Las Vegas, NV — The Wisconsin Badgers men’s hockey team fell 2-1 in the 2026 Frozen Four national championship game. Wisconsin hockey freshman Vasily Zelenov scored in the first period, but Denver scored twice in the final frame to complete the comeback and capture its third title in five seasons.
Wisconsin Badgers goaltender Daniel Hauser getting ready for pregame warmups. The freshman goaltender would end up stopping thirteen shots in the national title game. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Wisconsin hockey senior Simon Tassy and freshman Finn Brink stand under the bright lights of T-Mobile Arena. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Wisconsin hockey captain Ben Dexheimer gets fired up prior to the badgers matchup with the Denver Pioneers. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Wisconsin alternate Captain Joe Palodichuk heads off the ice after warmups. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Wisconsin sophomore Ryan Botterill focuses in on gametime. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
The Wisconsin Badgers and Denver Pioneers line up during the star spangled banner at the 2026 Frozen Four national championship game. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Members of the Wisconsin Badgers mens hockey team anxiously awaits the start of the 2026 Frozen Four National Championship. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
The Wisconsin Badgers men’s hockey team surrounds goaltender Daniel Hauser moments before the opening face off of the 2026 NCAA Frozen Four national championship. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Wisconsin hockey assistant captain Gavin Morrissey takes the opening faceoff in the first period of Saturday’s heavyweight matchup between the Wisconsin Badgers and Denver Pioneers. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Wisconsin Badgers captain Ben Dexheimer clears a puck out of harms way in front of goaltender Daniel Hauser. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Wisconsin senior forward Jack Horbach checks Kristian Epperson into the Denver bench. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Wisconsin’s Jack Horbach jousts with Reid Varkonyi during a neutral zone face-off. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Wisconsin forward Grady Deering and Aiden Dubinsky keep Denver’s James Reeder away from the puck and keep it out of harms way in front of goaltender Daniel Hauser. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
A handful of rowdy badger hockey fans enjoys what their team is putting together in the first period. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Buffalo Sabres draft pick Luke Osburn gets ready to pass down ice. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Wisconsin Badgers forward Vasily Zelenov celebrates after scoring a first-period goal in the 2026 national championship game. Photo credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Jack Phelan poke checks a puck away from Denver’s Clarke Caswell during the second period. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Wisconsin freshman Grady Deering trys to handle a puck during the 2026 Frozen Four national championship game. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Wisconsin Senior Simon Tassy skates up ice towards Denver’s James Reeder. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Wisconsin forward Quinn Finley fires a shot past Erik Pohlkamp in the second period of the NCAA national championship game. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Wisconsin goaltender Daniel Hauser covers a puck and ends the scoring threat from Kieran Cebrian. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Wisconsin freshman Oliver Tulk advances the puck up ice into the neautral zone. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
A group of fired up Wisconsin Badger hockey fans enjoy the early 1-0 lead in the NCAA National Championship. The badger faithful helped attandance totals exceed thirtyfive thousand all weekend. Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
New York Islanders third round pick Quinn Finley fights to gain position over Reid Varkonyi along the boards. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Blake Montgomery (Top Left), Jack Horbach (Top Right), Vasily Zelenov and Luke Osburn discuss game strategy during a timeout. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
A rocaus contingent of badger fans get whipped up into a frenzy in the early going. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Oliver Tulk (left) breaks up a scoring chance by Denvers Brendan McMorrow. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Wisconsin goaltender Daniel Hauser seals off the post to Pioneer attackers. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Wisconsin Badgers assistant captain enters the faceoff circle late in the third period and tries to spark the offense while trailing 2-1 against the Denver Pioneers. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Senior captain Ben Dexheimer puts pressure on the Denver Pioneers late in the third period to try and come back from a 2-1 deficit. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
The scoreboard at T-Mobile Arena shows the daunting 2-1 score which the Wisconsin Badgers had to climb back from after holding a one goal lead deep into the third period. Photo credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Wisconsin junior forward Quinn Finley gains positon on puck deep in Denver Pioneer territory. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Wisconsin Badgers freshman forward Vasily Zelenov puts pressure on Pioneers captain Kent Anderson late in the third period. Photo credit; Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Wisconsin Badgers hockey forward Christian Fitzgerald skates toward his bench as Denver Pioneers players celebrate winning the 2026 Frozen Four in the background. Photo credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
Left to Right: Aiden Dubinsky, Ryan Botterill, Castro and Gavin Morrissey skate off the ice for the final time in the 2025-26 season after falling to the Denver Pioneers 3-1 in the 2026 NCAA national championship game. Photo Credit: Aaron Frey, AMF Photography
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