LAS VEGAS — Simon Tassy and Ryan Botterill scored 27 seconds apart in the first period and Wisconsin defeated North Dakota 2-1 on Thursday to put the Badgers in the Frozen Four title game for the first time since 2010.
The Badgers (24-12-2), seeded third in their region, will play the winner between Michigan and Denver in the championship game Saturday. Wisconsin has won six titles, its most recent coming 20 years ago.
“At this time of the season, [winning is] all that matters,” Wisconsin coach Mike Hastings said. “It doesn’t have to be a Mona Lisa. You’ve just got to find a way to make sure you’re living for another day, and this group has talked about this moment for a long time.”
Wisconsin defeated North Dakota (29-10-1) for the first time in the NCAA tournament after going 0-3 against the Fighting Hawks. Wisconsin, which beat a No. 1 seed for the second time in a row, had gone 1-11-2 in its previous 14 meetings with the Hawks.
“I think at this time of year, you should be playing your best hockey,” Wisconsin defenseman Ben Dexheimer said. “We’ve been slowly ramping up, and it’s pretty close to one of our best (games). So we’re just going to keep moving the trajectory upwards.”
North Dakota, which came less than a minute from being shut out for the first time in more than a year, has gone a decade since winning its eighth national championship.
Daniel Hauser stopped 21 shots for the Badgers, including tough glove save through traffic while sitting down on a 6-on-5 with 2:05 left.
“Luckily, I found a sightline,” Hauser said. “I was lucky enough to get a glove on it. That was probably a box-out from one of our D-men to let me see it. It was kind of a funny play, but I came up with it.”
Front-line center Ellis Rickwood scored North Dakota’s lone goal on a 6-on-5, and Jan Spunar made 35 saves.
The Badgers’ defense limited a North Dakota offense that entered the game third nationally in scoring (3.8 goals per game). But Wisconsin’s forecheck dictated the early points and set the tone.
Wisconsin dominated the first period, taking 18 shots on goal to four. The Badgers scored twice 27 seconds apart when Tassy and Botterill hit the back of the net from the right circle.
Even when the Hawks had chances, they usually failed to take advantage, going 0-for-5 on the power play, including a 5-on-3 in the second period that lasted 1:56. Ollie Josephson also missed a chance in that period to score on a breakaway.
“Special teams is such an important part of the game,” North Dakota defenseman Jake Livanavage said. “We just weren’t good enough. The amount of power plays we had, we really should capitalize.”
