( Above Photo Credit:  Wisconsin Athletics )

By: Mark Allred                  Follow Me On Twitter @BlackAndGold277

This weekend the Wisconsin Badgers traveled to Big Ten rival Michigan to play back-to-back games at the Yost Arena in Ann Arbor Michigan home of the Wolverines team and even though both teams earned a victory it was a Boston Bruins prospect that made the most noise. B’s 2016 first round selection and Badgers forward Trent Frederic had a goal and two assists in Friday night’s 5-3 loss to Michigan and repeated that effort on Saturday night contributing another three-point night in a 4-2 win over the 20th ranked Wolverines team according to the USCHO poll distributed last month.

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With a six-point weekend, Frederic now has 14-13-27 numbers in 30 games so far this season and currently has 11 points in his last seven games. Last season as a freshman the 6′-0″ 216-pound forward posted 33 points in 30 games and with four games remaining on the Badgers NCAA Men’s Hockey schedule he has a chance to pass his career high in points. The final four games of the season won’t be an easy task as they’ll square up against two Big Ten Conference foes in 12th ranked Minnesota next weekend for two games and 5th ranked Ohio State the following weekend to end the regular season.

Frederic told Wisconsin State Journal sports reporter Todd D. Milewski “Any time you can get ahead in the game, I think we feel more confident playing ahead,” Frederic said. “It’s good to get that first one.”

Wisconsin Head coach and former National Hockey League player Tony Granato who’s about to jump on a plane for the long trip to coach the United States team in the 2018 Winter Olympics held in PyeongChang, South Korea had this to say about Frederic’s game over the weekend “He’s on a roll now,” Granato said. “It’s not the goals. It’s the faceoff battle, it’s the defensive play, it’s the penalty kill. It’s everything. He’s just playing great.”

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It’s hard to figure what Frederic’s future plans will be pertaining to his education or his willingness to leave school to turn pro and join the Bruins organization presumably a start in the American Hockey League with the Providence Bruins. I’m kind of getting the feeling the B’s will go the route similar to the path they took with current Bruins Danton Heinen when he left Denver after his sophomore year. Regardless of where he plays next season whether it’s back in the NCAA for continued development with his Badgers team or a first-year pro, he’ll add a significant piece to the future depth of this Bruins franchise as they build the team to be competitive on a yearly basis and properly construct a roster from the hard work of management and scouting staff.

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