Ten days after the Wisconsin men’s hockey team clinched its first Frozen Four berth in 16 years, the Badgers will take the ice against an old rival, North Dakota, in a national semifinal at T-Mobile Arena.
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Puck drops at 4 pm CT.
The confrontation pits programs that are very familiar with each other.
Thanks to the rivalry they established during their days in the WCHA, UW and North Dakota have played 173 times. The Badgers have an 87-73-13 lead in the series.
However, the Fighting Hawks own the Badgers in the postseason. This will be the programs’ fourth meeting in the NCAA Tournament. North Dakota is 3-0 in those meetings. Here is the summary of the results.
1982: Championship – North Dakota, 5-2.
2008: Regional final – North Dakota, 3-2 in overtime
2014: First round: North Dakota, 5-2.
Will the fourth time be the charm for Wisconsin?
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A win sends the Badgers to the championship game for the first time in 20 years, where they would face either Denver or Michigan at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 11.
Check jsonline.com here during the afternoon and evening for updates.
Further: Mike Hastings navigates the highs and lows of the game to rebuild Wisconsin hockey
How to Watch Wisconsin Hockey on Frozen Four
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The best photos from Wisconsin hockey practice at Frozen Four
Wisconsin’s Jack Phelan tries to get past goalie Anton Castro during Frozen Four practice at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
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The best photos from Wisconsin hockey practice at Frozen Four
Wisconsin’s Jack Phelan tries to get past goalie Anton Castro during Frozen Four practice at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
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The best photos from Wisconsin hockey practice at Frozen Four
Wisconsin coach Mike Hastings skates on the ice after his team’s practice at the Frozen Four at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
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The best photos from Wisconsin hockey practice at Frozen Four
Wisconsin’s Grant Deering controls the puck as Ben Dexheimer chases after him during Frozen Four practice at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
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The best photos from Wisconsin hockey practice at Frozen Four
Goalkeeper Eli Pulver stops Christian Fitzgerald’s shot during Frozen Four practice at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
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The best photos from Wisconsin hockey practice at Frozen Four
Wisconsin’s Oliver Tulk takes a photo during Frozen Four practice at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
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The best photos from Wisconsin hockey practice at Frozen Four
Wisconsin coach Mike Hastings watches the Frozen Four practice at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
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The best photos from Wisconsin hockey practice at Frozen Four
Wisconsin goaltenders Eli Pulver (left) and Anton Castro watch the end of Frozen Four practice at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
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The best photos from Wisconsin hockey practice at Frozen Four
Wisconsin’s Ben Dexheimer (center) controls the puck as Finn Brink chases after him during Frozen Four practice at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
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The best photos from Wisconsin hockey practice at Frozen Four
Wisconsin’s Luke Osburn controls the puck during Frozen Four practice at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
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The best photos from Wisconsin hockey practice at Frozen Four
All eyes are on the puck after goaltender Daniel Hauser makes a save during Frozen Four practice at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
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The best photos from Wisconsin hockey practice at Frozen Four
Wisconsin coach Mike Hastings talks with one of his players during Frozen Four practice at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
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The best photos from Wisconsin hockey practice at Frozen Four
Wisconsin’s Joe Palodichuk cuts the ice while trying to shoot at goalie Anton Castro during Frozen Four practice at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
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The best photos from Wisconsin hockey practice at Frozen Four
Wisconsin’s Luke Osburn tries to get past goalie Daniel Hauser during Frozen Four practice at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
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The best photos from Wisconsin hockey practice at Frozen Four
Wisconsin’s Christian Fitzgerald answers a question after the Frozen Four practice at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
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The best photos from Wisconsin hockey practice at Frozen Four
Wisconsin’s Jack Horbach listens to a question following Frozen Four practice at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
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The best photos from Wisconsin hockey practice at Frozen Four
Wisconsin coach Mike Hastings answers a question after Frozen Four practice at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
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The best photos from Wisconsin hockey practice at Frozen Four
(Left to right for writing) Wisconsin’s Jack Horbach, Christian Fitzgerald and coach Mike Hastings answer questions after practice for the Frozen Four at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
How to listen to Wisconsin vs North Dakota on the radio
What are the odds of Wisconsin winning the national championship?
BetMGM lists Michigan as the favorite to win the title, and the Badgers are in last place among the four semifinalists as of Thursday morning.
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The third-seeded Badgers are the lowest seed in a field that includes No. 1 seeds Michigan and North Dakota and No. 2 seed Denver, which is making its third consecutive Frozen Four appearance.
If Wisconsin is adopting the underdog role, it wasn’t evident on Wednesday, April 9.
“We’re just trying to focus on ourselves and cross those T’s and dot our I’s, just stick to our journals and worry about how we can improve our game and how we’re going to do it tomorrow,” senior Jack Horbach said. “I think we don’t really consider ourselves the underdogs, but I think we’re ready to play when we get over the drop tomorrow.”
A first for the Frozen Four
The Badgers aren’t the only team in the national semifinals with a rookie goalie. Each team is starting one, for the first time in Frozen Four history.
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Here’s what UW coach Mike Hastings had to say about his goalkeeper, Daniel Hauser.
“This one, in that locker room, whether we’ve won or lost, he’s crushed it; he’s had a tough night, he’s just hanging in there,” Hastings said. “And I’ll tell you, as a coach, you respect that.”
Further: Daniel Hauser’s ability to handle adversity key to Wisconsin’s run to Frozen Four
This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin vs. Wisconsin Hockey Live Updates North Dakota, Frozen Four score
