Badgers sink Sharks, 6-3
Defensemen Hensler, Schulz tally season’s first goals in victory
MADISON, Wis. – A combined nine-point night from Wisconsin’s first line of Quinn Finley, Gavin Morrissey and Ryland Mosley helped the Wisconsin men’s hockey team charge past the Long Island University Sharks, 6-3, on Friday night at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin (10-12-1, 5-9-0 Big Ten) opened the scoring 4:03 into the first period on a goal from Quinn Finley. LIU (12-10-1, Independent) tied the game with 1:58 remaining in the first period, but Gavin Morrissey responded 50 seconds later to give UW a 2-1 lead heading into the second period. Fifty-four seconds into the middle frame, the Sharks tied the game again. Logan Hensler scored his first career goal with 10:08 left in the second on the power play to reinstate Wisconsin’s lead. Sixteen seconds later, Simon Tassy’s second goal of the season extended the Badgers’ lead to two. LIU made it a 4-3 game 26 seconds into the third period, but Zach Schulz (with 16:05 remaining) and Gavin Morrissey (with 10:10 remaining) each tallied a goal in the final 17 minutes of the game to help the Badgers to a 6-3 victory.
How it Happened
Wisconsin got on the board first 4:03 into the first period. From the right side of the Sharks’ goal, graduate student forward Ryland Mosley flung a shot on net, which rebounded off the goaltender’s pads. Finley found the loose puck and took a one-time shot to light the lamp for the 17th time this season.
With 1:58 remaining in the first, LIU tied the game at one after an Austin Brimmer deflection trickled through UW senior goaltender Tommy Scarfone’s five-hole and into the net.
Fifty seconds later with, 1:08 left in the opening frame, freshman forward Morrissey gave Wisconsin its lead back. At the left side of the blue line in the LIU zone, freshman forward Adam Pietila blocked a Sharks’ pass. Morrissey picked up the loose puck and rushed toward the net before letting a wrist shot fly to score his fourth goal in the last three games.
In the second period, it took the Sharks only 54 seconds to tie the game at two on a shot from Andrius Kulbis-Marino.
Freshman defenseman Hensler helped make it a 3-2 game for the Badgers with a power-play goal 9:52 into the middle frame. From in front of the net, Mosley defensively poked the puck to Finley in the middle of the right faceoff circle, who then passed up to meet Hensler in the middle of the blue line. Hensler held the puck for a moment before sinking a hard wrist shot into the net to tally his first career collegiate goal.
Twenty-four seconds later with 9:44 left in the period, junior forward Tassy scored UW’s fourth goal of the evening. Junior defenseman Ben Dexheimer passed from the bottom of the right faceoff dot to sophomore forward Sawyer Scholl near the slot. Scholl then passed to Tassy, who flicked home the puck to record his second goal of the season.
LIU pulled within one goal 26 seconds into the third period after Isaiah Fox capitalized on a turnover in front of the Wisconsin net.
With 16:05 left in the third, sophomore defenseman Zach Schulz made it a 5-3 game after tallying his first goal of the year.
To cap off a high-scoring evening, Morrissey tallied his second goal of the game on the power play with 10:10 remaining in the contest.
Wisconsin went 2-for-6 on the power play and 3-3 on the penalty kill. UW finished the contest with a 25-24 deficit in shots on goal.
Notes to know:
– Quinn Finley is second in the NCAA in both goals and points with 17 and 32, respectively
– Gavin Morrissey (9g, 17a) is the nation’s leading scorer among freshmen with 26 points. He is tied for 13th among all skaters
– Both Finley and Morrissey own seven-game point streaks. Finley boasts six goals and 12 points, while Morrissey owns five goals and 10 points during the string. Finley has points in 14 of the last 15 games
– Ryland Mosley recorded his second four-point night of the year
– Logan Hensler scored his first career NCAA goal
– Adam Pietila tallied his first career NCAA point
– Hensler and Schulz are the first two defensemen on the Badgers’ roster besides Daniel Laatsch to score this season
Straight from the rink
Head Coach Mike Hastings
On momentum shifts in the game
“If you look at tonight’s game, there were a lot of momentum swings. We gave up two goals in the first minute of the second and third periods and then answered back. I’m hoping that’s a sign of maturity – I believe it is. I think the guys stuck with it and it was great to see our power play make a difference.”
On living with defensive mistakes
“When you talk about development or you talk about growth, they’ve got to be able to make mistakes and be thrown right back out there. That’s what happened tonight.”
Junior forward Simon Tassy
On playing at the Kohl Center
“This is the last stretch, six weekends left. We haven’t had the best start at home, but now we want to make it the hardest place to play for anyone. We’re starting the right way tonight – it was a step in the right direction.”
Freshman defenseman Logan Hensler
On his first career goal
“It’s pretty special to do it with this group – a bunch of brothers. They celebrated it, and it was awesome. Laskosky had an amazing screen there and I was lucky enough to have it trickle in.”
Up Next: The Badgers continue their series against LIU on Saturday, Jan. 18.