The Badgers are going to the National Championship
The Badgers are back in the Natty.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 09: Luke Osburn #2, Ryan Botterill #21, Quinn Finley #19 and Oliver Tulk #55 of the Wisconsin Badgers celebrate a goal by Botterill against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks in the first period of a semifinal game of the NCAA Division I men's ice hockey championship at T-Mobile Arena on April 09, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images What. A.
Game. The Wisconsin Badgers are heading to the National Championship Game after a 2-1 win over the North Dakota Fighting Hawks, escaping in a thriller to continue an impressive season for Mike Hastings’s crew. It was a strong start for the Badgers, who scored two goals in the opening period and outshot North Dakota 18-4.
A Simon Tassy goal at the 7:06 mark got things started, while Ryan Botterill followed that up with a goal less than a minute later at the 6:39 mark. Wisconsin was aggressive and quite dominant in the first period, while not committing a penalty in the period. Things were a bit different in the second period, as North Dakota outshot the Badgers 12-7 and had a pair of power plays, including some 5-3 action.
But, the Badgers were able to kill the penalties, thanks to some incredible play from goalie Daniel Hauser, as they headed into the final 20 minutes with a 2-0 lead. In the third period, it was more similar to the first, with Wisconsin being on the attack for much of the period until North Dakota went empty-net at the end of the game. The Fighting Hawks had some life with less than a minute left as Ellis Rickwood scored right near the net to get North Dakota within one.