College Hockey Features Key Top-10 Showdowns in Big Ten, NCHC
If you saw the Friday night results, you know that two major conferences may be in the middle of a shakeup this weekend.
At Madison, Wisc., Penn State looked to reestablish itself as a Big Ten contender against Wisconsin, a team that had stepped into the void when the Nittany Lions were dealing with some significant injuries. The Badgers had gone from preseason No. 20, all the way to No. 2. in the Jan. 12 polls.
Junior Dane Dowiak and freshman Gavin McKenna combined for the first-ever multiple hat-trick game for Penn State as the Nittany Lions scored seven unanswered goals for a 7-2 victory at the Kohl Center. The Nittany Lions (17-6, 9- 4 Big Ten) had won six straight, the longest streak in program history. The Badgers (15-6-2, 8-5-0) had lost three straight and were in danger of being relegated to outside-looking-in status in the regular season title chase.
Meanwhile, in the NCHC, Western Michigan won its eighth straight game, winning at Minnesota Duluth 4-3. Zaccharya Wisdom, Grant Slukynsky, William Whitelaw and Owen Michaels had the goals for the Broncos (17-6, 9-4 NCHC), while Hampton Slukynsky made 34 saves in net, including 20 saves in the second period. Coming in, UMD (17-8-0, 8-7) had split its last four conference series and like Wisconsin was in danger of falling into fourth in the league standings.
These are the kinds of series that can change a team's whole outlook, especially with a sweep. Here's a longer look about both as Game 2 for each is Saturday night.
SEE ALSO: Latest College Hockey Rankings
No. 8 Penn State at No. 5 Wisconsin
Saturady is the 59th time that the Nittany Lions and Badgers will square off. Penn State holds the edge all-time with a 30-25-3 record, including a series sweep in Madison last season.
The Nittany Lions rolled into this series having won five games in a row, collecting a pair of wins last weekend at home against Notre Dame, 4-1 and 6-3.
The Badgers were swept by then-No. 4 Michigan State last weekend. In game one, the Badgers fell behind 4-1 before scoring two goals to bring it within one, but that wouldn’t be enough as the UW lost 4-3. In game two, MSU jumped out to an early three-goal lead and cruised to a 4-1 victory.
This guy is INSANE 🔥
— Big Ten Hockey (@B1GHockey) January 24, 2026
Gavin McKenna intercepts a pass out of midair on his way to score his second of the night 😳 pic.twitter.com/xZFmI7rRlP
Penn State is led by forward Matt Dimarsico, who has 14 goals and 27 points while skating in all 23 games played. Last Friday, Dimarsico recorded his third career hat-trick in a 4-1 victory over Notre Dame.
Wisconsin is led by goalie Daniel Hauser and sophomore forward Gavin Morrissey. Morrissey leads the Badgers in points with 21 on 18 assists and three goals. Hauser has been solid between the pipes, posting a 13-4-2 record and a .913 save percentage.
Both of these teams understand the importance of this series. For Penn State, it marks the beginning of a tough stretch in its schedule with a series against Michigan State and Michigan to follow. For Wisconsin, Saturday would almost be considered a must-win situation to avoid the sweep if not for a favorable upcoming schedule of Minnesota, Notre Dame and Ohio State, but then it wraps up agianst the regular season against Michigan and a rematch with Penn State in University Park, Pa, on March 5-6.
No. 3 Western Michigan at No. 7 Minnesota Duluth
These two teams met earlier this season, with UMD taking game one 4-1 before the Broncos were able to steal an overtime victory 3-2 in game two.
Western Michigan comes into this series after outscoring Denver 10-3 in their last series. The Broncos rolled to a 4-1 victory in game one before winning 6-2 the following night.
UMD is coming off a series split at St. Cloud State, where it lost game one 6-0 despite outshooting the home team 42-26. In game two, the Bulldogs outshot the Huskies again, 29-23, while collecting a 5-3 victory.
The Broncos are led by Owen Michaels and Hampton Slukynsky. Michaels boasts 18 points on eight goals and 10 assists, scoring 10 of those points in the last seven games. Slukynsky has been incredible between the pipes.
The Bulldogs are led by Max Plante and Adam Gajan. Plante has led the nation for most of the season as its top scorer. He is currently at 39 points on 20 goals and 19 assists, while also averaging 1.56 points per game. Gajan has been solid in the net, recording a 15-8-0 record with a 2.20 goals against average and a save percentage of .909.
All-time UMD leads the series 29-22-3, but recently the Broncos have taken over, winning five of the last six games. The Bulldogs haven’t beaten the Broncos at home since Jan, 28, 2022.
Zach Richardson is a graduate of Augustana University, where he double-majored in journalism and media studies. He's a five-year member of the football team and an active contributor to the university’s student newspapers. He's covered a wide range of sports, including hockey, basketball, softball, and baseball. "I know how to break down the game, ask the right questions, and tell compelling stories on and off the field. ... I’ve spent just as much time in locker rooms as I have in newsrooms, and I understand both the athlete and the fan."
Follow zachric67658727