In a top 10 clash between two Big Ten foes, the then-No. 4 Wisconsin Badgers (15-7-2, 8-6-0 Big Ten) were swept by then-No. 8 Penn State (18-6-0, 10-4-0 Big Ten), falling 7-2 on Friday and 3-1 on Saturday.
Two disappointing losses in front of the Kohl Center crowd sent the Badgers down in the standings, as they now sit at No. 4 in the Big Ten conference and will face Penn State again in the last series of the season.
Blown lead leads to defeat
Despite scoring first and keeping PSU goalless in the first period, Wisconsin lost 7-2 on Friday.
The Badgers started the game on the power play after a PSU warmup infraction, facing the No. 1 ranked goalie in the country, Joshua Fleming, with a .943 save percentage.
Junior forward Quinn Finley shot once before the Badgers went on a 5-on-3 power play after a Nittany Lion tried to play the puck with a broken stick. PSU killed the penalty with no shots for Wisconsin.
Halfway through the period, PSU forward Shea Van Olm was assessed a five-minute major for hitting from behind and a 10-minute game misconduct for his hit on senior defenseman Ben Dexheimer.
Beginning their five-minute power play with unlimited scoring opportunities, senior forward Tyson Dyck notched his third goal of the season and extended his five-game point streak. With assists from sophomore defenseman Logan Hensler and freshman defenseman Luke Osburn, Dyck wristed in his rebounded shot to put the Badgers up 1-0.
With just over five minutes to go and 38 seconds left on the major penalty, freshman forward Oliver Tulk wristed one in from just inside the right circle for his fifth goal of the year.
Wisconsin Head coach Mike Hastings, still without sophomore forward Gavin Morrissey, bumped senior right winger Kyle Kukkonen up to Finley and senior forward Chrsitian Fitzgerald’s line, leaving Tulk on the second line with senior forward Simon Tassy on his wing.
Tulk had to sit two minutes for boarding, but the Badgers killed the minor penalty and headed into the second period up 2-0.
It was all PSU from there. The Nittany Lines scored less than two minutes into the period off a Tassy interference penalty.
With 10:26 to go, Finley was also assessed an interference penalty. One minute later, sophomore defenseman Jack Phelan was called for cross checking. Overpowering Wisconsin’s one winger and two defenders, PSU tied the game with a sniper past Hauser.
Seconds after the power play expired, the puck bounced between Wisconsin and PSU bodies before deflecting in for PSU’s 3-2 lead.
Before the second period ended, Dyck and a Nittany Lion each sat in the penalty box for two minutes following a slashing and unsportsmanlike conduct set the stage for 4-on-4 play.
PSU grew their lead to 4-2 15 seconds into the third period, even with Wisconsin’s top line on the ice. Hauser couldn’t glove the deep shot coming from the blue line.
With 11:05 to go, Hauser’s outstretched right leg wasn’t enough to stop PSU’s fifth goal of the game.
The Badgers were falling apart with 8:45 to go as Fleming’s pad save gave PSU an open opportunity to race down the ice and take control of the puck for a shorthanded goal.
Freshman forward Grady Deering and a Nittany Lion were assessed roughing penalties as sophomore forward Adam Pietila was penalized for slashing Fleming in frustration.
Hauser was beaten stick side with less than three minutes to go in the third period, solidifying Wisconsin’s 7-2 loss that ended with another Deering penalty after the whistle.
All seven PSU goals were scored by their starting line packed with talent. Gavin McKenna, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL draft, and Dane Dowiak, who’s now on a three-game point streak, both scored a hat trick against the Badgers.
Closer margins, same result
Former Badger Mike Eaves dropped the puck ahead of Saturday’s 3-1 loss as a part of alumni night. Celebrating 20 years since the 2006 championship win, some members of the winning team were in attendance, including legends of the sport like Joe Pavelski.
Hauser started game two as Hastings said the Badgers “supported him a bit more” on Saturday.
The Badgers came out stronger and more controlled in front of a large home crowd with 13,355 in attendance.
Less than five minutes into the first period, senior forward Jack Horbach was called for head contact and reviewed for a major penalty, but Horbach only had to sit for a two-minute minor.
A minute into the penalty kill, PSU had a few messy passes on the blue line that Dyck was able to pick up and pitch down the ice towards Fitzgerald for the short-handed goal. Facing Reidler alone, Fitzgerald snuck it under the pads for the early 1-0 lead.
With 5:29 to go, Wisconsin went on the power play for an interference penalty that was killed by PSU.
PSU started the second period with one minute left on Finley’s hooking penalty the Badgers were able to kill.
A second power play for the Badgers with 11:42 to go resulted in another no-goal man-advantage.
With 7:17 left in the second, confusion gave PSU another power play for a Wisconsin too-many-men penalty. Freshman forward Blake Montgomery sat in the box as the Badgers killed another penalty.
With just over three minutes in the second period, Wisconsin challenged a goaltender interference call that was called for a no-goal. The call stood following referee review, keeping the Badgers from extending their narrow advantage.
PSU tied the game 1-1 with 15:06 left in the third period.
Although the Badgers maintained good puck possession, PSU took the 2-1 lead with less than seven minutes to go.
With two minutes left and down one, Hastings pulled Hauser and PSU snatched an empty netter to bury Wisconsin 3-1.
In the final 10 seconds of play, six Badgers and five Nittany Lions were assessed game misconducts for extra-curricular activity after the whistle. Hastings said it was best to get the players off the ice after an “emotional game” with high competition.
Hastings didn’t shake hands with the opposing coaching staff and said he told them good game but would “leave [the question] at that.”
The Badgers cross state lines this weekend to face the Minnesota Golden Gophers (8-16-1, 4-10-0 Big Ten) at 7 p.m. on Friday at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis.
