Quick Six: Men’s hockey takes on Michigan State in NCAA Regional Final

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WORCESTER, Mass.– The Wisconsin men’s hockey team has officially advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament! The Badgers are set to challenge No. 1 seed Michigan State in the regional final this Saturday, March 28, at 3:30 p.m. CT, live from the DCU Center. Catch all the action on ESPN2 and the ESPN app. 

Before you tune in, here are six essential details to keep in mind:

Rosters: Badgers || Spartans 

1 – CONTINUING THE DANCE: Wisconsin secured its spot in the NCAA Regional Final by triumphing over the Dartmouth Big Green with a decisive 5-1 victory in the tournament regional semifinals on Thursday, March 26. This monumental win propels UW into its first regional final since 2010 and marks its first NCAA Tournament game victory since the 2010 NCAA Frozen Four semifinals, effectively ending a five-game NCAA losing streak.

 

Senior Simon Tassy initiated the scoring with an early power-play goal before the Big Green managed to equalize. The game remained deadlocked at 1-1 until midway through the third period, when senior Jack Horbach broke the tie, igniting a four-goal surge for the Badgers in the final frame.

Tassy notched his second goal with under six minutes remaining, extending UW’s lead to 3-1. Following this, senior Christian Fitzgerald and junior Quinn Finley added empty-netters, sealing a dominant 5-1 win for UW in what was their inaugural historical matchup against Dartmouth.

 

This victory improves the Badgers’ impressive all-time NCAA Tournament record to 38-24-2 across their 28th official appearance.

2 – PREGAME FAN EVENT: Calling all Badger fans! Join us at Off the Rails in Worcester for a special pregame gathering before Wisconsin’s 2026 NCAA Tournament Regional Final on Saturday, March 28!

The event is scheduled from 1:30-3:30 p.m. ET at Off the Rails (90 Commercial St, Worcester, MA 01608), conveniently located just 0.2 miles from the DCU Arena, where Wisconsin will face Michigan State at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Don’t miss the chance to meet Bucky Badger and the Badger Band! Giveaways will be available for fans while supplies last.

3 – SENIOR STARS SHINE: Senior forwards Jack Horbach, Simon Tassy, and Christian Fitzgerald delivered standout performances in UW’s victory against Dartmouth.

Horbach netted the crucial game-winning goal, breaking the 1-1 deadlock at 9:47 of the third period. This marks his second game-winner of the season, achieved on just his third goal of the year.

 

Tassy achieved his first two-goal game of the season, opening the scoring on the power play at 2:52 into the game, then adding his second goal at 14:17 of the third period with a redirect off a Ryan Botterill shot.

 

With an empty-net goal at 16:28 in the third period, Fitzgerald reached his 100th career NCAA point. He is the first Badger to hit this milestone since All-American Linus Weissbach (2017-21) in 2021. Notably, the senior accumulated his initial 29 points during his freshman year at Minnesota State.

 

4 – OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION: In Thursday’s thrilling game, UW unleashed a four-goal barrage in the third period. This marks their eighth period this season with four goals and their 18th period with at least three goals.

 

Furthermore, this was the 14th occasion this year the Badgers have scored five or more goals in a game, representing their highest single-season tally since the 2009-10 team recorded 18 such performances. 

Wisconsin currently ranks tied for fifth nationally in scoring offense, averaging 3.75 goals per game with a total of 135 goals across 36 games this season.

5 – MICHIGAN STATE BREAKDOWN: The Big Ten regular-season champion and top regional seed, Michigan State, enters the regional final with an impressive 26-8-2 record, having advanced by defeating fourth-seed UConn 2-1 in their semifinal match. 

Freshman forward Porter Martone leads the Spartans with 25 goals and 49 points in 34 games played. Junior goaltender Trey Augustine, a 2026 Mike Richter Award top-3 finalist and a top-10 Hobey Baker finalist, boasts 24 wins in 33 starts this season, complemented by a .931 save percentage and a 2.05 goals-against average. Senior forward Charlie Stramel is also recognized as a Hobey Baker top-10 finalist.

Historically, UW has faced MSU twice in the NCAA tournament: a 5-3 victory in the first round on March 24, 1995, in Madison, followed by a 5-1 loss in the second round on March 25, 2001, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Overall, UW holds a 67-71-4 record against the Spartans. They split their four regular-season matchups during the 2025-26 season, with UW notably sweeping the then-top-ranked Spartans in East Lansing on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 21-22, winning game one 5-4 and game two 2-1 in overtime.

6 – HOW TO FOLLOW THE ACTION: The Badgers will battle Michigan State this Saturday, March 28, at 3:30 p.m. CT. You can catch the game live on ESPN2. For Madison-area fans, audio play-by-play will be available on 1310 WIBA, as well as on the Badgers app and the Varsity Network App. Stay connected and follow updates on X/Twitter and Instagram via @BadgerMHockey.

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