Matt Hussey and Kent Davyduke each had a goal and an assist, and Graham Melanson made 26 saves as Wisconsin blanked host Michigan Tech 5-0 on Friday night.
It was the second consecutive shutout for Melanson and the Badgers, who blanked Umass-Amherst last Saturday.
After a scoreless first period in which Michigan Tech outshot Wisconsin 14-11, the Badgers (3-0-0, 1-0-0 WCHA) turned it up a notch and took control of the game in the second period.
“It’s the first time this year we’ve skated on a smaller ice sheet and it makes a difference,” Wisconsin coach Jeff Sauer said. “You’ve got to move the puck a little quicker and it’s a little more physical.”
Matt Doman gave the Badgers a 1-0 lead at 8:09 of the middle period with assists from Hussey and Jeff Dessner. Doman picked up the puck after it bounced off a stick laying at the side of the goal and beat Tech goaltender Brian Rogers with a wrist shot from close range.
Just 16 seconds later, Kent Davyduke gave Wisconsin a 2-0 lead when he scored unassisted.
“When we put the puck down low and started cycling, it was very difficult for them to get control,” Sauer said.
The third period proved to be more of the same as the Badgers controlled the flow of the game and added to their lead.
At the 8:30 mark, Brad Winchester gave Wisconsin a 3-0 lead when he buried a centering pass from Dany Heatley.
Dave Hergert then made it 4-0 with a power-play goal with 3:03 left in the game. Dan Boeser and Andy Wheeler were credited with the assists.
Then, with Erik Jensen in the penalty box serving a five-minute major for cross-checking, Davyduke set up Hussey for the game’s final goal.
Said Huskies’ coach Tim Watters: “I thought that we played a real solid first period. In the second period we stopped skating and we paid for it. We have to skate for a full 60 minutes.”
Wisconsin outshot Michigan Tech 43-26, including a 20-7 edge in the final period.
The two teams meet again on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. Eastern Time.
