Quick Six: Men’s hockey NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!
LAS VEGAS – The Wisconsin males’s hockey crew is nationwide championship-bound! The Badgers will face Denver within the nationwide title recreation on Saturday, April 11, at 4:30 pm CT/2:30 pm PT at T-Mobile Arena, house of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights. The recreation airs on ESPN.
Here are six fast issues to know earlier than tuning in:
1 – SURVIVE AND ADVANCE: With a 2-1 win over second overall-seeded North Dakota within the nationwide semifinals, Wisconsin advances to its ninth official NCAA championship recreation and goals to win its seventh NCAA Championship in program historical past.
Slap that bracket, Dex 👏#MFrozenFour x @BadgerMHockey pic.twitter.com/4rJakDsrzf
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) April 10, 2026
The win helped the Badgers formally enhance to 17-6-0 all-time within the NCAA match (.739 win proportion). Only one faculty in NCAA historical past with greater than 4 Frozen Four video games performed is healthier.
Wisconsin produced an amazing begin, outshooting the Fighting Hawks, 18-4, by way of 20 minutes. More importantly, the Badgers jumped on the board early twice, scoring two targets in 27 seconds of the primary interval to take a 2-0 lead over the Fighting Hawks. Senior ahead Simon Tassy acquired UW on the board with a snipe at 12:54, earlier than sophomore ahead Ryan Botterill snapped the puck previous Jan Špunar at 13:21, which might ultimately function the game-winning aim.
UW’s protection stayed regular, killing off 5 penalties, together with 1:57 of a two-man benefit for North Dakota, to maintain the sport 2-0. The Fighting Hawks pulled their goaltender for the primary time with 3:34 remaining, and the Badgers held sturdy till 52 seconds left, when Ellis Rickwood closed the sport to 1 aim. UW survived the remainder of the way in which for the 2-1 victory.
We’re stayin’ in Vegas. pic.twitter.com/MYQwPB8i2T
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) April 10, 2026
2 – THE HAUS ALWAYS WINS: Goaltender Daniel Hauser He stood tall in web for the Badgers, stopping 21 of twenty-two pictures he confronted to earn his twenty first win of the yr.
The Haus all the time wins. 🃏 pic.twitter.com/SbHaIQtECT
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) April 10, 2026
The freshman’s twenty first victory of the season ties him with Curtis Joseph (1988-89) and Dean Anderson (1984-85) for the freshman single-season wins file at Wisconsin.
Hauser had a spotlight reel save within the remaining minute of the second interval, stopping Fighting Hawk on the breakaway to maintain the rating 2-0 till ND acquired on the board within the final minute of the sport with an additional attacker.
Like a brick wall 🧱
📺ESPN2#MFrozenFour x @BadgerMHockey pic.twitter.com/igJwb1vHZ5
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) April 9, 2026
In three match video games performed, the Chestermere, Alberta, native has three wins in three begins, accumulating a .921 save proportion and 1.66 goals-allowed on common.
3 – TO FAMILY FOE: Denver is a historic NCAA postseason opponent for the Badgers, because the groups have confronted one another thrice, with the Badgers proudly owning a 3-0 NCAA match file over the Pioneers.
All In pic.twitter.com/ynBh2nxRuX
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) April 10, 2026
UW and DU first met within the NCAA match within the 1972 third-place recreation on March 18 in Boston, the place Wisconsin received, 5-2. The Badgers then received their first nationwide championship on March 17, 1973, in Boston, a 4-2 win over the Pioneers. UW and DU’s most up-to-date assembly got here on March 29, 2008, a 6-2 Wisconsin win within the first spherical on the Kohl Center. All-time, UW has a 76-66-13 file over its former WCHA foe, with the groups’ final assembly coming Friday and Saturday, Oct. 25-26, 2024, in Denver.
4 – TITLE GAME FAN EVENTS: Join fellow Badger followers at Beerhaus in Las Vegas earlier than Wisconsin’s 2026 NCAA Frozen Four championship recreation on Saturday afternoon!
The occasion takes place from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm PT at Beerhaus (3790 S. Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, Nevada 89158), only a 5-minute stroll from T-Mobile Arena, the place Wisconsin is about to play Denver at 2:30 pm PT.
Bucky Badger and the Badger Band will carry out, and giveaways shall be obtainable for followers whereas provides final.
Another recreation, one other fan occasion 🙌
See you tomorrow at Beerhaus! pic.twitter.com/5rGqNys8Pm
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) April 10, 2026
Fans are additionally inspired to attend UW’s Blue Carpet Arrival at Frozen Fest, which is able to happen at 12:15 pm PT. The Frozen Fest will happen from 11:30 am – 2:30 pm PT at Toshiba Plaza in entrance of the East entrance of T-Mobile Arena.
Click here to seek out further details about the Frozen Four from the NCAA, together with ticket data, a each day schedule and the official bracket.
Badger followers watching in Madison are additionally invited to assemble at The Sett in Union South for a title recreation watch get together beginning at 4:30 pm CT.
It all comes right down to this.
Join us tomorrow on the Sett in @WisconsinUnion South to look at @badgermhockey tackle Denver within the National Championship recreation 🏆#OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/5NzHFcWbTW
— Wisconsin Badgers (@UWBadgers) April 10, 2026
5 – SCOUTING THE PIONEERS: NCHC tournament-champion Denver boasts a 28-11-3 total file, going 17-6-1 in convention play. The Loveland Regaionl second seed superior to the Frozen Four with a 5-0 win over regional third-seed Cornell earlier than beating defending nationwide champion and regional top-seed Western Michigan 6-2 within the finals.
The Pioneers then made the nationwide championship recreation with a 4-3 double-overtime win towards top-overall seed Michigan within the nationwide semifinals on April 9.
Hobey Baker top-three finalist and junior defenseman Eric Pohlkamp leads the roster in each targets and factors with 18 and 39, respectively, in 42 video games performed. Freshman goaltender Johnny Hicks has 15 wins in 15 begins and has 22 total video games performed, accumulating a .957 save proportion and 1.20 goals-allowed on common.
6 – HOW TO WATCH: The Badgers play Denver within the nationwide championship recreation on Saturday, April 11, at 4:30 pm CT./2:30 pm PT. Fans can watch the motion dwell on ESPN. Audio play-by-play for each video games could be discovered on 1310 WIBA within the Madison space, in addition to on the Badgers app and the Varsity Network App. You also can comply with alongside on X/Twitter and Instagram @BadgerMHockey.
