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Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey rises in polls after bye week

Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey enters the final week of its regular season after a late off week
Kedrick Stumbris|
Teammates surround Wisconsin defenseman Ben Dexheimer (4) after this goal during the second period against Lake Superior State in a Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off semifinal Sunday, December 28, 2025, at Fiserv Forum in MIlwaukee, Wisconsin.
Teammates surround Wisconsin defenseman Ben Dexheimer (4) after this goal during the second period against Lake Superior State in a Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off semifinal Sunday, December 28, 2025, at Fiserv Forum in MIlwaukee, Wisconsin. | Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With a bye just before the final week of the regular season, Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey was able to regroup, rest, and recover before it hits the road to face the Penn State Nittany Lions. After the dust settled on UW's off week, the Badgers rose slightly in the polls due to upsets around the country.

Eight of the ten teams ranked in the top ten lost at least one game over the weekend. In addition, the Boston College Eagles, whom Wisconsin is hoping to beat out for one of the final spots in the NCAA Tournament, fell out of the top ten after being swept by the cross-town rival Boston University Terriers.

Penn State found itself among the group of teams upset this weekend, but Wisconsin head coach Mike Hastings is focused on what the Badgers need to do in the weeks ahead.

"We've got to go out ane earn out way to the tournament," Hastings said in a Tuesday press conference. "Just like everybody else does."

Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey rises to No. 11

In the USCHO poll, UW rose one spot to 11th as BC tumbled down to 13th. The Nittany Lions, meanwhile, fell one spot to 5th. PSU traded places with the Providence Friars despite the Friars splitting a pair of games with the New Hampshire Wildcats.

Penn State's slight move down comes on the heels of a split decision two-game series with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.Against Notre Dame, which sits firmly in last place of the Big Ten conference standings, Penn State twice needed to come-from-behind to force overtime. PSU was able to force a tie and claim the extra point in the conference standings with a shootout victory in the series-opener, but were unable to hang on the series finale. The Fighting Irish earned just their third win in Big Ten play on Saturday thanks to an overtime game-winning goal by senior defenseman Axel Kumlin.

USA Hockey poll voters made the same switch of rankings between Penn State and Providence. Those voters also came to parity with their USCHO counterparts, putting Wisconsin at 11th.

The Badgers rose two spots in the USA Hockey poll, jumping the BC Eagles and the Dartmouth College Big Green. Dartmouth split its weekend, beating the No. 8 Quinnipiac Bobcats before falling to the unranked Princeton Tigers.

Wisconsin men's hockey and Penn State play a two-game series with contests on Thursday and Friday this week at PSU. Both games begin at 6:00 p.m. Central and can be streamed on Big Ten Plus.

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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.

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