Wisconsin is one win away from the Frozen Four.
The Badgers men’s hockey team defeated Dartmouth, 5-1, in an NCAA Tournament regional semifinal at DCU Center in Worchester, Mass. Thursday March 26. The victory raised UW’s record to 22-12-2 and gave it its first tournament victory since 2010 and sets up a regional final with No. 1 seed Michigan State. That game will be played at 3:30 p.m. Saturday..
While the final score was lopsided, the game was close. Senior Jack Horbach scored the game-winner at the 9:47 mark of the third period and senior Simon Tassy added his second goal of the day 4 1/2 minutes later to give the Badgers insurance. The team’s final two goals came during the final 4 minutes after the Big Green pulled its goalie.
Junior Quinn Finley (one goal, two assists) finished the night with three points. Tassy’s two goal night was his first multi-goal game of the season.
The Badgers’ work in the defensive zone was impressive, too. They held the ECAC Tournament champion to 14 shots with no more than six in any period. Sophomore Hayden Stavroff, the nation’s leader in goals and goals per game didn’t score and had just two shots.
Here is a look back at our live coverage of the game.
Simon Tassy strikes again
Simon Tassy has spent much of the game camped out in front of the crease waiting for an opportunities to come his way.
That is how the the senior scored his first goal, which came midway through the first period. That is also how he got his second, which came off a pass from Ryan Botterill.
Wisconsin has some added insurance with about 6 minutes to play.
Wisconsin 3, Dartmouth 1, 5:43 left in third period.
A look at Jack Hobach’s go-ahead goal
Wisconsin’s Horbach, Zelenov team up for go-ahead score
The Badgers finally have been rewarded for their work. UW has taken more than twice as many shots as Dartmouth, but until midway through the third period the Badgers didn’t have much to show for it.
Then Jack Horbach struck.
The senior forward back-handed a shot past Big Green goalie Emmett Crouteau to give Wisconsin a 2-1 lead at the 9:47 mark of the final period.
Zelenov got the the assist and Horbach scored his third goal of the season. It was his first goal since a 4-1 loss to Michigan Feb. 20.
Wisconsin 2, Dartmouth 1, 9:47 mark third period
Wisconsin, Dartmouth tale of tape through two periods
Score: Wisconsin 1, Dartmouth 1
Shots: Wisconsin 17, Dartmouth 8
Faceoffs: Wisconsin 25, Dartmouth 15
Blocks: Wisconsin 4, Dartmouth 8
Power play: Wisconsin 1-2; Dartmouth 0-3
Penalty minutes: Wisconsin 3-6, Dartmouth 2-4
Quinn Finley has another close call
Quinn Finley has hit the post once and just missed on a couple of other chances, including a power play chance off a pass from Simon Tassy with about 6 minutes left in the second period.
Finley has three shots on goal and all of them have been good chances
Wisconsin 1, Dartmouth 1, 13:50 mark of second period
Wisconsin kills second penalty
Dartmouth has found no success against the Badgers penalty kill
UW survived a call for hooking on Joe Palodichuk and for the second time didn’t allow the Big Green to mount much of a threat. It had just one shot on goal during the 2 minutes.
It’s Wisconsin 1, Dartmouth 1, 11:58 left in second period
Daniel Hauser’s submission for play of the day
Daniel Hauser’s stick through prevents a rebound opportunity for Dartmouth in front of an open net.
Badgers penalty kills delivers
Wisconsin scored its goal on a power play early in the first period and during the final 5 minutes of had a strong penalty kill to preserve a 1-1 tie.
The penalty went on Vasily Zelenov, who as called for delaying the faceoff. The Badgers, however, didn’t allow a shot during the 2-minute minor.
In fact, the best shot of that stretch of the came off the stick of UW’s Quinn Finley, who got off a one-on-one chance that Dartmouth goalie Emmett Croteau snared
Wisconsin 1, Dartmouth 1, end of first period
Dartmouth’s Hank Cleaves evens the score
Wisconsin has set the tone, but the Big Green have evened the score.
Dartmouth went Cam MacDonald, to Colin Grable and finally to Hank Cleaves for the game-tying score at the 10:05 mark in the first period.
The score came a couple of minutes after UW goalie Daniel Hauser tossed his stick to save a potential goal.
Dartmouth has just two shots
Wisconsin 1, Dartmouth 1, first period
Simon Tassy gives Badgers early lead
Dartmouth got caught with too many men on the ice and Wisconsin made it pay on the power play.
Simon Tassy put back the rebound of Quinn Finley’s shot to give the Badgers a 1-0 lead at the 2-minute 52-second mark of the first period. Tassy who was set up in front of the net, was in the perfect spot for the rebound.
Wisconsin 1, Dartmouth 0, first period
How the Big Green are lining up
A look at how the Badgers are lining up
Michigan State advances to regional final
If the Badgers win today, they’ll meet Big Ten regular season champion Michigan State in the regional final. Sparty defeated No. 4 seed UConn, 2-1, in the first game of the day at DCU Center.
The Huskies took an early lead, but Michigan State tied the game on a Ryker Lee goal at the 18-minute, 56-second mark of the first period. Freshman Porter Martone delivered the game-winner during the 12th minutes of the second period.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin vs. Dartmouth: Badgers score 5-1 win, will face Michigan State for Frozen Four berth
Reporting by Mark Stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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