1980–81 Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey season

American college ice hockey season March 2026 August 2023 color:white; background:#C5050C; a #000000 2px white white Wisconsin Badgers white 1980–81 Wisconsin Badgers Wisconsin Badgers logo.svg men Big TenT–2nd WCHA 2nd 27–14–1 (17–11 / 5–5) 16–6 7–7 4–1–1 Bob Johnson Grant Standbrook Jay McFarlane Dane County Coliseum National champion NCAA Tournament champion 1979–80 1981–82 Wisconsin Badgers #FFFFFF background:#eeeeee; The 1980–81 Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison in college ice hockey. In its fourteenth year under head coach Bob Johnson, the team compiled a 27–14–1 record (17–11 against Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) opponents) and outscored all opponents 218 to 155.2009-10 WCHA Yearbook 113-128 http://wcha.com/pdf/mguide0910/Ybk-113-128.pdf WCHA 2014-06-01 The Badgers were the recipients of an at-large bid in the first year that the NCAA guaranteed 8 teams entry into the postseason tournament and in doing so became the first team to win a national championship because of the expanded format. Season Wisconsin began the 1980–81 season fresh after compiling its first losing season since returning to NCAA play in 1963.Wisconsin Men's Hockey Team History https://www.uscho.com/stats/history/wisconsin/mens-hockey/ USCHO.com 2018-08-03 With little expectation for the '81 campaign Bob Johnson's Badgers got off to a fast start, going 7-1 in the first month of the season before embarking on a .500 skid in early November. The Badgers would lose a game in every weekend series until after Christmas when they finally managed to take both games against a mediocre Yale squad, only to lose both games to Rensselaer the following week. Wisconsin was hampered by high-scoring freshman and future NHL-er Bruce Eakin leaving the program after only four games and heading to the WHL. From January 1 onward, Wisconsin managed to just post a winning record, going 10-8 over that stretch but still finishing in a tie for second in conference standings on the strength of their early-season success. The Badgers won the tie-breaker over Michigan Tech and were seeded second in the WCHA Tournament. After winning their first game against Colorado College 8-2 it appeared Wisconsin was set for an appearance in second round until the Tigers roared back with an 11-4 win in the second game and upset a stunned Badger team 13-12 in the series. Ordinarily that would have been the end of the Wisconsin's season but in the summer of 1980 the NCAA changed its tournament format. With the success of the CCHA and the increasing number of programs at the Division I level the NCAA tournament was expanded to 8 teams, 4 for eastern schools and 4 for western squads. As tournament co-champions Minnesota and Michigan Tech received automatic bids, as did CCHA champion Northern Michigan. That left one spot open for a western school. Due to the feeling at the time that the CCHA was a 'lesser' conference the 24-12-3 record of second place Ohio State was seen as inferior to anything the WCHA could offer and the Buckeyes were passed over. While the Badgers did lose in the first round Denver, who had finished only two points behind Wisconsin, had also lost their first round matchup and the team that had defeated them, Michigan, were soundly beaten by Michigan Tech in the Second round 9-2. With no team standing out from the rest the tournament committee settled on awarding the final spot to Wisconsin. Wisconsin opened the 1981 Tournament in front a hostile crowd in Potsdam, NY as they faced the top eastern seed Clarkson. Miraculously the Badgers managed to take the first game 3-2 but, just as the WCHA tournament had been, the NCAA first round was a 2-game total-goal series and 1 score was a very slim margin to hold. The second game was a much more explosive affair with both teams notching six goals in regulation play. Because of a peculiarity with the series Wisconsin leading 9-8 after regulation didn't end the matchup and the two would play one overtime session to see if the 'winner' of the game could be determined. If Wisconsin scored the series would be over immediately, however, if Clarkson scored the game would continue because the series had been tied at 9-9 despite an overtime marker. Neither of those events came to pass and both teams failed to score in the overtime session, allowing the game to finish in a tie and the Badgers to progress to the Frozen Four. In their first game at the Duluth Arena the Badgers faced Northern Michigan, the first time the two teams played one another. Both squads played a scoreless first period before Ed Lebler opened the scoring three minutes into the second. Two more Badgers scored before the Wildcats could get their first goal of the game but Marc Behrend made sure that was all they could earn, turning away their 25 other shots en route to a 5-1 win.2017-18 Wisconsin Men's Hockey Fact Book https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/uwbadgers.com/documents/2017/9/22/201718_HKY_FactBook.pdf Wisconsin Badgers 2018-08-09July 2026 InternetArchiveBot In the final Wisconsin was set against #1 overall seed Minnesota who possessed the top offense in the nation boasting both the NCAA scoring champion Aaron Broten and the first Hobey Baker Award winner Neal Broten. The Golden Gophers had taken three out of four contests against the Badgers that season, out-pacing Johnson's team 27 goals to 14. None of that seemed to affect Wisconsin in the slightest as it was the Badgers who opened the scoring half way through the first period and never looked back. Wisconsin got the game's first four goals and by the time Minnesota had found the back of the net it was too late. The 'Back Door' Badgers fired 42 shots on goal, not letting up even with a 5-1 lead after two periods. Marc Behrend turned aside 30 of 33 shots in the contest and finished the tournament with a .932 save percentage in the Frozen Four, earning Tournament MOP honors. Despite the spectacular Frozen Four, John Newberry was the only Badger other than Behrend to make the All-Tournament Team but the Wisconsin faithful were too overjoyed from the unexpected championship to mind. No Wisconsin player was named as an AHCA All-AmericanMen's Ice Hockey Award Winners http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_icehockey_rb/2013/MIH%20awards%20for%202013.pdf NCAA.org June 11, 2013 and only Theran Welsh was named to the Second Team All-WCHA.WCHA All-Teams http://www.augenblick.org/chha/wcha_all.html College Hockey Historical Archives May 19, 2013 Standings WIS WIS Schedule During the season, Wisconsin compiled a 27–14–1 record.Wisconsin Men's Hockey Team History https://www.uscho.com/stats/history/wisconsin/mens-hockey/ USCHO.com 2018-08-01 Its schedule was as follows.Badger Hockey 2005-06 Media Guide http://images.library.wisc.edu/UW/EFacs/UWAthletics/Hockey/Hock2005/reference/uw.hock2005.i0001.pdf Wisconsin Badgers 2018-08-01 2 Wisconsin Badgers Date Opponent Score Result Venue Location Record (WCHA / Big Ten) Oct. 17, 1980 Western Michigan 7–3 Win Dane County Coliseum Madison, WI 1–0 (0–0 / 0–0)Oct. 18, 1980 Western Michigan 5–4 Win Dane County Coliseum Madison, WI 2–0 (0–0 / 0–0)Oct. 24, 1980 Denver † 5–3 Win DU ArenaDenver, CO 3–0 (1–0 / 0–0)Oct. 25, 1980 Denver † 3–5 Loss DU ArenaDenver, CO 3–1 (1–1 / 0–0)Oct. 31, 1980 Colorado College † 6–4 Win Dane County Coliseum Madison, WI 4–1 (2–1 / 0–0)Nov. 1, 1980 Colorado College † 7–5 Win Dane County Coliseum Madison, WI 5–1 (3–1 / 0–0)Nov. 17, 1980 Ferris State 8–2 Win Dane County Coliseum Madison, WI 6–1 (3–1 / 0–0)Nov. 8, 1980 Ferris State 4–4 Win Dane County Coliseum Madison, WI 7–1 (3–1 / 0–0)Nov. 14, 1980 Notre Dame † 4–5* Loss Dane County Coliseum Madison, WI 7–2 (3–2 / 0–0)Nov. 15, 1980 Notre Dame † 4–0 Win Dane County Coliseum Madison, WI 8–2 (4–2 / 0–0)Nov. 21, 1980 Michigan ‡ 5–3 Win Yost Ice Arena Ann Arbor, MI 9–2 (5–2 / 1–0)Nov. 22, 1980 Michigan ‡ 1–3 Loss Yost Ice Arena Ann Arbor, MI 9–3 (5–3 / 1–1)Nov. 28, 1980 Minnesota ‡ 4–5* Loss Dane County Coliseum Madison, WI 9–4 (5–4 / 1–2)Nov. 29, 1980 Minnesota ‡ 8–3 Win Dane County Coliseum Madison, WI 10–4 (6–4 / 2–2)Dec. 5, 1980 Minnesota–Duluth † 2–3 Loss Duluth Arena Duluth, MN 10–5 (6–5 / 2–2)Dec. 6, 1980 Minnesota–Duluth † 5–3 Win Duluth Arena Duluth, MN 11–5 (7–5 / 2–2)Dec. 28, 1980 Yale 10–5 Win Dane County ColiseumMadison, WI 12–5 (7–5 / 2–2)Dec. 29, 1980 Yale 12–1 Win Dane County ColiseumMadison, WI 13–5 (7–5 / 2–2)Jan. 2, 1981 Rensselaer 4–6 Loss Dane County Coliseum Madison, WI 13–6 (7–5 / 2–2)Jan. 3, 1981 Rensselaer 5–6 Loss Dane County Coliseum Madison, WI 13–7 (7–5 / 2–2)Jan. 9, 1981 Michigan ‡ 8–5 Win Dane County Coliseum Madison, WI 14–7 (8–5 / 3–2)Jan. 10, 1981 Michigan ‡ 4–3 Win Dane County Coliseum Madison, WI 15–7 (9–5 / 4–2)Jan. 16, 1981 Minnesota ‡ 3–6 Loss Williams Arena Minneapolis, MN 15–8 (9–6 / 4–3)Jan. 17, 1981 Minnesota ‡ 4–8 Loss Williams Arena Minneapolis, MN 15–9 (9–7 / 4–4)Jan. 23, 1981 Minnesota–Duluth † 7–2 Win Dane County Coliseum Madison, WI 16–9 (10–7 / 4–4)Jan. 24, 1981 Minnesota–Duluth † 4–3 Win Dane County Coliseum Madison, WI 17–9 (11–7 / 4–4)Jan. 30, 1981 Michigan Tech † 3–5 Loss Dane County Coliseum Madison, WI 17–10 (11–8 / 4–4)Jan. 31, 1981 Michigan Tech † 6–2 Win Dane County Coliseum Madison, WI 18–10 (12–8 / 4–4)Feb. 6, 1981 North Dakota † 10–1 Win Ralph Engelstad Arena Grand Forks, ND 19–10 (13–8 / 4–4)Feb. 7, 1981 North Dakota † 5–4 Win Ralph Engelstad Arena Grand Forks, ND 20–10 (14–8 / 4–4)Feb. 13, 1981 Colorado College † 4–3* Win Broadmoor World Arena Colorado Springs, CO 21–10 (15–8 / 4–4)Feb. 14, 1981 Colorado College † 2–4 Loss Broadmoor World Arena Colorado Springs, CO 21–11 (15–9 / 4–4)Feb. 20, 1981 Michigan State ‡ 3–5 Loss Dane County Coliseum Madison, WI 21–12 (15–10 / 4–5)Feb. 21, 1981 Michigan State ‡ 5–4 Win Dane County Coliseum Madison, WI 22–12 (16–10 / 5–5)Feb. 27, 1981 Notre Dame † 2–4 Loss Joyce Center Notre Dame, IN 22–13 (16–11 / 5–5)Feb. 28, 1981 Notre Dame † 8–2 Win Joyce Center Notre Dame, IN 23–13 (17–11 / 5–5)WCHA TOURNAMENTMar. 7, 1981 Colorado College 8–2 Win Dane County Coliseum Madison, WI 24–13 (17–11 / 5–5)Mar. 8, 1981 Colorado College 4–11 Loss Dane County Coliseum Madison, WI 24–14 (17–11 / 5–5)Colorado College Wins Series 13-12NCAA TOURNAMENTMarch 20, 1981 Clarkson 3–2 Win Walker Arena Potsdam, NY 25–14 (17–11 / 5–5)March 21, 1981 Clarkson 6–6* Tie Walker Arena Potsdam, NY 25–14–1 (17–11 / 5–5)March 27, 1981 Northern Michigan 5–1 Win Duluth Arena Duluth, MN 26–14–1 (17–11 / 5–5)March 28, 1981 Minnesota 6–3 Win Duluth Arena Duluth, MN 27–14–1 (17–11 / 5–5) 218–155 27–14–1 (17–11 / 5–5) * Denotes overtime periods† WCHA game‡ Big Ten and WCHA game National championship (W1) Minnesota vs. (W4) Wisconsin Minnesota Wisconsin Duluth Arena March 281981 Championship Boxscore http://uwbadgers.com/documents/2015/8/21/1973_box_score_3965.pdf Wisconsin Badgers 2018-04-19 3 – 6 2 Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st WISDan GorowskyNewberry and Vincent 9:24 1–0 WIS WISJohn Newberry – PPVincent and Welsh 14:49 2–0 WIS WISEd LeblerEthier 19:49 3–0 WIS 2nd WISTed Pearson – GWLebler and Newberry 29:23 4–0 WIS MINButsy EricksonUlseth and Knoke 32:37 4–1 WIS WISJohn Newberry – PPS. Lecy and Vincent 34:27 5–1 WIS 3rd MINMike Knoke – PPJensen and A. Broten 40:10 5–2 WIS MINButsy Erickson – PPHartzell and A. Broten 56:09 5–3 WIS WISEd Lebler – ENDriver 58:40 6–3 WIS Penalty summary Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM 1st WISJohn NewberryRoughing 0:28 2:00 MINDave JensenRoughing 0:28 2:00 WISBruce DriverHooking 4:14 2:00 WISPat EthierInterference 9:35 2:00 WISBrian MullenCharging 10:11 2:00 MINNeal BrotenCross–Checking 10:11 2:00 WISJay McFarlaneCharging 11:58 2:00 MINPaul ButtersInterference 14:15 2:00 2nd WISTheran WelshHolding 25:48 2:00 WISPete JohnsonHooking 30:31 2:00 MINScott BjugstadHigh Sticking 32:51 2:00 MINMike MeadowsRoughing 35:28 2:00 MINBob BergloffRoughing 36:00 2:00 WISPat EthierElbowing 38:15 2:00 3rd WISTed PearsonHooking 45:21 2:00 WISTodd LecyInterference 55:06 2:00 Shots by period Team 1 2 3 T Wisconsin 11 14 17 42 Minnesota 8 10 15 33 Goaltenders Team Name Saves Goals against Time on ice WIS Marc Behrend 30 3 MIN Paul Butters 33 5 MIN Jim Jetland 3 0 Roster and scoring statistics 2 Wisconsin Badgers No. Name Year Position Hometown unsortable S/P/C Games Goals Assists Pts #FFFFFF PIM 16 Scott Lecy Senior W Rochester, MN Minnesota 42 26 49 75 44 20 Ron Vincent Junior RW Saanich, BC British Columbia 36 20 45 65 28 10 John Newberry Freshman C Victoria, BC British Columbia 39 30 32 62 77 5 Theran Welsh Senior D Prince Albert, SK Saskatchewan 41 10 44 54 52 11 Pete Johnson Junior C Madison, WI Wisconsin 41 30 23 53 44 26 Ed Lebler Junior LW Vanderhoof, BC British Columbia 42 28 24 52 20 19 Brian Mullen Freshman C New York, NY New York 38 11 13 24 28 7 Todd Lecy Sophomore LW Rochester, MN Minnesota 32 4 17 21 48 25 Bruce Driver Freshman D Toronto, ON Ontario 42 5 15 20 42 9 Lexi Doner Sophomore LW Lynnwood, WA Washington 30 7 11 18 16 12 John Johannson Freshman W Rochester, MN Minnesota 38 6 12 18 28 4 Pat Ethier Sophomore D Saint Paul, MN Minnesota 37 1 17 18 92 15 Dan Gorowsky Senior LW White Bear Lake, MN Minnesota 29 12 5 17 4 17 Ken Kuryluk Junior LW Winnipeg, MB Manitoba 42 8 9 17 2 24 Ted Pearson Freshman W Edina, MN Minnesota 36 6 9 15 59 2 Jay McFarlane Junior D Edmonton, AB Alberta 42 3 12 15 88 22 Jon Morgan Senior RW Minnetonka, MN Minnesota 19 2 8 10 14 3 Steve McKenzie Freshman D Leduc, AB Alberta 37 0 10 10 22 6 Jeff Andringa Sophomore D Madison, WI Wisconsin 37 1 7 8 10 13 Tom Carroll Freshman W Edina, MN Minnesota 6 3 1 4 4 21 Bruce Eakin Freshman C Winnipeg, MB Manitoba 4 1 3 4 2 29 Tim Sager Freshman W Saint Paul, MN Minnesota 4 1 2 3 0 23 Scott Sabo Freshman C Thief River Falls, MN Minnesota 17 2 0 2 10 14 Ed Repins Sophomore D Shorewood, WI Wisconsin 9 1 1 2 8 27 Brad Benson Freshman D Edina, MN Minnesota 14 0 2 2 2 18 John Dougherty Sophomore RW Green Bay, WI Wisconsin 5 0 0 0 0 8 Randy Keller Junior D Victoria, BC British Columbia 8 0 0 0 8 30 Jamey Gremore Senior G White Bear Lake, MN Minnesota 10 0 0 0 0 27 Marc Behrend Freshman G Madison, WI Wisconsin 16 0 0 0 0 1 Terry Kleisinger Freshman G Nanaimo, BC British Columbia 21 0 0 0 6 Total 860 264 441 705 794 1980-81 U. of Wisconsin roster and statistics http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/teams/0005801981.html Hockey DB 2018-08-06 Goaltending Statistics 2 Wisconsin Badgers No. Name Games Minutes Wins Losses Ties Goals against Saves Shut outs #FFFFFF SV % #FFFFFF GAA 27 Marc Behrend 16 913 11 4 1 50 500 0 0.909 3.29 1 Terry Kleisinger 21 1011 11 5 0 61 564 2 0.902 3.62 30 Jamey Gremore 10 596 5 5 0 43 294 0 0.872 4.34 Total 2520 27 14 1 154 1358 2 .898 3.67 Players drafted into the NHL 1981 NHL entry draft = NHL All-Star team= NHL All-StarPlayers are identified as an All-Star if they were selected for the All-Star game at any time in their career. = NHL All-Star and NHL All-Star team= Did not play in the NHL 2 Wisconsin Badgers Round Pick Player NHL team 5 85 Marc Behrend Winnipeg Jets 6 108 Bruce Driver Colorado Rockies 10 192 John Johannson Colorado Rockies 1981 NHL Entry Draft http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl1981e.html Hockey DB July 25, 2019 See also 1981 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament List of NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament champions References 50em Category:Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey seasons Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin