Joe Palodichuk fuels another comeback win for No. 2 Wisconsin hockey
The Wisconsin men’s hockey team is developing a relentlessness to it that is paying off in the win column.
For the third time in three weeks the Badgers rallied from two-goals down to win on the road. In their latest comeback, a 7-4 win over Notre Dame Dec. 5 at Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend, Ind., they came back from deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 before scoring their fourth straight win.
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The victory pushed the Badgers, who are ranked No. 2 in the USCHO poll, to 11-2-2 overall and 7-2 in the Big Ten. They, however, remain in second place in the Big Ten (19 points). They’re one point behind No. 1 Michigan, which beat Michigan State, 3-0, Friday.
Notre Dame (4-10-1, 0-6 – 1 point) is last in the league.
Joe Palodichuk gets first multi-point game of the season
Junior defenseman Joe Palodichuk recorded two goals and an assists for Wisconsin. Junior forward Quinn Finley also recorded two goals and one assist for the Badgers, who had three other goal scorers: seniors Simon Tassy and Christian Fitzgerald and sophomore Ryan Botterill.
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The game was the first for Wisconsin in almost two weeks and it started slow, falling behind, 2-0, in the first period and, 3-2, after goals by Finley and Fitzgerald during the first 4 minutes of the second period tied the game.
The night featured plenty of heroics, but arguably the most important were Palodichuk’s back-to-back goals at the 11:26 and 19:37 marks of the second period. The scores gave the Badgers a 4-3 edge.
Ryan Botterill nets second game-winner of the season
And 2 ½ minutes into the third period he assisted Botterill on the game winner, which gave UW a 5-4 lead. Finley and Tassy added empty net goals to give Wisconsin its final margin of victory.
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Palodichuk’s three-point game was his first of the season. He entered play with one goal and four points.
The game marked the third time Wisconsin has come back to win after trailing, 2-0, in the first period. The Badger beat Michigan State, 5-4, Nov. 21 and Ohio State, 6-5, in overtime Nov. 15.
The Badgers wrap up the series Dec. 6 at 4 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Joe Palodichuk fuels Wisconsin hockey’s comeback win over Notre Dame