1976–77 Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey season explained

The 1976–77 Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison in college ice hockey. In its tenth year under head coach Bob Johnson, the team compiled a 37–7–1 record (26–5–1 against Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) opponents) and outscored all opponents 264 to 161.[1] The Badgers received the WCHA's automatic bid to the 1977 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament by winning the 1977 WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, the only singular WCHA tournament champion over a 16-year period (1965 to 1981). They defeated the New Hampshire Wildcats in the Frozen Four semifinals and then beat WCHA- and Big Ten-rival Michigan Wolverines by a 6–5 score in overtime to win the national championship in Detroit, Michigan.

Goalie Julian Baretta was chosen as the Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Tournament. He had two shutouts and a .905 save percentage for the season. The team's leading scorer was junior defenseman Craig Norwich with 18 goals, 65 assists, and 83 points. Norwich was the third defenseman (Bob Heathcott, 1952; Dan Lodboa, 1970) in NCAA history to lead his team in scoring while winning a National Title in the same season (the next occurrence was 2018).

Season

Head coach Bob Johnson returned to the program after taking a year off to coach the Team USA at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck. The Olympic team finished a disappointing 5th-place after taking Silver in 1972 but the Badgers had fared even worse in Johnson's absence. Wisconsin went 12–24–1 under interim coach Bill Rothwell, compiling their first losing season since returning to varsity status in 1963 (The Badgers would not have another losing season until 1995–96).[2]

Seeking to erase the previous year from their collective memories, the Badgers opened with a 6–7 overtime loss to dual conference rival Michigan but evened their record with an overtime win the following day. Over the next six games, Wisconsin scored no less than 5 times, winning each match until Michigan State handed them their second defeat of the season. After trading wins with several teams, and losing a match to HC Spartak Moscow, Wisconsin won 12 games in a row after the new year, rocketing up the standings to take first place in the WCHA. Wisconsin finished the regular season winning 26 of their 32 WCHA games to capture their first conference title and were led by Craig Norwich in scoring. Norwich's 63 points in WCHA play was good for third best across the conference and paced all defensemen by a wide margin.

Prior to the season, the NCAA instituted a new policy where they gave their tournament selection committee the ability to add up to four additional teams to the tournament.[3] In response to this the WCHA changed their tournament format to have a solitary champion that would receive an automatic tournament bid rather than two co-champions who would both proceed to the national championship. This format would be in place for only the 1977 season and would revert to a co-champion system in 1978.[4] Because of this Wisconsin would have to face three rounds of competitors rather than the customary two to win the WCHA tournament.

The Badgers played 8th-place Colorado College in the quarterfinals, who made the tournament over Michigan State based on tie-breakers. Though the Tigers had lost all four games to Wisconsin in the regular season they had done so with only seven fewer goals than the Badgers. In the two-game series Colorado College held Wisconsin's high-powered offense to only three goals twice, far below their average, but could only manage one score in each contest. In the semifinals the Badgers faced off against an upstart Minnesota squad that had defeated #2 seed Notre Dame in the opening round. The Golden Gophers were no match for the Badgers who took the series 17–8 and were set against Michigan in the championship series. Wisconsin got off to a great start, taking the first game 4–0, before cruising to a WCHA championship with a 5–4 win in the following game to take the series 9–4. The title gave Wisconsin an automatic bid to the 1977 NCAA tournament as the #1 western seed.

In their first game at the Olympia Stadium Wisconsin played New Hampshire, who possessed the #1 offense in the east. The two teams fought to a 3–3 tie after regulation but Julian Baretta kept everything out of the Badger's net in the extra frame and allowed Mike Eaves to score the game-winner.[5] The championship match set Johnson's Badgers against Farrell's Wolverines for the seventh time that season. Wisconsin's offensive firepower was apparent from the start and the Badgers jumped out to a 3–0 lead on the strength of two power play goals. Michigan replied with two man-advantage markers of their own to cut the score to 3–2 but goals by Mike Meeker and Mark Johnson at the beginnings of the second and third periods rebuilt the Badger's 3-goal lead. The Wolverines, however, would not go away and Mark Miller scored 26 seconds after Johnson's second goal of the game. Dave Debol notched his second less than a minute later to cut Wisconsin's lead to 1 goal and it was completely erased with less than 6 minutes in regulation by John Wayman. With the score tied and the Badger's reeling Baretta kept the score tied 5–5 and allowed Wisconsin to regain their footing as the two teams headed into overtime. In what turned out to be the shortest overtime period in NCAA championship history, Steve Alley backhanded the puck past Michigan netminder Rick Palmer and sent the Badger faithful into paroxysms of joy.[6] [7]

Wisconsin won its second National Title in 5 years on the strength of its power play, scoring a then-record 93 goals on the man-advantage over the course of the season. Only the 1980 Minnesota team has scored more (99).[8] Mark Johnson set an NCAA record for freshman in assists (44) and points (80) and was named WCHA Freshman of the Year. Bob Johnson was named as the WCHA Coach of the Year while Julian Baretta and Craig Norwich earned both First Team All-WCHA and AHCA All-American honors. Mike Eaves was selected for the WCHA Second Team and an All-American while John Taft received a spot on the WCHA Second Team.[9] [10]

Standings

Schedule

During the season, Wisconsin compiled a 37–7–1 record, the best year the program has ever produced.[11] Its schedule was as follows.[12]

Oct. 15, 1976Michigan ‡6–7*LossDane County Coliseum0–1 (0–1 / 0–1)
Oct. 16, 1976Michigan ‡7–6*WinDane County Coliseum1–1 (1–1 / 1–1)
Oct. 22, 1976Western Ontario11–2WinDane County Coliseum2–1 (1–1 / 1–1)
Oct. 23, 1976Western Ontario8–4WinDane County Coliseum3–1 (1–1 / 1–1)
Nov. 5, 1976Minnesota–Duluth †5–4WinDECC4–1 (2–1 / 1–1)
Nov. 6, 1976Minnesota–Duluth †7–5WinDECC5–1 (3–1 / 1–1)
Nov. 12, 1976Colorado College †6–5WinDane County Coliseum6–1 (4–1 / 1–1)
Nov. 13, 1976Colorado College †5–4WinDane County Coliseum7–1 (5–1 / 1–1)
Nov. 19, 1976Michigan State ‡2–5LossMunn Ice Arena7–2 (5–2 / 1–2)
Nov. 20, 1976Michigan State ‡8–0WinMunn Ice Arena8–2 (6–2 / 2–2)
Nov. 26, 1976Notre Dame †1–4LossDane County Coliseum8–3 (6–3 / 2–2)
Nov. 27, 1976Notre Dame †4–3WinDane County Coliseum9–3 (7–3 / 2–2)
Dec. 3, 1976Minnesota ‡4–3*WinWilliams Arena10–3 (8–3 / 3–2)
Dec. 4, 1976Minnesota ‡7–2WinWilliams Arena11–3 (9–3 / 4–2)
Dec. 10, 1976North Dakota †6–2WinDane County Coliseum12–3 (10–3 / 4–2)
Dec. 11, 1976North Dakota †11–6WinDane County Coliseum13–3 (11–3 / 4–2)
Dec. 29, 1976Harvard3–4LossDane County Coliseum13–4 (11–3 / 4–2)
Dec. 30, 1976Harvard7–5WinDane County Coliseum14–4 (11–3 / 4–2)
Dec. 31, 1976HC Spartak Moscow1–2LossDane County Coliseum14–5 (11–3 / 4–2)
Jan. 7, 1977Minnesota ‡7–1WinDane County Coliseum15–5 (12–3 / 5–2)
Jan. 8, 1977Minnesota ‡4–5LossDane County Coliseum15–6 (12–4 / 5–3)
Jan. 14, 1977North Dakota †7–6*WinRalph Engelstad Arena16–6 (13–4 / 5–3)
Jan. 15, 1977North Dakota †8–7*WinRalph Engelstad Arena17–6 (14–4 / 5–3)
Jan. 21, 1977Colorado College †6–3WinBroadmoor World Arena18–6 (15–4 / 5–3)
Jan. 22, 1977Colorado College †4–1WinBroadmoor World Arena19–6 (16–4 / 5–3)
Jan. 28, 1977Michigan State ‡10–6WinDane County Coliseum20–6 (17–4 / 6–3)
Jan. 29, 1977Michigan State ‡9–2WinDane County Coliseum21–6 (18–4 / 7–3)
Feb. 4, 1977Michigan ‡3–2WinYost Ice Arena22–6 (19–4 / 8–3)
Feb. 5, 1977Michigan ‡11–8WinYost Ice Arena23–6 (20–4 / 9–3)
Feb. 11, 1977Michigan Tech †8–4WinDane County Coliseum24–6 (21–4 / 9–3)
Feb. 12, 1977Michigan Tech †4–3WinDane County Coliseum25–6 (22–4 / 9–3)
Feb. 18, 1977Minnesota–Duluth †7–4WinDane County Coliseum26–6 (23–4 / 9–3)
Feb. 19, 1977Minnesota–Duluth †6–4WinDane County Coliseum27–6 (24–4 / 9–3)
Feb. 25, 1977Denver †3–6LossDU Arena27–7 (24–5 / 9–3)
Feb. 26, 1977Denver †5–2WinDU Arena28–7 (25–5 / 9–3)
Mar. 4, 1977Notre Dame †8–3WinJoyce Center29–7 (26–5 / 9–3)
Mar. 5, 1977Notre Dame †3–3*TieJoyce Center29–7–1 (26–5–1 / 9–3)
WCHA TOURNAMENT
Mar. 9, 1977Colorado College3–1WinDane County Coliseum30–7–1 (26–5–1 / 9–3)
Mar. 10, 1977Colorado College3–1WinDane County Coliseum31–7–1 (26–5–1 / 9–3)
Wisconsin Wins Series 6–2
Mar. 12, 1977Minnesota9–5WinDane County Coliseum32–7–1 (26–5–1 / 9–3)
Mar. 13, 1977Minnesota8–3WinDane County Coliseum33–7–1 (26–5–1 / 9–3)
Wisconsin Wins Series 17–8
Mar. 16, 1977Michigan4–0WinDane County Coliseum34–7–1 (26–5–1 / 9–3)
Mar. 17, 1977Michigan5–4WinDane County Coliseum35–7–1 (26–5–1 / 9–3)
Wisconsin Wins Series 9–4
NCAA TOURNAMENT
March 25, 1977New Hampshire4–3*WinOlympia Stadium36–7–1 (26–5–1 / 9–3)
March 26, 1977Michigan6–5*WinOlympia Stadium37–7–1 (26–5–1 / 9–3)
264–16137–7–1 (26–5–1 / 9–3)

National championship

(W1) Wisconsin vs. (W2) Michigan

Scoring summary
PeriodTeamGoalAssist(s)TimeScore
1stalign=center style=";" WISSteve Alley – PPNorwich and Eavesalign=center 2:29align=center 1–0 WIS
align=center style=";" WISDave HerbstNorwich and Lundeenalign=center 9:27align=center 2–0 WIS
align=center style=";" WISMark Johnson – PPEaves and Alleyalign=center 15:12align=center 3–0 WIS
align=center style=";" UMKip Maurer – PPManery and Palmeralign=center 16:13align=center 3–1 WIS
2ndalign=center style=";" UMDave Debol – PPMaurer and Palmeralign=center 21:33align=center 3–2 WIS
align=center style=";" WISMike MeekerJohnson and Suteralign=center 22:54align=center 4–2 WIS
3rdalign=center style=";" WISMark JohnsonGrauer and Meekeralign=center 41:10align=center 5–2 WIS
align=center style=";" UMMark MillerDebol and Toddalign=center 41:36align=center 5–3 WIS
align=center style=";" UMDave DebolThayeralign=center 42:14align=center 5–4 WIS
align=center style=";" UMJohn WaymanMaureralign=center 54:22align=center 5–5
1st Overtimealign=center style=";" WISSteve Alley – GWEaves and Ulsethalign=center 60:23align=center 6–5 WIS
Penalty summary
PeriodTeamPlayerPenaltyTimePIM
1stalign=center style=";" UMKris ManeryHookingalign=center 1:12align=center 2:00
align=center style=";" WISDave HerbstHookingalign=center 5:48align=center 2:00
align=center style=";" UMDane HoeneTrippingalign=center 15:01align=center 2:00
align=center style=";" WISMurray JohnsonElbowingalign=center 15:21align=center 2:00
align=center style=";" WISCraig NorwichHigh–Stickingalign=center 19:20align=center 2:00
align=center style=";" UMJohn WaymanHigh–Stickingalign=center 19:20align=center 2:00
2ndalign=center style=";" WISSteve AlleyHookingalign=center 20:30align=center 2:00
align=center style=";" WISDave HerbstTrippingalign=center 22:54align=center 2:00
align=center style=";" UMDean TurnerInterferencealign=center 28:44align=center 2:00
align=center style=";" WISBob SuterRoughingalign=center 34:44align=center 2:00
align=center style=";" WISCraig NorwichRoughingalign=center 37:13align=center 2:00
3rdalign=center style=";" WISCraig NorwichHigh–Stickingalign=center 41:55align=center 2:00
align=center style=";" UMDane HoeneHigh–Stickingalign=center 41:55align=center 2:00
align=center style=";" UMJohn McCahillHookingalign=center 45:03align=center 2:00
align=center style=";" WISJohn TaftTrippingalign=center 48:41align=center 2:00
Shots by period
Team123OTT
align=center style=";" Michigan align=center 11 align=center 13 align=center 15 align=center 0 align=center 39
align=center style=";" Wisconsin align=center 11 align=center 10 align=center 8 align=center 1 align=center 30
Goaltenders
TeamNameSavesGoals againstTime on ice
align=center style=";" UM align=center 24 align=center 6 align=center
align=center style=";" WIS align=center 34 align=center 5 align=center

Roster and scoring statistics

5 Junior 44 18 65 83 70
17 Junior 45 28 53 81 18
10 Freshman 43 36 44 80 16
11 Senior 45 32 31 63 50
7 Senior 42 15 43 58 41
9 Les Grauer Sophomore 43 21 33 54 42
19 Sophomore 41 26 27 53 50
22 Dave Lundeen Senior 44 18 29 47 110
25 Dave Herbst Junior 45 14 19 33 72
16 Tom Ulseth Junior 42 13 18 31 10
8 Norm McIntosh Junior 45 8 20 28 58
20 Mark Capouch Junior 44 11 12 23 14
2 Sophomore 38 3 15 18 107
18 Murray Johnson Junior 43 7 6 13 40
26 Ron Griffin Freshman 35 5 8 13 14
15 Tim Phippen Freshman 27 3 5 8 16
3 John Suter Junior 40 2 3 5 30
24 Rod Romanchuk Sophomore 43 1 3 4 12
29 Jim Scheid Freshman 7 1 2 3 0
23 Senior 12 1 2 3 8
14 Brad Mullins Junior 15 1 0 1 12
12 Ian Perrin Junior 8 0 1 1 0
4 John Gregory Junior 10 0 1 1 0
1 Sophomore 26 0 1 1 0
30 Senior 3 0 0 0 0
21 Clark Kavolinas Sophomore 8 0 0 0 4
27 Mike Dibble Senior 22 0 0 0 0
Total 860 264 441 705 794
[13]

Goaltending Statistics

30 3 60 2 0 0 3 22 0 0.880 3.00
1 26 1458 21 2 0 75 714 2 0.905 3.08
27 Mike Dibble 22 1219 14 5 1 83 686 0 0.892 4.08
Total 2737 37 7 1 161 1422 2 .898 3.53

Players drafted into the NHL/WHA

1977 NHL amateur draft

= NHL All-Star team= NHL All-Star[14] = NHL All-Star and NHL All-Star team= Did not play in the NHL
4 66 Pittsburgh Penguins
5 84 Los Angeles Kings
7 120 Los Angeles Kings
[15]

1977 WHA Amateur Draft

= Did not play in the WHA
3 22 Birmingham Bulls
6 51 Edmonton Oilers
7 58 Birmingham Bulls
[16]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: 2009–10 WCHA Yearbook 113–128. WCHA. 2014-06-01.
  2. News: Wisconsin Men's Hockey Team History. USCHO.com. 2018-08-03.
  3. Web site: Tournament History . https://web.archive.org/web/20120817163148/http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/frozen_4/2009/f4trnhist.pdf . 2012-08-17 . live . 2013-06-29 .
  4. News: 2009–10 WCHA Yearbook 129–144. WCHA. 2014-06-01.
  5. News: PAST: 1977 TITLE TEAM ESTABLISHED SOLID FOUNDATION. Madison.com. 2006-04-06. 2018-08-06.
  6. News: Badgers men's hockey: A celebration 40 years in the making for Wisconsin's 1977 champions. Milewski. Todd D.. Madison.com. 2017-03-09. 2018-08-06. Wisconsin State Journal.
  7. News: 1977 NCAA Men’s Champs. Wisconsin Broadcasting Museum. 2018-08-06.
  8. News: Division I Men's Records. NCAA. 2018-08-06.
  9. News: WCHA All-Teams. College Hockey Historical Archives. May 19, 2013.
  10. News: Men's Ice Hockey Award Winners. NCAA.org. June 11, 2013.
  11. News: Wisconsin Men's Hockey Team History. USCHO.com. 2018-08-01.
  12. News: Badger Hockey 2005–06 Media Guide. Wisconsin Badgers. 2018-08-01.
  13. News: 1976–77 U. of Wisconsin roster and statistics. Hockey DB. 2018-08-06.
  14. Players are identified as an All-Star if they were selected for the All-Star game at any time in their career.
  15. News: 1977 NHL amateur draft . Hockey DB . July 9, 2019.
  16. News: 1977 WHA Amateur Draft . Hockey DB . July 9, 2019.

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