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Wisconsin men's hockey rises in polls after historic Border Battle

The Wisconsin Badgers are in the top-10 for the first time in over a year
Kedrick Stumbris|
Wisconsin's Quinn Finley ties game extending it to OT.
Wisconsin's Quinn Finley ties game extending it to OT. | David DelPoio/Providence Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

After a lackluster 2024-25 campaign, Wisconsin men's hockey has done a complete 180. Unbeaten through eight games, and with a historic sweep of their archrival, the Wisconsin Badgers (6-0-2, 2-0 Big Ten) have been appropriately rewarded in the polls.

UW is coming off a sweep of the Minnesota Golden Gophers inside the Kohl Center. Badgers forward Quinn Finley, a Suamico native, said "it means a lot" to get a pair of wins over Wisconsin's Border Battle rival in Madison.

The junior's pair of goals in Saturday's series finale gave the Badgers a 4-0 win over the Gophers, capping Wisconsin's first sweep of Minnesota inside the Kohl Center since 2014. Even more impressively, goaltender Daniel Hauser's performance —stopping all 22 shots he faced —gave the Badgers their first shutout of the Gophers in Madison since 1983.

Bundled with Wisconsin's other three weekends thus far, it is one of the best starts in the program's modern era. For the first time since 1981, UW is unbeaten through eight games, and it has poll voters turning their heads.

Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey returns to top ten

Wisconsin opened last season inside the top ten of the national rankings. However, a disastrous season-opening loss to the Lindenwood Lions foreshadowed a challenging year to come. That Badgers team lost six of its first seven and eight of its first ten games. Wisconsin managed only a 13-21-3 record, quickly finding itself outside the national polls altogether.

With a much better start this season, UW has earned a spot back inside the ranks of the college hockey elite, but the No. 10/9 Badgers will be tested this weekend by another one of the best teams in college hockey.

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Wisconsin travels this weekend to Ann Arbor to face the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines (9-1-0, 2-0 Big Ten) for its first road series in conference play. Michigan has one loss this season to the reigning national champion and current top-five team, Western Michigan.

The Badgers' upcoming series with the Wolverines begins a pivotal three weeks in UW's hopes of getting an early edge in the race for the Big Ten title. After traveling to UM, Wisconsin hosts the No. 19/RV Ohio State Buckeyes before a road series at the top-ranked Michigan State Spartans.

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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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