For the first time since mid-November, a single goal was achieved. Wisconsin fell to defending national champion Western Michigan4-1, in Holiday Kwik Trip Showdown Championship game on December 30 at the Fiserv forum.
The Broncos scored the final four goals, starting with a controversial play early in the second period, ending with former Badger William Whitelaw's empty net in the final three minutes and then an insurance goal seconds after the ensuing face-off.
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Wisconsin played for the championship in each of the six tournaments, winning four of the first five. WITH Badgers (13-3-2, 8-2-0 Big Ten) are ranked second in the USCHO.com rankings, while the Broncos (12-6-0, 6-4-0 NCHC) are seventh. This was the first time that teams from the top 10 met in the final.
“It's kind of a heavyweight game, two games in a row without a break, and we looked good in the third period,” Wisconsin coach Mike Hastings said.
“There's a reason they won the national championship last year: They're a good hockey team. So I thought it was a good hockey game. I didn't like the way it ended.”
The teams haven't met since UW won the semifinals of the 2005 Badger Hockey Showdown at the Kohl Center in Madison.
Western Michigan's defense stopped a shot from Wisconsin center Vasily Zelenov in the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off championship game Dec. 29 at Fiserv Forum.
Another incredible goal in the Kwik Trip holiday showdown
The 2024 faceoff title was decided on a shot that missed the net when UW's Cody Lasoski scored after being tripped on a breakaway to an empty net against Connecticut.
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West Michigan's 2025 goal is the answer. With Western Michigan players leaning on the back and legs of face-down Wisconsin goaltender Eli Pulver on the Broncos' right wing, Zachariah Wisdom pushed Wisconsin defenseman Zach Horbach – and the puck underneath him – across the end line and into the net.
Wisconsin challenged, but the goal stood.
“I've been here a while and I'll ask you: If the referee loses sight of the puck, what do you do? Do you keep looking for it?” – said Hastings.
“In my opinion, I thought the whistle might have been blown because as soon as you lose sight of the puck, I know the whistle is going to blow. He didn't think so. That's where our opinions just differ.”
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Western Michigan took the lead midway through the second period when junior center Grant Slukinski intercepted a pass from UW senior defenseman Ben Dexheimer and fed it to sophomore right wing Zach Nehring at the back post.
Wisconsin had several chances to tie the game but failed to capitalize on them, including a breakaway from senior left winger Christian Fitzgerald that was stopped by Western Michigan goalie Hampton Slukinski and a shot from Dexheimer that went off the post.
The Badgers were 0-for-3 on the power play after going 1-for-4 in a win over Lake Superior State the night before.
“One thing I took away from our players was that we kept playing, but they were often outmatched and I didn't think we handled that pressure as well as we could have,” Hastings said.
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“For me, it's a little better execution, a little better power play because for the first time in a long time we were limited to one goal, we had some opportunities, but we just couldn't finish the game.”
Wisconsin is waiting for news about Vasily Zelenov
Russian freshman Vasily Zelenov scored the Badgers' lone goal midway through the first period before suffering an apparent right leg injury in the third.
The second-line center slid onto the boards along with a Western Michigan player and was in obvious pain as he lay on the ice. He received treatment, and Hastings said in a postgame press session that the team did not immediately know the extent of his injury and was unsure whether Zelenov would travel back to Madison with the team or continue his treatment in Milwaukee.
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Wisconsin was already short on players, playing without starting forward Quinn Finley, who is competing with Team USA at the Spengler Cup in Switzerland, and defensemen Luke Osborne and Logan Hensler, who played for Team USA at the IIHF World Junior Championships in Minnesota.
Next on the Wisconsin men's hockey schedule.
The Badgers open 2026 with games Jan. 9-10 against Alaska in Anchorage at the Kohl Center and then play eight series in nine weekends against Big Ten opponents for the remainder of the regular season. Key matchups include Jan. 15-16 against No. 3 Michigan State and Feb. 20-21 against No. 1 Michigan State, both at the Kohl Center.
Boston College wins consolation match
Boston College survived two overlapping late penalties and Lake Superior State forced its goalie to hold on for a 4-3 victory in the third-place game. Will Vote scored two goals in just over three minutes early in the third period, ending a four-goal streak that included two ties and two lead changes.
This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin falls to Western Michigan in Fiserv Forum Hockey Tournament
