Varsity Magazine - January 23, 2019

INFOCUS

OH, SAY CAN YOU SEE ...

National anthem singer Jim Cornelison wowed the United Center by belting out his famous rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner before the Badgers’ game on Sunday against Notre Dame in Chicago.

PHOTO BY PATRICK GORSKI

INFOCUS

COURT STORM The Badgers handed No. 2 Michigan its first loss of the 2018-19 season, which also led to the first court storm of the year at the Kohl Center on Saturday.

PHOTOS BY TOM LYNN

INFOCUS

DOES THIS BRING YOU JOY? Annie Pankowski, Kristen Campbell and Maddie Rolfes race together for a huge hug after the topranked Badgers earned a 2-1 road win at No. 2 Minnesota. It marked UW’s seventh win over the Golden Gophers in their last 10 meetings.

PHOTO BY BRAD REMPEL

INFOCUS

JUST SUPER Rob Havenstein and his Los Angeles Rams teammates are Super Bowlbound after a wild 26-23 win over the Saints in Sunday’s NFC Championship. Havenstein looks to become the 11th different Badger to win a Super Bowl ring over the last 10 seasons when he faces off with former UW teammate James White — already a two-time Super Bowl champ — and the Patriots on Feb. 3.

PHOTO BY DERICK E. HINGLE / USA TODAY SPORTS

INFOCUS

CRASHING THE NET Roman Ahcan gives Wisconsin a 2-1 lead at the United Center during a mad scramble at the Notre Dame net.

PHOTO BY PATRICK GORSKI

INFOCUS

OUTWORK ’EM Junior Mason Reinhardt has been impressive for the Badgers of late, winning by technical fall against Northwestern and winning seven of his last nine matches overall.

PHOTO BY LAUREN SANDERS

CONTENTS

JANUARY 23, 2019 ▪ VOLUME 9, ISSUE 20

DAVID STLUKA

30 FRESH FIREPOWER They’re just freshmen. But Britta Curl and Sophie Shirley have stepped up this season to create a scorching and formidable scoring line with teammate Abby Roque.

2

IN FOCUS

18 LUCAS AT LARGE 20 BY THE NUMBERS 22 WHAT TO WATCH

HARD TO COMPARE 18 LUCAS AT LARGE

DAVID STLUKA

FEATURES

We ask experts who senior forward Ethan Happ and his unique skill set compares to?

The answers might surprise you …

25 BADGERING 27 BADGERS GIVE BACK 29 VIRAL VIDEO 37 INSIDE BASKETBALL 41 INSIDE HOCKEY 45 INSIDE WRESTLING 47 INSIDE TRACK & FIELD 51 INSIDE TENNIS

45 BORDER BATTLE WRESTLING

No. 11 Wisconsin returns to the UW Field House for a Big Ten dual against No. 7 Minnesota on Friday.

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Wisconsin Athletic Communications Kellner Hall, 1440 Monroe St. Madison, WI 53711

VIEW ALL ISSUES Brian Lucas

Director of Athletic Communications

Jessica Burda

Director of Digital Content Managing Editor

Julia Hujet

Editor/Designer

Brian Mason

Editor/Contributor

Mike Lucas

Senior Writer

Andy Baggot Writer

Chris Hall, Jerry Mao, Bianca Miceli, Brandon Spiegel Video Production

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Drew Pittner-Smith Distribution

Contributors

Paul Capobianco, Kelli Grashel, A.J. Harrison, Brandon Harrison, Patrick Herb, Diane Nordstrom Photography

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VarsityMag@UWBadgers.com Š 2019 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.

All rights reserved worldwide.

17

LUCAS AT LARGE

BY MIKE LUCAS ▪ UWBADGERS.COM

We ask the experts: Who’s Ethan Happ like?

V

isualize a split-screen. On one side is do-it-all Ethan Happ, a 6-foot-10 outlier with the ball skills of a guard; a point forward with relentless energy from baseline to baseline; an accomplished scorer in the paint with either hand; a sturdy rebounder; an adept, willing passer; a Player of the Year candidate.

On the other side of the splitscreen is …

Who compares to Happ? Who plays the way he plays? Who can pull down a rebound and lead the fast-break at his size? Who passes so fluidly out of the post and double-teams? Who scores from such a small radius around the rim? Who has his footwork?

Who pivots and plays the angles like Happ?

The answer is …

Before he did, he raved about Happ. So, did Gottlieb. Both have played the game. Both have years of experience covering hoops. Both are color analysts: Dakich for ESPN, Gottlieb for Fox Sports. Both are sports talk show hosts. Both have strong opinions and aren’t shy about expressing them.

Gottlieb, 43, got the first crack at identifying someone with a comparable playing style to Happ. As a collegian, Gottlieb was a pass-first point guard for one season at Notre Dame and three at Oklahoma State.

He couldn’t shoot, but he could distribute. He had 947 assists in 124 career games.

“Honestly, this is going to sound weird,” Gottlieb said, “some of his ability to get the ball and spin and understand

DAVID STLUKA

18

“Wow ... That’s a great question,” Doug Gottlieb said hesitantly. “A guy who plays like that?”

After pondering some possibilities, he conceded, “I don’t know. It’s a tough one.”

The same question — “Who’s opposite Happ on the splitscreen?” — was posed to Dan Dakich.

“I don’t know if I’ve seen anybody like him,” he flat-out admitted.

Gottlieb and Dakich were here Saturday to work the Michigan-Wisconsin game at the Kohl Center. Both eventually came up with answers that were surprising. Dakich even couched his reply, “This is a stupid comparison, but I’m going to tell you somebody and you’re going to think I’m nuts.”

angles is a lot like Chris Webber … Obviously, Chris Webber was a more explosive athlete. But he was a remarkable ball-handler for his size. And that’s what Ethan is.

“People think of ball-handling as going through your legs … ball-handling is the ability to handle the ball and make a play for yourself or for others. And he (Happ) has that … Chris is one of the most underrated passers by my estimation in the history of basketball.

“I would actually say that there’s a little bit of Chris Webber in Ethan Happ.”

Webber, the former Michigan first-team All-American and Fab Five alum, was about the same height and 10 pounds heavier than Happ. During his two college seasons, Webber averaged a double-double: 17 points, 10 rebounds. He had 90 assists as a sophomore and went on to a 15-year NBA career.

In the same breath, Gottlieb suggested there was a “little Vlade” in Happ’s game. Not the flopping Vlade Divac, a 7-1, 243-pound center. But the sweet passing Divac who accounted for over 13,000 points, 9,000 rebounds and 3,000 assists during his 16 seasons in the league.

Happ is crafty, not a dunker.

“But there are a lot of guys who play below the rim,” Gottlieb said.

From an offensive standpoint with his back to the basket, Happ gets maximum use out of his pivot foot, a lost art in many cases, according to Gottlieb.

“I don’t know if intuitively he understands or has been taught the angles in using his body and the rim to protect him from shot blockers,” he offered.

But it’s part of his arsenal, he agreed. Pointing out his own older brother, Gregg, is an Oregon State assistant, Gottlieb cited the thread between Happ and the Beavers 6-8, 225-pound redshirt junior, Tres Tinkle, whose dad, Wayne, is the head coach. The younger Tinkle is averaging 20 points and 8 rebounds.

“HAPP ISN’T A PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN,” BEILEIN SAID. “HE’S A POSTSEASON ALL-AMERICAN.” “These two are the best pivoters in college basketball,” Gottlieb said. “I coach my son and I coach youth basketball and we work on pivoting all the time.

Now in basketball everything is taught off the dribble and we lose part of the pivoting piece.

There’s a little bit of a throwback in that.”

The nuances of pivot play and the footwork involved is not limited to post-ups. “John Beilein’s perimeter guys pivot like him (Happ), it just doesn’t end up with the same result,” Dakich said. “If you watch how they hand off and what they do (at Michigan), they’re fantastic on the perimeter.”

As an Indiana player, and assistant, Dakich was schooled in the fundamentals by Bobby

Knight. Later, he taught those same principles as Bowling Green’s head coach for a decade.

“The poster child for everybody who talks about offensive post play and footwork,” he said, “is Kevin McHale.”

ESPN’s Jay Bilas was the first to compare Happ’s footwork to McHale’s.

“McHale-esque,” Bilas tweeted, “without the McHale shooting touch.”

Before the Michigan game, Dakich revealed that Happ was a main topic with his TV team: play-by-play man Jason Benetti and their producers and directors. They debated whether he has a future in the NBA. “My thing is,” Dakich said, “I’m not going to say he can, I’m not going to say he can’t.”

But he’s a realist. “The game has become such a stretch-4, even stretch-5 thing,” he said.

Comparisons can be problematic. “You always want to go, ‘Who looks like a guy, right?’” said Dakich, 56. “There was a kid who played 100 years ago and he ended up playing in the NBA for a long time. Ryan Bowen from Iowa. He’s the closest I’ve seen to Happ whose numbers are astronomical.”

The 6-9 Bowen played for the Hawkeyes from 1994 to 1998 and was Denver’s second-round pick. As a senior, he averaged 14 points, 9 rebounds, 2.5 assists.

Taking another stab at the question — if Happ is on one side of the split screen, who’s on the other? – Dakich said, “I’m going back to the ’80s.”

Click to read more »

19

We didn’t invent the term “gemutlicHKeit” but we did perfect it.

Welcome to a state of gemutlichkeit.

BY THE NUMBERS

9

MEN’S BASKETBALL ▶ The Badgers picked up their ninth win against a top-10 team at the Kohl Center since the 2009-10 season thanks to their 64-54 win over No. 2 Michigan on Saturday.

DARREN LEE

DAVID STLUKA

39

◀ WOMEN’S HOCKEY The Badgers enter their weekend series against St. Cloud State with a 17-game winning streak against the Huskies, winning 39 of their last 40 meetings.

FOOTBALL ▼ With the Rams’ Rob Havenstein and the Patriots’ James White set for Super Bowl LIII, Wisconsin will be represented in the big game for the 10th consecutive season. White is making his fourth Super Bowl appearance in five pro seasons and is in search of a third championship.

5 10

▲ WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD Senior Banke Oginni holds the No. 5 mark in the NCAA in the weight throw at 71-1 1/2. She’s one of three Badgers to hold top-10 NCAA spots, along with teammates Alicia Monson (1st, mile) and Alissa Niggeman (10th, mile).

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WHAT TO WATCH

RIVAL ICE

MEN’S HOCKEY AT MINNESOTA FRIDAY, JANUARY 25 ▪ 7PM MINNEAPOLIS ▪ FOX SPORTS WIS. PLUS

PATRICK GORSKI

Wisconsin travels west to face Big Ten rival Minnesota for a Friday-Saturday series in Minneapolis. The puck drops for both games at 7 p.m. Watch Friday’s action on FOX Sports Wisconsin Plus, while Saturday’s game will air on FOX Sports Wisconsin.

CAGE THE ’CATS

MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. NORTHWESTERN SATURDAY, JANUARY 26 ▪ 1:15PM KOHL CENTER ▪ BTN

DAVID STLUKA

Wisconsin returns home to play Northwestern on Saturday at 1:15 p.m. If you can’t be part of the lively sold-out Kohl Center crowd, watch it live on Big Ten Network.

DARREN LEE

YOU GO, GIRL!

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS. NEBRASKA SUNDAY, JANUARY 27 ▪ 2PM KOHL CENTER ▪ BTN PLUS Celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day as Wisconsin welcomes Nebraska to the Kohl Center on Sunday.

Watch the game streamed live on BTN Plus ($) at 2 p.m. CT.

buy tickets 22

WHAT TO WATCH WEDNESDAY 1/23 MEN’S BASKETBALL at Illinois Champaign, Ill. 8 p.m.

Watch: BTN

THURSDAY 1/24 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Penn State Madison, Wis. 7 p.m.

Watch: BTN Plus Buy tickets »

FRIDAY 1/25

SATURDAY 1/26

WOMEN’S TENNIS vs. Nebraska-Omaha Madison, Wis. Noon

MEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Northwestern Madison, Wis. 1:15 p.m.

Watch: BTN SOLD OUT

WOMEN’S TENNIS vs. Illinois-Chicago Madison, Wis. 5 p.m.

MEN’S TENNIS vs. DePaul Madison, Wis. 6 p.m.

WOMEN’S HOCKEY vs. St. Cloud State Madison, Wis. 7 p.m.

Watch: BTN Plus SOLD OUT View more 1/25 events »

SUNDAY 1/27 WOMEN’S TENNIS vs. Colorado State Madison, Wis. 11 a.m.

MEN’S TENNIS vs. Northern Illinois Madison, Wis. 2 p.m.

MONDAY 1/28

TUESDAY 1/29 MEN’S BASKETBALL at Nebraska Lincoln, Neb. 7 p.m.

Watch: BTN

WOMEN’S HOCKEY vs. St. Cloud State Madison, Wis. 6 p.m.

Watch: BTN Plus SOLD OUT MEN’S HOCKEY at Minnesota Minneapolis 7 p.m.

Watch: Fox Sports Wisconsin

View more 1/26 events »

WEDNESDAY 1/30 MEN’S TENNIS vs. Chicago State Madison, Wis. 5:30 p.m.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Nebraska Madison, Wis. 2 p.m.

Watch: BTN Plus Buy tickets »

ALL TIMES CENTRAL

VIEW FULL CALENDAR ON UWBADGERS.COM »

23

STAY CENTERED

Underground parking and game day transportation.

1 W Dayton St • Madison, WI 53703 | 800 356 8293 | concoursehotel.com

BADGERING...

ZACH LORBECK

REDSHIRT JUNIOR MULTI-EVENTS ▪ GREEN BAY, WIS.

WALT MIDDLETON

How did you get involved in multi-events?

“In high school, I kind of did a little bit of everything. As I got closer to looking at colleges, my coaches started asking me if I wanted to do the decathlon. They explained to me what it was and I thought it would be interesting.”

Favorite and least favorite event in the multis?

“High jump is probably my favorite. The 1500 is definitely my least favorite.”

What are some of your goals for this track season?

“I would like to score at the Big Ten meet and the NCAA meet during the indoor and outdoor seasons.”

Last year you competed at the NCAA indoor championships in the heptathlon. How will that experience help you this year?

“I think it will help a lot. I was a little shell shocked last year and I got away from what I was doing well.

I think just having that experience of competing with all of those guys in the competition will really help me this year.”

Who do you look up to most on the team?

“Right now, probably Trent Nytes. He is one of our captains this year. We both have a lot of similarities in our events, even through high school. I probably look up to him the most, followed by Zach Ziemek. He helped me a lot too. I probably look up to those two more than anyone.”

You’re majoring in kinesiology, how did you pick that major and what are your career aspirations?

“After I am done, I want to go to physical therapy school. Kinesiology is kind of a stepping stone for me in that. I have always been very interested in the human body and how it moves. With the different injuries I have gone through, I’ve gone through PT and it made me want to do that.”

Why did you choose to become a Badger?

“I have been a Wisconsin fan my whole life. When I had the opportunity to actually compete here, it was more or less a no-brainer for me. The academic part of it too, they had exactly what I wanted to do. It was kind of a perfect fit.” ▪

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BADGERS GIVE BACK SPOTLIGHT

badgers give back

A Splash of Color

Young patients become artists with the Badgers

BY BADGERS GIVE BACK STAFF

“

L

a vie en rose” … and blue, and green and yellow!

The Wisconsin wrestling team visited patients at the American Family Children’s Hospital recently to help with a project, an art project to be exact.

Hospital tools are often times frightening for children undergoing treatment and a reminder of pain. Fortunately, this art activity teaches kids that syringes and needles don’t have to be so scary. Hues of purple, red, blue and green splatter against canvases as syringes transform into paint brushes to create beautiful paintings that brighten any hospital room.

“Every month, teams travel to the American Family Children’s Hospital to paint with patients,” said Wisconsin Athletics’ Director of Community Relations, Jackie Davenport. “We can see the immediate impact of how this adds comfort during their stay and brightens their day.”

As soon as the wrestlers arrived, they imme-

diately got to painting. To start, the Badgers dressed in shoe coverings, scrubs and goggles.

Once they sat in the hot seat holding a canvas, patients were given the green light. With the help of other teammates, patients then shot paint-filled syringes at the UW student-athlete, creating a masterpiece both on the canvas and their face.

“I love seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces,” added freshman wrestler Jeremy Schoenherr.

“Accidentally, which might not be accidental, [patients] missed the canvas and got paint on my teammates, giving us all a laugh.”

Cole Martin added, “Sometimes, it’s difficult to find things to smile about when you’re staying in the hospital, so bringing a smile to their faces, laughs and just partaking in a fun activity makes it all worth it.”

This event reminds us all to live life with a splash of color.

To learn more about Badgers Give Back, visit UWBadgers.com/BadgersGiveBack. ▪

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VIRAL VIDEO

DARREN LEE

WISCONSIN BASKETBALL VS. MICHIGAN CINEMATIC LOOKBACK UP NEXT:

BADGERS SKATE TO 2-2 TIE WITH NOTRE DAME AT THE UNITED CENTER

THANK YOU, FROM ISAAC SCHLENKER

FOLLOW THE BADGERS â–¶ 29

DAVID STLUKA

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addie Rolfes has quietly become one of the most experienced, productive and reliable defensemen to play for the Wisconsin women’s hockey team.

She’s on pace to exceed 60 points and 150 games in her career, both top-10 worthy among blue-liners in program history.

She’s also compiled a plus-128 rating, which is just three off the all-time best plus-minus total for a defender at Wisconsin.

So when Rolfes weighs in on the work of two freshman wingers, Britta Curl and Sophie Shirley, her words carry a lot of weight.

Curl and Shirley are gifted rookies who appear to have found a home working alongside junior center Abby Roque.

The three have been line-mates for 16 games now, combining for 19 goals and 43 points.

Curl, the left winger from Bismarck, North Dakota, has 12 conversions overall, 10 since she was elevated from the fourth line to join the Roque unit. Shirley, the right winger from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, has 13 goals overall, eight since the threesome was formed on Oct. 27. Roque, the center from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, leads the Badgers in scoring with 27

DAVID STLUKA

M

DAVID STLUKA

BRITTA CURL

SOPHIE SHIRLEY

points, including a team-best 21 assists.

Rolfes, a fifth-year senior, has gone head-tohead with Olympic-caliber players in practices and games throughout her college career. She said the Roque line is formidable despite its youth.

“I would not want to be a defenseman out there having to play against them with that kind of chemistry,” Rolfes said. “They have the best chemistry. They’re really good together.”

What does good chemistry look like?

“It’s how personalities mesh together and, for some reason, those three just click really well, especially Sophie and Britta,” Rolfes said.

“They’re like sisters on the ice. They just know where the other will be.

“They have so much fun and they’re so light and care-free out there. They never get down about mistakes, which is really cool because that’s rare, and they all support each other.”

Roque was hoping Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson would allow her to work on the same line with the two newcomers.

“They don’t look like freshmen on the ice,” Roque said. “They know exactly what they’re doing.”

“

“THEY HAVE SO MUCH FUN AND THEY’RE SO LIGHT AND CARE-FREE OUT THERE. THEY NEVER GET DOWN ABOUT MISTAKES, WHICH IS REALLY COOL BECAUSE THAT’S RARE, AND THEY ALL SUPPORT EACH OTHER.” Curl and Shirley have different strengths, but much in common.

Curl is fourth on the team with 84 shots on goal, which gets right to the heart of her most prominent feature.

“She gets in the right spots to get shots,” Roque said. “They’re hard shots and she puts them away.”

Shirley, meanwhile, is not only fleet, she’s got matching dexterity, which helps explain why she’s second on the team in goals behind senior winger Annie Pankowski (15).

“She doesn’t have to work hard to go fast,” Roque said. “She’s very fluid with her movement, fluid with the puck. When she has speed with the puck, she really puts our line together because she’s a real danger.”

Add Roque, the reigning Western Collegiate Hockey Association Offensive Player of the Year who led the Badgers in points as a sophomore, and you have a tantalizing mix of muscle, quickness and tenacity.

“If you’re open,” Curl said of Roque, “she’s going to get you the puck.”

Roque plays a heavy game and is at her best controlling the puck in traffic and along the wall, forcing defenders to chase, battle and wilt. She then exploits breakdowns with deft passes and creative playmaking.

“When you’re out there together it seems like you’ve been playing together for a lot of years,” Curl said.

“Me and Britta, once we got together, we just found that chemistry, which is pretty cool,” Shirley said. “The same thing with Abby as well.”

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GREG ANDERSON

DAVID STLUKA

34

It’s not unusual to see Roque and Co. leave the ice in good humor regardless of how the shift unfolded.

“She brings the comedy for me and Britta,” Shirley said of Roque. “If things aren’t going our way in a game, she has that comedy relief.”

Johnson initially thought about redshirting Curl in part because she was still getting her skills back after surgery to repair a broken arm in the spring of 2018.

But Curl showed enough promise during an early audition on the fourth line that Johnson bumped her up with Roque and Shirley.

“We need to get her more involved,” Johnson thought at the time. “We need to get her up a couple notches and see what she can do.”

Good idea.

“If you look at the three of them, they think the game very similar,” Johnson said of the Roque line. “They understand. They seem to have some pretty good chemistry.”

Curl and Shirley have similar backgrounds that emphasized athletic diversity.

Curl was a standout in soccer, track and field and football — you read that right — serving as the place-kicker as a sophomore at St. Mary Central High School.

Shirley, meanwhile, participated in tennis, golf, soccer, volleyball, softball, badminton and ran track at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Wilcox, Saskatchewan.

“The more athletic you are, the easier it is to play hockey,” Roque said.

“Parents putting us in all these different sports helps on the ice,” Shirley said.

Curl scored 189 goals and led Bismarck to four consecutive North Dakota state hockey titles before helping Team USA to the gold medal in the Under-18 World Championships.

Shirley, meanwhile, has been a standout at every level of Canadian hockey, including the pros. While waiting for her academic transcript to be approved at Wisconsin, she played last season for Calgary in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, earning Rookie of the Year honors as an amateur.

It’s rare and significant for the Badgers to have multiple freshmen with double-digit goals after 24 games. The only two times it occurred during the Johnson Era, 2008-09 and 2006-07, Wisconsin reigned as national champions. Brooke Ammerman (20) and Carolyne Prevost (11) did the honors in ’08-09. Meghan Duggan (16) and Kyla Sanders (11) were the standout rookies in ’06-07.

That fits the current narrative about the top-ranked Badgers (21-3 overall, 11-3 in the WCHA) heading into their league series with St. Cloud State (8-16-2, 3-12) on Friday and Saturday at LaBahn Arena.

Rolfes noted that Curl and Shirley share a heightened sense of comfort and confidence on the ice. Off it, Curl has an uncommon trait.

“She has the maturity of a senior at least,” Rolfes said.

“She acts older than a freshman,” Roque confirmed.

Curl has also distinguished herself in the enreer. She currently shows 83-98-181 with 10 tertainment department. Seems the Badgers regular-season games remaining. have a ritual where the weekly shootout winRolfes said she and her blue-line partner, ner gets to pick a teammate to sing a song of Mikaela Gardner, have their hands full trying their choosing. When Curl was tabbed earlier to defend odd-man rushes by the Roque line this season, “The whole team told her to keep in practice. singing,” Roque said. “She can sing, very well.”

“On the ice they just see each other when Shirley smiled at the recollection. most people would never see certain passes to “She’s one of those people who is good at be made,” Rolfes said, emphasizing that some everything,” she said of Curl. of those are behind-the-back and no-look One of the reasons the Roque line is so effecfeeds. tive is that opponents “You know somemust also account for thing’s going to hapWisconsin’s all-senior pen before it happens,” “IT JUST CLICKS,” ROQUE SAID. “THE THREE top line of left wingCurl said.

OF US READ OFF EACH OTHER. I KNOW WHEN er Sam Cogan, center “It just clicks,” Roque THEY’RE GOING TO GO FORE-CHECK. I KNOW WHEN Emily Clark and right said. “The three of us THEY’RE BEHIND MY BACK FOR A CYCLE. I KNOW winger Annie Pankowread off each other. I WHERE THEY’RE GOING TO GO FOR A PASS. ski. Clark, known as a know when they’re goWE READ REALLY WELL OFF EACH OTHER.” mentor for Shirley, was ing to go fore-check. I a standout for Team know when they’re beCanada in the 2018 Winter Olympics, while hind my back for a cycle. I know where they’re Pankowski is vying to become the sixth player going to go for a pass. We read really well off in program history to reach 200 career points. each other.”

She needs 19 points to get there.

Roque said it’s unusual to see freshmen get Pankowski also has an outside chance at beup to speed as quickly as Curl and Shirley have. coming the fourth player in Wisconsin history “We needed those two freshmen to step to amass 100 goals and 100 assists in her caup,” Roque said, “and they did.”

“

TOM LYNN

DAVID STLUKA

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INSIDE MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE (12-6, 4-3) Home events in bold. All times CT. Nov. 30 at #14 Iowa Dec. 3

Rutgers

Dec. 8

at Marquette

W, 72-66 W, 69-64 L, 69-74

Dec. 13 Savannah St. W, 101-60 Dec. 22 Grambling St. W, 84-53 Dec. 29 at W. Kentucky L, 76-83 Jan. 3

Minnesota

Jan. 6

at Penn State W, 71-52

Jan. 11 Purdue

THIS WEEK Wisconsin hits the road to face Illinois (5-13, 1-6) on Wednesday before heading back to the Kohl Center to welcome Northwestern (117, 1-5) to Madison. Tipoff in Champaign on Wednesday is set for 8 p.m. while Saturday’s game against the Wildcats begins at 1:15 p.m.

LAST WEEK UW took down previously undefeated and No. 2 Michigan, 64-54, in front of a sold-out crowd at home on Saturday. Ethan Happ scored a game-high 26 points, adding 10 rebounds and seven assists to lead UW to its ninth win against a top-10 team at the Kohl Center since the 200910 season.

GOOD TO KNOW Since UW head coach Greg Gard took over on Dec. 15, 2015, the Badgers (7-8) have more wins over top-10 teams than any Big Ten team except Michigan (8-7). Four of those wins have come against topfive teams.

NEED TO KNOW Both games this week can be seen live on BTN or online via BTN2Go. Matt Lepay and Mike Lucas will call both games statewide on the Badger Sports Network and worldwide via iHeartRadio.

Live stats are available via UWBadgers.com and the Badger Gameday app.

RELATED STORIES (Click to read)

▶ Lucas: ‘Red Belt’ mentality drives Badgers to upset win

L, 80-84 OT

Jan. 14 at Maryland

L, 60-64

Jan. 19 #2 Michigan

W, 64-54

Jan. 23 at Illinois

TOM LYNN

▲ TAP TO WATCH - Wisconsin vs. Michigan Cinematic Lookback

L, 52-59

8 p.m.

Jan. 26 Northwestern 1:15 p.m.

Jan. 29 at Nebraska

7 p.m.

Feb. 1

#13 Maryland

8 p.m.

Feb. 6

at Minnesota

8 p.m.

Feb. 9

at #5 Michigan

11 a.m.

Feb. 12 #6 Michigan State 6 p.m.

Feb. 18 Illinois

7 p.m.

View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:

FOLLOW US:

▶ Madhouse in Madison: Badgers upset No. 2 Michigan ▶ Lucas: Badgers’ 1989 NIT team start of hoops renaissance

37

INSIDE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE (10-9, 1-6) Home events in bold. All times CT. Dec. 4

Marshall

Dec. 8

at Green Bay

W, 67-49 L, 46-55

Dec. 12 Chicago State W, 85-38 Dec. 21 Evansville

W, 96-60

Dec. 28 at #12 Minnesota L, 56-74 Dec. 31 Purdue

THIS WEEK Wisconsin returns home for two games this week, hosting Penn State (9-9, 2-5) on Thursday. Tip time is 7 p.m. from the Kohl Center. The Badgers and Lady Lions face off for the second time in less than three weeks. The home stand wraps up on Sunday vs.

Nebraska (9-9, 4-3) at 2 p.m. at the Kohl Center.

LAST WEEK Wisconsin dropped two Big Ten games, falling to No. 23 Minnesota, 78-50, on Thursday and at Northwestern, 7246, on Sunday. The Badgers have lost their last five Big Ten games.

GOOD TO KNOW The UW Athletic Department will celebrate National Girls & Women in Sports Day, presented by Kohl’s, on Sunday. The festivities begin at 11:30 a.m. inside the Nicholas Johnson Pavilion, where fans can enjoy fun and interactive games, a chance to interact with female student-athletes, music from DJ Shawna, and an opportunity to meet Bucky Badger.

NEED TO KNOW Both games this week will be streamed live on BTN Plus ($) and can also be heard in the Madison area on 100.9 FM with Jon Arias on the call. The game can also be heard anywhere with the iHeartRadio app. Live updates are available on Twitter @BadgerWBB.

RELATED STORIES (Click to read)

▶ UW shooting drought leads to loss

W, 76-69

Jan. 3

at Penn State

L, 64-71

Jan. 7

at #17 Iowa

L, 53-71

Jan. 13

#25 Indiana

L, 68-75

Jan. 17

#23 Minnesota L, 50-78

Jan. 20

at Northwestern L, 46-72

Jan. 24

Penn State

7 p.m.

Jan. 27

Nebraska

2 p.m.

Jan. 31

at #11 Maryland 6 p.m.

Feb. 3

Michigan

2 p.m.

Feb. 10 at Illinois

2 p.m.

Feb. 14 #23 Michigan St. 7 p.m.

Feb. 17 at Ohio State

1 p.m.

Feb. 20 Illinois

7 p.m.

Feb. 25 at #14 Rutgers

6 p.m.

View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:

FOLLOW US:

▶ Badgers drop Border Battle at home ▶ WSJ: Surgery repairs Beverley’s ankle, ailing jump shot

39

INSIDE MEN’S HOCKEY SCHEDULE (8-10-4, 4-4-4) Home events in bold. All times CT.

THIS WEEK Wisconsin travels across the western border to face rival Minnesota (9-10-4, 6-5-3 B1G) for a Friday-Saturday series in Minneapolis. Both contests begin at 7 p.m.

LAST WEEK Last Friday, Wisconsin dropped a 6-4 contest at the Kohl Center to No. 12 Notre Dame, then skated to a 2-2 deadlock with the Fighting Irish at the United Center in Chicago on Sunday. ND earned the extra Big Ten point with a goal during 3-on-3 overtime.

GOOD TO KNOW Five of Wisconsin’s nine goals scored over its last three

games have come from the freshman line of Roman Ahcan (2 goals), Dominick Mersch (2 goals) and Brock Caufield (goal). That number becomes six of 11 if you count UW’s exhibition game against the U.S. Under-18 Team, in which Mersch scored.

Michigan State

Dec. 8

Michigan State W, 3-0

Jan. 4

#8 Denver

L, 3-6

Jan. 5

#8 Denver

L, 3-4 OT

Jan. 12

U.S. Under-18 Team Exhibition L, 3-6

Jan. 18

#12 Notre Dame L, 4-6

Jan. 20

vs. #12 Notre Dame T, 2-2 OT United Center, Chicago

Jan. 25

at Minnesota

7 p.m.

Jan. 26

at Minnesota

7 p.m.

Feb. 1

at Michigan St.

6 p.m.

Feb. 2

at Michigan St. 4:30 p.m.

Feb. 8

#3 Ohio State

7 p.m.

Feb. 9

#3 Ohio State

7 p.m.

W, 5-3

PATRICK GORSKI

▲ TAP TO WATCH - Badgers Skate to 2-2 Tie with Notre Dame at the United Center

Dec. 7

Feb. 15 at #11 Notre Dame 6 p.m.

Feb. 16 at #11 Notre Dame 5 p.m.

View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:

NEED TO KNOW Friday’s game airs on Fox Sports Wisconsin Plus, while Saturday’s game airs on Fox Sports Wisconsin. Both are available on the BTN2Go and Fox Sports GO app for cable and satellite subscribers. On the radio, both tilts broadcast on 1310 WIBA and the Badger Radio Network, as well as the iHeartRadio app.

RELATED STORIES (Click to read)

▶ Trio of defensemen nominees for Hobey Baker fan vote

FOLLOW US:

▶ Turcotte leads four Badgers recruits in NHL draft rankings ▶ Pavelski builds on humble roots to become all-star at 34

41

SCHEDULE (21-3-0, 11-3-0)

DAVID STLUKA

INSIDE WOMEN’S HOCKEY Home events in bold. All times CT.

▲ TAP TO WATCH - Unfiltered: LaBahn Arena and its Fans

THIS WEEK Top-ranked Wisconsin returns home from a challenging road trip to host St. Cloud State (8-16-2, 3-12-0-0) at LaBahn Arena. Puck drop on Friday is set for 7 p.m. while Saturday’s finale with the Huskies begins at 6 p.m. Both games are sold out.

GOOD TO KNOW A trio of Badgers look to join historic clubs this weekend.

Annie Pankowski sits two assists away from becoming only the seventh Badger to tally 100 career assists, while Sam Cogan sits at 97 points and Abby Roque has 96 career points.

LAST WEEK UW split its Border Battle on the road at No. 2 Minnesota, earning a 2-1 win in the series opener before falling 3-1 on Saturday to the Golden Gophers. Emily Clark, Maddie Rolfes and Sophie Shirley all scored for UW.

NEED TO KNOW Fans can watch both games against St. Cloud State on BTN Plus ($) and FloHockey ($) and follow all the action on Twitter (@BadgerWHockey).

RELATED STORIES (Click to read)

Nov. 23 Harvard

W, 3-2 OT

Nov. 24 Harvard

W, 2-1 OT

Dec. 1

Syracuse

W, 6-1

Dec. 2

Syracuse

W, 9-1

Dec. 7

at St. Cloud State W, 8-2

Dec. 8

at St. Cloud State W, 3-1

Jan. 11

at #7 Ohio State L, 0-1

Jan. 12

at #7 Ohio State W, 5-2

Jan. 18

at #2 Minnesota W, 2-1

Jan. 19

at #2 Minnesota

L, 1-3

Jan. 25

St. Cloud State

7 p.m.

Jan. 26

St. Cloud State

6 p.m.

Feb. 1

at Bemidji State

6 p.m.

Feb. 2

at Bemidji State

3 p.m.

Feb. 9

Minnesota State 2 p.m.

Feb. 10 Minnesota State 2 p.m.

Feb. 15 at Minn. Duluth

3 p.m.

Feb. 16 at Minn. Duluth

3 p.m.

Feb. 22 #7 Ohio State

7 p.m.

Feb. 23 #7 Ohio State

3 p.m.

View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:

FOLLOW US:

▶ Seniors lead No. 1 Wisconsin to 2-1 Border Battle win ▶ The Pres(s) Box: Border Battle Weekend

43

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INSIDE WRESTLING SCHEDULE (6-4, 1-4) Home events in bold. All times CT. Nov. 9

at Kent State W, 37-13

vs. CSU-Bakersfield W,

Kent, Ohio

28-12

Nov. 16 at #11 Nebraska W, 22-21 Nov. 18 Princeton

W, 22-18

#24 Utah Valley W, 22-17

Dec. 2

at SIUE Tournament Edwardsville, Ill. Results »

Dec. 9

at #2 Ohio State L, 13-23

Dec. 29-30 at Midlands Championships

▲ TAP TO WATCH - Jump Around Monday with Coach Chris Bono

THIS WEEK No. 16 Wisconsin is back at the Field House for a Big Ten dual against border rival No. 7 Minnesota on Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. Tickets are free for UW students and can be secured online at UWBadgers.com.

LAST WEEK The Badgers dropped a tough Big Ten dual to Northwestern, losing 18-25. Wisconsin won four of ten matches, including bonus point victories by Cole Martin at 149 pounds and Mason Reinhardt at 184 pounds.

GOOD TO KNOW Reinhardt, a UW junior, has been on a tear for the Badgers, winning seven of his last nine matches, including two bonus point victories and one win over a ranked wrestler.

He also finished third at Midlands during this run.

Results »

Evanston, Ill.

Jan. 11

at #24 Rutgers L, 16-17

Jan. 13

at #1 Penn St. L, 13-24

Jan. 18

Northwestern L, 18-25

Jan. 25

#7 Minnesota

7 p.m.

Feb. 2

at Maryland

Noon

Feb. 10 #18 Illinois

2 p.m.

Feb. 17 #4 Iowa

2 p.m.

Feb. 24 SIUE Noon View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:

NEED TO KNOW The Minnesota dual will be streamed on both BTN Plus ($) and FloWrestling ($).

Follow along with @BadgerWrestling on Twitter for live updates.

RELATED STORIES (Click to read)

▶ Badgers drop tough loss to Northwestern

FOLLOW US:

▶ Wisconsin fights hard in loss to No. 1 Penn State ▶ Nat. Wrestling HOF African American Wrestling Experience

45

Championing the UW. Alumni and friends take great pride in giving back, especially during the Annual Campaign. Do your part.

MAKE A GIFT TODAY. allwaysforward.org/go/UW

INSIDE MEN’S TRACK & FIELD SCHEDULE Home events in bold.

Jan. 12 Badger Icebreaker Results » Jan. 18-19 at Larry Wieczorek

Invitational Results »

Iowa City, Iowa

Jan. 25-26 at Indiana Relays

LAST WEEK Wisconsin wrapped up a successful campaign at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational in Iowa City with several athletes earning personal bests.

GOOD TO KNOW In his first race of the indoor season, redshirt junior Olin Hacker finished fourth overall in the mile with a PR time of 4 minutes, 1.82 seconds. His time currently ranks No. 8 in the NCAA.

Bloomington, Ind.

Feb. 1-2

at Power Five Invitational

Ann Arbor, Mich.

Feb. 2

at Scarlet & White Invitational

Boston

Feb. 8-9

at Husky Invitational

Seattle

Feb. 8-9

at Iowa State Classic

Ames, Iowa

Feb. 9

at Millrose Games

New York

Feb. 15

Red and White Classic

Feb. 16

at Alex Wilson Invitational

South Bend, Ind.

WALT MIDDLETON

THIS WEEK The No. 16 Badgers are headed to Bloomington, Indiana for the Indiana Relays. Hosted by Indiana University, the meet runs Friday-Saturday.

View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:

NEED TO KNOW Badger fans can follow the Indiana Relays action on Instagram and Twitter (@BadgerTrackXC) and catch a recap on UWBadgers.com.

RELATED STORIES (Click to read)

FOLLOW US:

▶ Hacker leads Badgers in last day of competition in Iowa ▶ Badgers off to a strong start at Larry Wieczorek Invite

47

INSIDE WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD SCHEDULE Home events in bold.

Jan. 12 Badger Icebreaker Results » Jan. 18-19 at Larry Wieczorek

Invitational Results »

Iowa City, Iowa

Jan. 25-26 at Indiana Relays

LAST WEEK Many Badgers cracked the UW top-10 list this weekend at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational in Iowa City. The women’s 4x400 relay squad of Gabby DesRosiers, Ebony McClendon, Morgan Parzych and Bianca Stubler finished with an overall time of 3:45.13, which ranks sixth all-time at Wisconsin. Junior Meagan Blair also earned a No. 7 alltime mark in the long jump with a mark of 19-9 (6.03m).

GOOD TO KNOW Three Badgers currently hold top-10 NCAA marks in their respective events. Alicia Monson holds the fastest time in the NCAA for the mile, while Alissa Niggemann holds the No. 10 spot in the event.

In the weight throw, Banke Oginni holds the No. 5 mark for her throw of 71-1 1/2.

NEED TO KNOW Badger fans can follow the Indiana Relays action on Instagram and Twitter (@BadgerTrackXC) and catch a recap on UWBadgers.com.

RELATED STORIES (Click to read)

Bloomington, Ind.

Feb. 1-2

at Power Five Invitational

Ann Arbor, Mich.

Feb. 2

at Scarlet & White Invitational

Boston

Feb. 8-9

at Husky Invitational

Seattle

Feb. 8-9

at Iowa State Classic

Ames, Iowa

Feb. 9

at Millrose Games

New York

Feb. 15

Red and White Classic

Feb. 16

at Alex Wilson Invitational

South Bend, Ind.

WALT MIDDLETON

THIS WEEK Wisconsin will travel to Bloomington, Indiana for the Indiana Relays. Hosted by Indiana University, the meet runs Friday-Saturday.

Feb. 22-23 at Big Ten Indoor

Championships

Ann Arbor, Mich.

View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:

FOLLOW US:

▶ Badgers close out first road trip of the season ▶ UW opens action in Iowa City

49

INSIDE MEN’S TENNIS SCHEDULE Home events in bold. All times CT. Oct. 26-29 at Big Ten Individual Championships

Ann Arbor, Mich. Results » Nov. 2-4 at Gopher Invitational

Minneapolis Results » Jan. 11-13 at Miami Invitational

Miami Results » Jan. 25

DePaul

Jan. 27

Northern Illinois 2 p.m.

Jan. 30

Chicago State 5:30 p.m.

Feb. 9

#21 Oklahoma St. Noon

Feb. 10 Washington

5:30 p.m.

Feb. 21 Green Bay

5:30 p.m.

11 a.m.

Mar. 1

at Princeton

6:30 p.m.

Mar. 8

Nebraska

5:30 p.m.

Miss, and Miami at the Miami Invitational.

Mar. 10 Minnesota Noon

GOOD TO KNOW There will be live stats and live scoring for both Badger matches this weekend. Live stats can be seen here, and live video can be viewed here.

Mar. 24 at Iowa

Mar. 20 at Pepperdine

COLIN JAMISON

LAST WEEK Wisconsin used an ultra-talented field to help prepare a young Badgers squad for an intense dual season. UW faced off against Texas, Ole

11 a.m.

Feb. 14 Marquette Feb. 24 Oregon

THIS WEEK Wisconsin comes off a fantastic debut weekend in Miami where the young squad notched plenty of valuable playing experience. This week, the Badgers look to take that experience and use it for the season-opening dual matches against DePaul on Friday and Northern Illinois on Sunday.

6 p.m.

10 a.m.

Noon

View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:

NEED TO KNOW Keep up with all things Badger tennis on Twitter (@BadgerMTennis), Instagram (WisconsinTennis), and Facebook (Wisconsin Men’s Tennis), as well as on UWBadgers.com.

RELATED STORIES (Click to read)

FOLLOW US:

▶ An exciting future: Lessons learned at Miami Invite ▶ The Tremendous Three: Badgers’ stellar recruiting class

51

ACCIDENTS | INJURIES

ONE CALL...

THAT’S ALL! PROUD PARTNER OF WISCONSIN ATHLETICS

INSIDE WOMEN’S TENNIS SCHEDULE Home events in bold. All times CT. Oct. 18-23 at USTA/ITA Regionals

Ann Arbor, Mich. Results » Oct. 26-27 at Roberta Alison

Fall Classic Results »

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Nov. 9-11 at FSU All Conference

Showdown Results »

Tallahassee, Fla.

Jan. 11-13 at FIU Spring

Invitational Results »

Miami

Jan. 25 Nebraska-Omaha Noon Illinois-Chicago

5 p.m.

Jan. 27 Colorado State

11 a.m.

LAST WEEK UW has been free of action since January 12, with its most recent competition coming during the FIU Spring Invitational in Miami.

GOOD TO KNOW Wisconsin has two ranked women on the roster looking to continue climbing. Senior Sara Castellano holds the No. 31 spot while sophomore Lexi Keberle is positioned at No. 46.

Marquette

4 p.m.

Feb. 2

Iowa State

11 a.m.

Northern Illinois 4 p.m.

Feb. 15 at Denver

6:30 p.m.

Feb. 16 vs. DePaul

2 p.m.

DAVID STLUKA

THIS WEEK Wisconsin hosts three teams this weekend as it serves up the dual season at Nielsen Tennis Stadium. On Friday the Badgers welcome Omaha-Nebraska at Noon and Illinois-Chicago at 5 p.m. UW returns on Sunday to host Colorado State at 11 a.m.

Feb. 1

Denver

Feb. 22 Utah

5 p.m.

View full schedule/results » SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT:

NEED TO KNOW All matches are free at Nielsen Tennis Stadium, or can be live streamed here. Fans can also follow @BadgerWTennis on Twitter for live scoring updates.

RELATED STORIES (Click to read)

FOLLOW US:

▶ UW finishes day two with six singles victories ▶ Badgers take six singles matches

53