Championship Saturday is officially here, as the Wisconsin Badgers have a chance to add to the rafters when they face off against the Denver Pioneers.
Wisconsin has had a fantastic run to the championship game, coming into the tournament as a No. 3 seed. They initially knocked off Dartmouth 5-1, thanks to a four-goal third period, before facing Michigan State for the fifth time this season.
Early in the season, the Badgers made a statement when they swept the Spartans, who were ranked No. 1 at the time,
in East Lansing. But, amid their six-game slide in January, Wisconsin was swept by Michigan State at the Kohl Center. So, the battle in Worcester was sure to be a fun one.
After a scoreless first period, Quinn Finley got the scoring going in that one just 18 seconds into the second period. But the Badgers found themselves in deep trouble as Michigan State scored three consecutive goals, including two off the power play, to take a 3-2 lead halfway through the third period.
That’s where the Badgers rally began, as Luke Osborn and Gavin Morrissey scored goals within a minute of each other late into the period to tie things up at 3 apiece, eventually sending the game to overtime. And just 24 seconds in, Ben Dexheimer got the goal that sent Wisconsin to the Frozen Four in a thriller win.
Then came Thursday’s matchup against a vaunted North Dakota team that had a ton of potential future NHL talent on it. But that didn’t faze the Badgers, who were in control for much of the game. They significantly outshot North Dakota in the first period, getting out to a quick 2-0 lead behind goals from Simon Tassy and Ryan Botterill within 30 seconds of each other.
In the second period, they were able to weather the storm, with Daniel Hauser having an excellent game, before getting back on the attack for much of the third and overcoming a late North Dakota goal in the final minute to win 2-1.
Now, it’s on to the Championship Game, where Wisconsin faces a Denver team making its third straight Frozen Four appearance.
Here’s how you can watch the game.
Date: Saturday, April 11th
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Channel: ESPN
Arena: T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, Nevada)
