[media-credit name=’RAY PFEIFFER/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]ST. PAUL — The third-ranked Wisconsin men's hockey team failed to win the Broadmoor Trophy at the WCHA Final Five, but capped the weekend by shutting out No. 1 Minnesota to gain some much-needed momentum and the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament.

With the win, the Badgers will enter hockey's Big Dance on a winning note for the first time since 1998.

One night after clawing their way back only to lose 8-7 in overtime, the Golden Gophers came back with very little energy against UW. Not only that, but despite playing the deciding game for the season series with the Badgers and playing for the top overall NCAA seed, they seemed to think there was nothing to play for.

"There were a lot of blank stares," Minnesota head coach Don Lucia said. "I wasn't surprised. … It was tough to summon that energy."

It was a polar opposite story for Wisconsin, which used all of those reasons as motivators and took it to Minnesota from the get-go.

"We looked at it as the rubber match between two good teams in our league. It was 2-2 in the season series," UW goalie Brian Elliott said. "We really wanted to get out there and win that. … We didn't really think about what it would do until the end of the game."

"Nobody was looking at this as just a third-place game," Eaves said. "There was a lot of pride on the line. This was one and two in the RPI rankings, this was a rubber match. It was a big game."

Andrew Joudrey capitalized on a breakaway, skating in all alone and beating Minnesota's Kellen Briggs five-hole to give UW the 1-0 lead less than four minutes into the game. It was the 11th time this season the Badgers scored in the opening five minutes, and they never looked back.

Freshman Jack Skille doubled the lead for Wisconsin midway through the second frame. Despite UW tallying just four more shots on goal than Minnesota, the Gophers had very few chances.

What chances they did have, junior Brian Elliott was there to answer the call. He finished with 26 saves and his sixth shutout of the year, a UW record. He also tied the school record by gaining the ninth shutout of his career.

"I don't even know what back is," Elliott said when asked if he was back to where he was before his injury. "You can't really describe your play before or after an injury. I have the confidence in myself and my teammates that we can bring that kind of game every night. Now it's just four more games the rest of the season."

Ross Carlson and leading scorer Robbie Earl capped off the scoring for UW in a game that nearly lulled the crowd of 16,134 at the Xcel Energy Center to sleep.

One night earlier, the Badgers were left scratching their heads against North Dakota. For the third time in about a month, they grabbed an early lead but squandered away the opportunity to play in the title game with a 4-3 loss.

"As individuals learn at different rates, so do teams," UW head coach Mike Eaves said. "Apparently, we have a pretty thick skull right now. Our hope is that we can figure this darn thing out."

It looked like UW would put it in cruise control after the first 11 minutes of action included a pair of UW goals. But the Sioux charged back with two goals of their own in the final four minutes.

"We got a two-goal lead, and we just kind of became complacent with ourselves," UW sophomore Joe Pavelski said. "We gave up a couple soft goals. … It takes the wind out of you a little bit. It's a lesson we've got to learn.

"It's happened two times. If it doesn't sink in by now, it's never going to sink in."

Pavelski scored seven minutes into the game to give the Badgers a 1-0 lead, and Andy Brandt doubled it later in the frame with his first goal in 76 games to snag the momentum.

But it was stolen right back when the Fighting Sioux scored back-to-back goals — including one by Rylan Kaip, who had never scored in his 59-game UND career — in the final two minutes.

"We've got a veteran team, and everybody's seen what we can do," a frustrated Pavelski said. "We've played excellent. It's just something that comes with each guy. We need every guy going out there."

Rastislav Spirko gave North Dakota the lead early in the second period, and the unlikely scorer Kaip got his second of the game and eventual game-winner with less than two minutes remaining in the second frame.

Earl tried to swing the momentum before the second intermission, but the two teams fought to a stalemate over the final 20 minutes, and the Sioux moved on to the championship game.

"We weren't desperate at all times," Pavelski said. "I had a shot go through my legs in the slot. We had numerous chances to make it a three-goal game. When we figure out how to do that … to put a team away like that … we'll get going again."

The Badgers got it going again Saturday afternoon and hope to carry that momentum into the NCAA tournament, where they will start next Saturday in Ashwaubenon, Wis.