[media-credit name=’AJ MACLEAN/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]ASHWAUBENON, Wis. — On the 100th shot in the 111th minute of the Midwest Regional Final Sunday, freshman Jack Skille put home the game-winning goal to advance Wisconsin past Cornell to the Frozen Four for the first time since 1992.

"I saw my teammates clearing the bench and coming toward me," Skille said. "It was a bittersweet feeling. The whole season has been up and down, but we really worked hard and earned it in the end."

The goal ended the game 11:13 into the third overtime, ending a 0-0 deadlock rife with incredible saves and missed opportunities. The Badgers finished the night with 60 shots on Cornell's David McKee, who managed to stop all but the most important shot of the night.

Wisconsin's Brian Elliott saved 40 shots himself, earning the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award in the process.

Skille's goal was made possible by an intelligent play by UW defenseman Josh Engel. With only four skaters on the ice for both teams due to incidental minors, the puck moved into the Badger offensive zone.

As McKee played it behind the net, swinging a pass into the right corner that wrapped around halfway to the blue line, Engel moved into the zone to make a play. He immediately fired a centering pass to Skille, who shot a one-timer past McKee's left shoulder.

"I just heard him, and looked last second and just saw him," Engel said of the play. "I wasn't really thinking. I just backhanded it to him."

All 8,086 in attendance — other than the small Cornell cheering section — erupted upon seeing Skille's goal planted in the back of the net. Badger players hugged as they showed various combinations of exuberance and relief over the game's climactic result.

Both the fans and players in the game endured the second-longest game in NCAA tournament history and the fifth longest in the history of college hockey, made possible mainly by brilliant goaltending for more than five-and-a-half periods of play.

"It's the best game I've ever played in," Nick Licari said. "I've never played in an overtime game that went so long."

Throughout the contest, the Badgers found energy from their fourth line of Licari, A.J. Degenhardt and Andy Brandt, which got more scoring chances in one night than it seemed to have had all season.

"They were without a question our best line," captain Adam Burish said. "They brought energy when we needed it. They are the biggest reason — besides the two guys (Elliott and Skille) — that we were so successful."

While Sunday's game took until the last second to decide, Wisconsin's win over Bemidji State Saturday afternoon was all but over before the third period began.

After Ryan MacMurchy earned a five-minute major and a game misconduct for checking from behind at 11:13 into regulation, Wisconsin killed the major and carried that momentum through the rest of the game, flying on the wings of a Joe Pavelski hat trick and an Elliott shutout to a 4-0 win.

"It was probably the biggest momentum swing of the game," senior Tom Gilbert said of the five-minute penalty kill. "It was the first period, the score was tied, and we knew that we had to get these five minutes."

The Badgers got on the board shortly after killing the major with Pavelski's first goal of the afternoon, just over 17 minutes into the game. Andrew Joudrey's shot on goal was deflected up in the air, and upon descending to the ice, was planted through Beaver goaltender Layne Sedevie's five-hole by Pavelski, who was camped out at the left circle.

"It just came down flutter, and I was just waiting for it to hit the ice," Pavelski said. "It just kind of stuck on my stick once it did."

After that goal, Bemidji State had almost no chance.

That reality became even clearer 26 seconds into the second frame, when Pavelski notched his second score of the night, an unassisted effort off the faceoff in the Beaver zone.

With a 2-0 lead, Wisconsin settled in and dominated the second period. After a Jake Dowell goal at 17:30 in the second, the situation looked dire for Bemidji State.

Things didn't get much better for the Beavers. Pavelski scored his third goal of the afternoon, earning him the first hat trick of his collegiate career.

"[Good scorers] have to have the ability to make something out of nothing, and Joe has that ability," UW head coach Mike Eaves said of his standout forward. "He has the ability to take what's given [him] and become an effective offensive player."

On the defensive side, Elliott had to save only 15 shots to get his second shutout in as many games.

"Brian, in those moments when we weren't as good as we wanted to be, he kept his focus," Eaves said. "That's a tough game for a young goaltender, to only have 15 shots and keep his focus."

With the wins, the Badgers advance to the Frozen Four in Milwaukee April 6 to face the Maine Black Bears.