Winners of just one of their last six games played, the University of Wisconsin Men’s Hockey team needed to get things going in the positive direction again. After this weekend, they did just that. 

It wasn’t easy, but the Badgers (22-6-2, 13-4-1 Big Ten) took care of Notre Dame (14-14-2, 8-10-2 Big Ten) in sweep fashion and became the first Big Ten team to take all four in a season series against the Fighting Irish since they joined the conference in 2017. 

In doing so, the Badgers kept the heat on first-place Michigan State, which swept University of Michigan over the weekend, as the teams march towards what could be a series that decides the Big Ten in early March. 

Here’s how it went down in Madison.

Game 1: Notre Dame 2, Wisconsin 4 

Despite a strong first period from the Badgers, outshooting the Fighting Irish 18-7, they headed to the dressing room down 2-0. The Fighting Irish didn’t get many opportunities, but made the most of the ones they got. 

Hunter Strand and Tyler Carpenter each scored off the rush for the Fighting Irish to give them that 2-0 lead in the first period. Entering Friday’s contest, Notre Dame was 9-0-2 when getting the game’s first goal. That would soon change. 

In the second period, Notre Dame settled into the game, outshot the Badgers 12-11, and played a great period despite having to kill off a major penalty by Zach Plucinski. Well, a great 19:21 that is. 

After a Notre Dame defender wiped out at neutral ice, UW forward Christian Fitzgerald led a 2-on-1 up the ice and buried it himself to cut the deficit in half, finally beating Notre Dame goaltender Ryan Bischel, who had been perfect up to that point. But, the Badgers weren’t done. 

Minnesota State transfer forward David Silye then scored his fifth goal of the season and in the span of 15 seconds, the Badgers turned a 2-0 deficit into a tied hockey game in the second period’s final minute. 

Then, with 18:42 left in the third, Silye would strike again off of a beautiful setup by Badgers forward Cruz Lucius to give the Badgers their first lead of the game. The three UW goals came in the span of 2:01 of game time. 

Carson Bantle would later add an empty-net goal for the Badgers to seal a 4-2, come-from-behind victory in the series opener. 

Badgers goaltender Kyle McClellan made 21 saves in the winning effort. 

Behind the Plucinski major, plus another one taken later in the game by

 Nelson, both resulting in ejections, the Fighting Irish got tagged with 34 penalty minutes in a really physical game. 

Game 2: Notre Dame 2, Wisconsin 3 

The physicality from the opening game carried over into the second game of the series, especially after plays were over. All night long, chaos ensued after whistles, be it around goaltenders or, frankly, anywhere. 

The game itself? Yeah, it was a weird one. 

In game two, the Badgers would waste no time getting on the board. Fresh off the bench, William Whitelaw took advantage of a turnover and deposited it right through the legs of Bischel to give the Badgers the game’s all-important first goal. When they score the first goal, UW is 17-0-2. The first and second periods would come and go with the game still 1-0. Then, things got interesting. 

In the third period, the teams combined for 29 penalty minutes and four goals. Notre Dame tied it up with a power play goal just under five minutes into the third period with Landon Slaggert’s 17th goal of the season. 

Later, Simon Tassy put UW back in front with a tip over Bischel for his team-leading seventh power play goal of the year. Tassy, who Notre Dame had been going after all weekend, celebrated the go-ahead goal with a little extra enthusiasm. 

The Badgers would later make it 3-1 on one of the strangest goals ever. UW forward Owen Mehlenbacher was shoved into Bischel, then Sawyer Scholl wrapped around and scored while Bischel and Mehlenbacher were still tangled. Nobody knew what happened. Then, the horn went off and the most delayed crowd reaction ever for a goal occurred. Notre Dame would challenge for goaltender interference, but unlike last week, this goal would be upheld. 

Notre Dame nearly killed their chance at a comeback with just under five minutes left when Nelson was assessed a major and ejected for the second straight game, this time due to a hit to the head on Whitelaw after the whistle. But, the Badgers evened it up with a penalty of their own, a questionable charging call on Bantle, and the Fighting Irish would score with the goalie pulled to cut it to one. 

The Badgers were able to hold on the rest of the game. McClellan made 23 saves for UW. 

Quick Hitters

The Badgers got Cruz Lucius back for this series after he missed last weekend with an upper-body injury and played the first game fully healthy with Brady Cleveland returning also. But, Owen Lindmark left the first game with injury and would not play in game two. 

Mehlenbacher and Scholl drew back into the lineup for game two after the Badgers went with seven defensemen in the opening game, then 13 forwards in game two. 

Stars of the Weekend 

1 – David Silye, F. His first two goals since Dec. 28 in the Kwik Trip Holiday Faceoff were two big ones, including the game-winner on Friday. 

2 – Cruz Lucius, F. His playmaking was on display all weekend as he finished with three assists and showed just why UW missed him so much last weekend. 

3 – Simon Tassy. Never doubt the impact of an agitator, and this one can score also. Had a goal and an assist in a weekend he was elevated to the top line after the top-6 was shuffled around by Mike Hastings and was in the heads of the Fighting Irish all weekend. 

Up Next 

The Badgers kick off a four-game road trip with a date with the last-play Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus next weekend. Puck drop set for 5:30 PM on Friday and 3:30 PM on Saturday. Saturday’s game will be televised on Big Ten Network while Friday will only be available to stream on Big Ten Plus.