[media-credit name=’BRYAN FAUST/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]MILWAUKEE — It was the picture-perfect ending to the season and to the careers of five special UW seniors.

At this point three years ago, discussing a national championship would have been laughable. The Badgers had wrapped up a 13-23-4 season, and the talks were instead about where the program was going and if it should be Mike Eaves leading the way as head coach.

Adam Burish, A.J. Degenhardt, Tom Gilbert, Nick Licari and Ryan MacMurchy endured much more than 23 losses. They persisted through a rookie season that included five-mile runs at 6 a.m., wrestling matches at dawn, and anything and everything in between.

Fast forward to present day. Despite a miserable freshman year, the five seniors kept the goal of earning a national title. On Saturday, they got just that, and it was none other than Gilbert who played the role of hero.

"To go out as winners is an unbelievable feeling," Licari said. "It's something that us seniors will all remember forever and as a group. We are bonded for life."

"It's unreal," MacMurchy said. "It's been a long four years, but we finally won something, and it was the biggest thing in our last game. That's what you dream of."

Their freshman season was a disaster, but it was an important year in terms of getting to this point. While it may have drained the players both emotionally and physically, and it might have sparked some murmurs around the community concerning Eaves' coaching style, the Badgers would not be here without it.

"That was a special year of my life — talk about a character-building year," MacMurchy said. "That forged us into who we are as a team and as a senior class. I wouldn't trade that year for anything."

Their sophomore season, the team showed hope. Nobody expected the Badgers to come within an overtime goal of making the Frozen Four.

The junior season brought higher expectations, but with just a young group, nobody was necessarily surprised when they bowed out right away to Michigan.

But this season, a national championship seemed like their destiny. It was the last shot for the five seniors, and they knew from the onset that if they had a great season, they would never have to leave the state of Wisconsin to earn that title.

Everything played out perfectly.

"This whole year we've been focused on this point, we really have," MacMurchy said. "My first few years, we just kind of wanted to do well. … We had other short-term goals. This year, it was all about winning the national championship, and we did it."

It was extra special for Gilbert. He may not be the flashiest player, but it is no secret just how pivotal he has been for this team. And his efforts were recognized when he was named a second-team All-American here Friday night.

The first goal of his Wisconsin career was the Badgers' first of the year, during Gilbert's freshman season. His last was the final goal of this season and the game-winner, to boot. He has had many goals in between — 33 to be exact — but there's something special about opening and closing a career like that.

"I was talking to the rest of the team, and I was saying, 'I scored the first goal of our freshman year, and I'll probably score the last one,'" Gilbert said. "It worked out that I did. I'll never forget this."

But nobody can be feeling any better today than Burish, the two-year senior captain and Madison native who saw his childhood dreams realized. He earned his title just two weeks after his sister, Nikki, brought home the same honor for the UW women's team.

She was there on the ice to give him a celebratory hug Saturday.

"We're national champions together for the rest of our lives," Burish said. "Nobody can take that from us."

When the final horn sounded, MacMurchy immediately looked for Burish, his classmate and the team's leader.

"I'm so proud of him. … Being a Madison kid, this was his dream," MacMurchy said. "He closed it out today the best way that he could."

The Badgers' proverbial mountain climb is over. Eaves used the analogy all season long — a journey up the side of the mountain with a goal to get to the top.

They reached that summit and stuck a Wisconsin flag into the peak.

For the first time in 16 years, the Badgers are national champions. The Badgers will never forget what happened Saturday night, and the five seniors have one of the most remarkable stories in hockey history.

As hard as it was to climb up that mountain to the pinnacle of success, the journey back down from the celebratory high that they are now on might be just as difficult.