Just a week after picking up his first win as head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers, Tony Granato has his first win at Kohl Center.
Junior Grant Besse opened the scoring early in the first period, and Seamus Malone ended it in the third, as the Badgers upended No. 6-ranked Boston College with a 3-1 win Friday.
Besse's power play goal made it 1-0 Badgers at 4:27 of the first period, before forward Ryan Wagner delivered another power play strike late in the second to make it 2-0.
"It was a great game for power play and for penalty kill,” Wagner said. That's kind of something coach has been stressing after playing last weekend, there was 20-plus penalties both ways."
Malone extended Wisconsin's lead to three midway through the final frame, snapping a rebound past Boston College goalie Joe Woll after weaving his way through the Eagles' defense.
J.D. Dudek scored just 12 seconds later to end goalie Matt Jurusik's shutout bid, but the Badgers held steady the rest of the way.
“It was good to get that confidence back those first two games this season," Jurusik said. "I was a little shaky coming off a long off-season, but I felt really comfortable in net today and I think it showed."
Jurusik made 29 saves, while the Badgers killed all six Boston College power plays.
Wisconsin's power play was 2-for-8 on the night.
Wisconsin and Boston College return to the ice on Saturday at 3 p.m. for the series finale.
