Sam Stange's versatility provides boost in our look at Wisconsin men's hockey
MADISON – A weekly look at the University of Wisconsin men’s hockey team.
FOR THE RECORD
The Badgers start the new year 8-12 overall after scoring a 4-0 win over Lake Superior State in the opening round of the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off on Dec. 28 and a 3-1 loss to Clarkson in the final the next day. UW resumes Big Ten play with a 1-9 record.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sam Stange shines in different role for Badgers
With Charlie Stramel competing for the United States at the World Junior championships, the Badgers moved junior Sam Stange from right wing to center.
In the new position, the Eau Claire native scored a goal in UW’s 4-0 win over Lake Superior State and produced a handful of quality chances against Clarkson the following night. The games were a couple of Stange's best outings of the season.
"Stange’s performance at center filling in for Stramel wasn’t just good, it was outstanding,” UW coach Tony Granato said. “He might have been the best player in the whole tournament. … I think that is a real positive for us. We’ve got some guys who are gaining confidence as the season is moving along.”
NOTABLE
Wisconsin's Charlie Stramel will play for bronze medal
Stramel recorded his third assist of the World Junior championship Wednesday on a goal that gave the United States a 2-0 lead over Canada in the semifinals. Team USA went on to lose, 6-2, and will face Sweden for the bronze medal Thursday afternoon.
The Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off Most Outstanding Goaltender is also the Big Ten Third Star of the Week
Shutout and .958 save percentage for the week pic.twitter.com/pzIQj3TUEa— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) January 4, 2023
Big Ten honors Jared Moe
On the heels of being named the most outstanding goaltender of the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off, senior Jared Moe was named one of the Big Ten’s three stars of the week. Moe recorded 24 saves on the way to his second shutout of the season against Lake Superior State and posted a .958 save percentage for the tournament.
Offensive help is on the way
Ty Smilanic came back to the team last week after a personal leave of absence. The junior transfer from Quinnipiac who was brought in to add punch, could see action this week against Notre Dame. He hasn’t played since Oct. 22.
UW hosts outdoor skate
Fans of all ages are invited to a free outdoor skate at the Edgewater Ice Skating rink from 10-11 a.m. Sunday, weather permitting. Select members of the Badgers will be on hand for autographs and pictures. Skate rental is available, though fans can bring their own.
BY THE NUMBERS
14 Consecutive games against ranked opponents for the Badgers beginning Friday.
.800 Wisconsin's winning percentage (8-2) when scoring at least three goals.
4 Short-handed goals for UW, second-best in the Big and fifth in the nation.
COMING UP
Badgers resume Big Ten play
vs. No. 20/18 Notre Dame, 7 p.m. Friday (Bally Sports Wisconsin Extra) and 5:30 p.m. Saturday (BTN); Radio - FM 97.3: The Badgers' first Big Ten series in a month come against a Fighting Irish squad that split a non-conference series with Alaska last weekend. Notre Dame is tied for fifth in the league with 10 points. The Irish lead the conference (league games only) in save percentage (.927) and blocked shots (15.5) and are second in saves per game. (35.8).
Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.
DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Sam Stange's versatility provides boost for Wisconsin men's hockey