (35 – 15 goals, 20 assists). Another Quinnipiac player, freshman Andon Cervone (12 goals, 12 assists), has scored more than 10 goals.
Quinnipiac has suffered many close losses.
Quinnipiac is ranked No. 8 in this week's USCHO poll and would have been ranked higher had it not been for a string of close losses. They lost by one point to No. 1 Boston College, New Hampshire, No. 6 Maine, No. 2 Boston, Colgate, No. 12 Cornell, and Clarkson. Games against BC, New Hampshire, Maine and Clarkson were lost in overtime. Boston scored three points in the final 12 and a half minutes to erase a two-goal deficit and win 3-2.
If Wisconsin wins, which team will they face next?
Providence's other half includes top-ranked Boston College and Michigan Technological University. If the Badgers win, they will play one of those teams on Sunday at 3 p.m.
BC won the Hockey East regular season and tournament titles. The University of Wisconsin defeated Michigan Tech on October 20th and 21st. The Huskies finished tied for second in the CCHA, but defeated regular-season champion Bemidji State in the conference championship game to earn the league's automatic tournament berth.
