After a close 2-0 loss to St. Cloud State yesterday, the Wisconsin men’s hockey team will face Denver in the third place game of the WCHA Final Five.
UW and DU were the top two seeds in the conference, but hours after the Badgers fell, the Pioneers dropped a 4-3 decision to North Dakota. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top, as UW and DU are the only teams in the nation to not have lost consecutive games all season. Denver is 7-0 after a loss and Wisconsin is 7-0-2.
The Badgers just couldn’t solve Huskies goaltender Mike Lee yesterday, being shut out for just the second time all season. SCSU got a power play goal in the second period and UW was unable to respond. The Badgers had a plethora of third period chances, including one off the post after pulling goaltender Scott Gudmandson for an extra skater late in the game. St. Cloud got an empty net goal to seal its place in the title game later tonight.
At stake for UW might be a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament. The Badgers looked like a lock for a top seed until the loss yesterday. A win over Denver should lock up a top seed for Wisconsin, while the Pioneers are safely in as a No. 1.
Join Herald Sports Content Editor Adam Holt as he covers the action live from the rink at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul
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