[media-credit name=’RYAN KNICKMEYER/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — After a well-publicized rough stretch to end its regular season, the University of Wisconsin men’s hockey team entered the NCAA tournament with new life. However, Jeff Tambellini and the Michigan Wolverines ended the Badgers’ hopes and season with a convincing 4-1 victory over UW in the opening round of the tournament Saturday night.

The junior forward tallied two goals and had a hand in all four Michigan scores in the Wolverine victory. Hobey Baker Award finalist T.J. Hensick added one goal and a pair of assists for Red Berenson’s squad, who were playing in front of a largely pro-Michigan crowd of 6,312 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids.

“This was probably my best game at Michigan,” said Tambellini, the CCHA Tournament Most Valuable Player. “Just the type of game it was, being in the NCAA Tournament.”

Michigan used a hot start in the first period to assume total control of the contest, and never looked back, while UW, the No. 3-seed in the Midwest regional, struggled from the game’s outset.

“We kind of stood around and watched them,” Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves said. “It was a veteran team that went out there and took control of the game.”

Wisconsin generated just four shots on goal in the opening period. Michigan capitalized, firing 18 shots on net, and took a 1-0 lead at the 7:08 mark on Tambellini’s first goal, a power play tally from the point that traveled through considerable traffic in front of the net.

“Obviously I wish to fight through those screens and pick up the puck at some point, but there’s just so many guys in front of me,” Wisconsin goaltender Bernd Brückler said. “Sometimes there’s nothing you can do on those when you are screened that much.”

Brückler made 27 saves in his final game in a Wisconsin uniform, including 16 in the first period. However, his efforts were thwarted by a relentless Michigan offense.

The Wolverines extended their lead at the 13:48 mark of the first on a shot from the right point by senior defenseman Brandon Rogers. Hensick and Tambellini both assisted on Roger’s score, the eventual game-winner.

“I think it came down to both of us coming to play the same night,” Hensick said of his and linemate Tambellini’s success. “We both had our feet moving tonight, moving the puck well, moving at the blue line, creating chances, trying to make their defensemen make mistakes. I think it just worked out well tonight.”

Earlier in the season, the Badgers knocked off the then-No. 1-ranked Wolverines in the College Hockey Showcase. However, Hensick did not play for disciplinary reasons, and captain Eric Nystrom missed the contest due to illness.

“I think these are two different teams,” Tambellini said. “November hockey is a lot different than right now.”

Wisconsin outshot Michigan 14-to-13 in the game’s final two periods, but failed to produce many legitimate scoring chances and produced only one shot on goal on the power play for the game.

“Our penalty killing’s been strong lately, and it’s something that we’ve put an onus on,” Nystrom said.

A second period-goal from Hensick and Tambellini’s second score of the game in the third period salted the victory away for Michigan. Hensick’s tally was actually an attempted pass that went in off of Wisconsin defenseman Josh Engel’s stick and into the net.

Wisconsin ended Michigan goaltender Al Montoya’s shutout bid with a late goal from captain Adam Burish. Sophomore forward Robbie Earl cycled behind the Michigan net and fed Burish between the circles for his 13th score of the season. However, the goal was simply too little, too late for Wisconsin, whose season came to a close.

“I thought in the third period our young kids still battled, and our goal was to bust that goose egg, and we did that,” Eaves said. “But the game was already out of reach. The great start really paid off well for them.”

For the game, Montoya made 17 saves between the pipes for the Wolverines, who won their 11th consecutive opening round NCAA tournament contest. The Badgers ended their season with a 23-14-4 record, one win better than last season’s total.

“We’ve learned a lot of lessons, and we’re going to come back as an older team next year,” Burish said.