Wisconsin Badagers
ANN ARBOR, MI and MINNEAPOLIS, MN (WSAU) — Both the Wisconsin hockey programs dropped conference tournament games on Friday.
In Ann Arbor the seventh-seeded Badgers fell 6-5 in overtime to nationally-ranked Michigan. Wisconsin overcame an early 1-0 hole to close the first period up 2-1 behind goals from Sam Stange and Mathieu De St. Phalle. The Junior from Lake Forest, IL would score twice more in the second and third periods to earn himself a hat trick.
Dominick Mersch also scored for Wisconsin just seconds after De St. Phalle netted his third, giving the Badgers a 5-4 lead which they would hold until 23 seconds remained in the game when Mackie Samoskevich scored to tie the game at 5 and send it to overtime.
Michigan would find the game-winner nine minutes into the extra frame.
Kyle McClellan went the distance in net making 30 saves, including 14 in the 3rd period and six in the overtime.
Michigan now leads the best-of-three 1-0, meaning Wisconsin will need to win twice to extend their season into the single-elimination phase of the tournament next weekend.
Other game-one results from the quarterfinal round in the Big Ten tourney include Ohio State topping Penn State 5-1 and Notre Dame scoring a 1-0 win over Michigan State. All three series will have a game two on Saturday. If necessary game threes would be played on Sunday.
Top-seeded Minnesota has a bye.
In the WCHA final faceoff in Minneapolis, the Badger women fell to Minnesota 4-2. Casey O’Brien and Nicole LaMantia scored for Wisconsin, while Cami Kronish made 28 saves in net.
The loss eliminates the Badgers from the tournament. But, with a 25-10-2 record, they should be in line to qualify for the NCAA tournament through an at-large bid.
Friday’s other semifinal had Minnesota-Duluth falling to Ohio State 2-1. The Gophers and Buckeyes will play this afternoon for the tournament title and an automatic bid to the NCAA National Collegiate Women’s Hockey Championship.
The complete 11-team bracket will be announced Sunday on ESPNews and ESPN+ beginning at 11AM CT. Three opening-round games will be played between March 9th and 10th, with quarterfinals beginning the 11th. Those rounds will be played on campus sites, with the Women’s Frozen Four March 17th and 19th in Duluth, MN.
Five conferences, including the WCHA, receive automatic bids. The remaining six selections will be awarded on an at-large basis.
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