All Badgers

Badger men's hockey makes surprisingly modest rise in poll

Wisconsin men's hockey earned a hard-fought sweep at Penn State, but voters punished the Nittany Lions much more than they rewarded the Badgers
Kedrick Stumbris|
Wisconsin goaltender Daniel Hauser (31) prepares to make save on a shot by Penn State's Lev Katzin during the second period Saturday Jan. 24, 2026 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.
Wisconsin goaltender Daniel Hauser (31) prepares to make save on a shot by Penn State's Lev Katzin during the second period Saturday Jan. 24, 2026 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis. | Mark Stewart / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With a chance to clinch home-ice advantage in the opening round of the Big Ten men's hockey tournament on the line, the Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey team delivered. Voters took note of the shocking result on the road at Penn State, but it was PSU, not UW, making a dramatic move in the national polls.

Wisconsin (21-11-2, 14-10-0 Big Ten) needed to earn just one conference point in a two-game series hosted by Penn State to earn the right to play one more game inside the Kohl Center this season. Rather than just earning that one point, the Badgers swept the series, winning both games outright, taking all six points up for grabs, and earning a bit of payback for the Nittany Lions' sweep over UW in Madison earlier this season.

"We had to go into a very difficult place last weekend and our idea was to try and return the favor that they did when they were in the building at the Kohl Center and swept us," Badgers head coach Mike Hastings said in an interview on Monday afternoon. "And the guys went out and did that."

By accomplishing that goal, Wisconsin has all but secured its spot in the projected NCAA Tournament field. In the national polls, however, UW did not rise much. The Nittany Lions' fall was more notable, putting it side-by-side with the Badgers.

Wisconsin men's hockey reclaims spot in top ten of USCHO poll

In the weekly USCHO poll, Wisconsin rose one spot as Penn State fell four, meaning the Big Ten foes now share the tenth spot in the ranking. This marks UW's return to the top ten in either poll for the first time since closing January with a two-game series in Minneapolis in which the Minnesota Golden Gophers swept the Badgers.

Wisconsin had spent much of the season inside the top ten before that pair of losses in the Border Battle. UW initially vaulted inside that group by beating UMN inside the Kohl Center on October 30th and November 1st.

In the USA Hockey poll, Penn State took the same four-spot drop after losing to Wisconsin, but the Badgers stayed put at No. 11.

No. 10/11 UW awaits the Ohio State Buckeyes this week in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. OSU travels to Madison for a 7:00 p.m. start on Wednesday, March 11th. The winner advances to the tournament semifinal on Saturday, March 14th with a time, venue, and opponent to be determined by the results of the other tournament quarterfinal contests.

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Kedrick Stumbris
KEDRICK STUMBRIS

Kedrick Stumbris has covered the Wisconsin Badgers since 2022 with a focus on the Badgers football, men's basketball, and women's hockey programs. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science.

Share on XFollow KedrickStumbris
Home/Hockey