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SPORTS

Greg Gard named Wisconsin's permanent head coach

By Zach Rastall | Mar. 7, 2016

Back in mid-December when Bo Ryan stepped down and Greg Gard was named Wisconsin’s interim head coach, Athletic Director Barry Alvarez expressed his intention to hold a nationwide search for a permanent head coach once the season ended. Ultimately, that wasn’t necessary, as he never had to look outside of Madison to find Ryan’s long-term successor. Gard was officially named UW’s permanent head coach Monday night after the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents approved his contract.

After outscoring its opponents 16-0, UW claimed its second-straight WCHA tournament championship.

SPORTS

‘We walk out of this building the WCHA champs’

By Jessi Schoville | Mar. 6, 2016

MINNEAPOLIS — “We walk out of this building the WCHA champs,” said head coach Mark Johnson. The Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team (33-3-1), led by stellar defense and unworldly goaltending, took down the Minnesota Golden Gophers (32-4-1) Sunday afternoon in the WCHA Final Face-Off by a score of 1-0. “We didn’t score and when you don’t score it makes it really difficult to win and credit them for that,” Minnesota head coach Brad Frost said postgame.

SPORTS

Badgers fall on the road to No. 15 Purdue

By Zach Rastall | Mar. 6, 2016

With their lengthy, deep frontcourt, the Purdue Boilermakers are a force to be reckoned with in the post on any given night.

SPORTS

Badgers fall to the Beavers, then battle back to blank Fresno State

By Kelly Ward | Mar. 6, 2016

Saturday, the Wisconsin softball team (9-9) played its third and fourth games of the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif., where it faced two ranked opponents.

SPORTS

Wisconsin, Purdue square off in regular-season finale

By Matt Tragesser | Mar. 6, 2016

With its final regular season game remaining, Wisconsin (12-5 Big Ten, 20-10 overall) has to feel pretty good about the situation they are currently in. After throttling Minnesota Wednesday, the Badgers clinched at least a fourth place finish in the Big Ten for the 15th consecutive year and secured a seventh consecutive season with at least 12 Big Ten conference wins.

SPORTS

Wisconsin holds off No. 14 Penn State on Senior Night

By Bobby Ehrlich | Mar. 5, 2016

The Badgers (2-12-4-2 Big Ten, 7-17-8 overall) did their best to give away another potential victory, but hung on to defeat the Nittany Lions (10-7-1, 20-10-4) on Senior Night by a score of 4-3.

SPORTS

Balanced Badgers advance to WCHA championship game

By Jessi Schoville | Mar. 5, 2016

MINNEAPOLIS — No. 3 Wisconsin (24-3-1 WCHA, 32-3-1 overall) continued its postseason dominance versus Minnesota-Duluth (10-17-1 WCHA, 15-20-1 overall) Saturday afternoon at Ridder Arena in Minneapolis.

SPORTS

University review finds Ryan did not inappropriately use university resources over course of affair

By Jake Powers | Mar. 5, 2016

UW-Madison’s Office of Legal Affairs and the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics has determined former Badger head coach Bo Ryan did not improperly use university resources over the course of a previously disclosed extramarital affair, and his Dec. 15 retirement was not a result of a university investigation into the allegation, per a Saturday news release.

SPORTS

Cardinal Zone - 3.5

By The Daily Cardinal sports staff | Mar. 5, 2016

In this special edition of the Cardinal Zone podcast, sports editor Zach Rastall caught up with MLB.com Dodgers associate reporter Jack Baer and MLB.com Brewers associate reporter Curt Hogg to preview the 2016 baseball season.

SPORTS

Wisconsin jumps out to encouraging start, then drops second game in Judi Garman Classic

By Ben Leadholm | Mar. 5, 2016

Wisconsin (8-8 overall) split its two games in day one of the Judi Garman Classic, defeating California State Fullerton 3-2 and falling to No. 14 Arizona State 4-1 in Fullerton, Calif., Friday evening.

SPORTS

Kelsey fired after five disappointing seasons in Madison

By Ben Pickman | Mar. 4, 2016

Tuesday afternoon when the Badgers (3-15 Big Ten, 7-22 overall) fell 76-72 to the Northwestern Wildcats, the Wisconsin career for five seniors officially came to a close.

SPORTS

Desbiens, Johnson headline Wisconsin's WCHA award winners

By Jessi Schoville | Mar. 4, 2016

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) released postseason award recipients for the 2015-‘16 season Thursday, and the Badgers brought home plenty of hardware. Headlining the Wisconsin recipients are junior goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens, who was awarded WCHA Player of the Year, as well as Mark Johnson, who received WCHA Coach of the Year. Desbiens is currently in the midst of one of the best single-season collegiate campaigns of all time.

SPORTS

Confident Minnesota Duluth awaits surging Badgers

By Ryan Weinkauf | Mar. 3, 2016

The No. 3 Wisconsin Badgers (32-3-1) are on to the WCHA Final Face-Off in Minneapolis, Minn. this weekend after easily handling Minnesota State in the quarterfinals, defeating the team by a combined score of 10-0 over two games. Head coach Mark Johnson was naturally pleased with his team’s performance last weekend.

SPORTS

Playing tennis for the love of the game

By Jake Nisse | Mar. 3, 2016

The intensity in Nielsen Tennis Stadium was palpable. There was no joking around, no chatting and certainly no tolerance for mistakes.

SPORTS

There's no question: It's the most wonderful time of the year

By Matt Ferris | Mar. 3, 2016

Eleven months of waiting. Torture. Distress. Agony. But we did it, folks. We made it. March is here. Think of how you feel when your favorite time of the year comes around.

SPORTS

Kunin’s quick ascension not without its hurdles

By Bobby Ehrlich | Mar. 3, 2016

Before forward Luke Kunin led the Badgers in goals in his freshman season, he received news from a doctor that changed his life. In sixth grade around Christmas time, Kunin was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

SPORTS

Badgers cruise to easy win at Minnesota

By Matt Tragesser | Mar. 2, 2016

Minnesota’s 2016 senior night will be not be one Gopher fans will want to remember. Earlier Wednesday, Minnesota head coach Rick Pitino suspended teammates Nate Mason, Dupree McBrayer and Kevin Dorsey after an alleged sex video scandal that appeared on Dorsey’s social media account.

SPORTS

Northwestern outlasts Wisconsin in OT, knocks Badgers out of Big Ten Tournament

By Ben Pickman | Mar. 2, 2016

All season long Wisconsin head coach Bobbie Kelsey preached the importance of playing four complete quarters.

SPORTS

Wisconsin ready to face Northwestern to kick off Big Ten Tournament

By Ethan Levy | Mar. 1, 2016

It’s do-or-die time for the Wisconsin women’s basketball team. The Badgers (3-15 Big Ten, 7-21 overall) head to the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis Wednesday for their first (and possibly last) game of the Big Ten Conference Tournament. Many on this veteran UW roster has played in Big Ten Conference Tournament, win-or-go-home, games like this before.

SPORTS

UW coaches evaluate upcoming week

By Ben Leadholm | Mar. 1, 2016

Wisconsin (24-3-1 WCHA, 32-3-1 overall) advanced to the WCHA Final Face-Off in Minneapolis, Minn. after sweeping Minnesota State (0-25-3, 3-29-4) 4-0 and 6-0 at LaBahn Arena. Junior goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens broke the NCAA shutout record Saturday, blanking UW’s opponent for the 18th time this season. Head coach Mark Johnson believes that Desbiens is currently having the best season ever for a goaltender.