Wisconsin hockey seeks top-10 win and holiday championship
No. 2 Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey could add a gold star to its NCAA Tournament resume against No. 7 Western Michigan
Milwaukee, WI — After a come-from-behind victory in the semifinals, Wisconsin hockey is playing on championship Monday. Despite being shorthanded against the Lake Superior State Lakers, the No. 2 Wisconsin Badgers (13-2-2, 8-2-0 Big Ten) earned a 3-2 victory and a matchup with the reigning national champions.
The No. 7 Western Michigan Broncos (11-6-0, 6-4-0 NCHC) and the Badgers have both impressed at the close of the first half of the season. Each squad has won six of its past seven games and is angling to put a standout win on its NCAA Tournament resume.
“It should be an outstanding college hockey game,” WMU head coach Pat Ferschweiler said of the matchup.
Who to Watch: William Whitelaw
A name familiar to Badgers fans, Western Michigan is led by leading scorer William Whitelaw, who scored a pair of goals in his team’s 5-3 semifinal victory over the No. 13 Boston College Eagles. Before joining the Broncos, Whitelaw spent two seasons in the Big Ten: a sophomore season with the Michigan Wolverines and a freshman year in Madison.
After initially committing to UW under head coach Tony Granato, Whitelaw spent one season with the Badgers under head coach Mike Hastings. In that time, the second-round NHL Draft pick by the Columbus Blue Jackets tallied ten goals and seven assists. Now in Kalamazoo, he’s already up to that 17-point mark with 11 goals and six helpers before the second semester begins.
“He just scores. He’s a pure scorer,” Ferschweiler said of the forward. “He’s hyper competitive. He’s hyper fast and he’s got a great shot. The kid just loves to score goals. He’s going to score a ton for us in his future, and then he’s going to score a ton in pro hockey as well.”
What to Watch: Clean up mistakes and recovery
Wisconsin needed a come-from-behind win over the Lakers as Lake State capitalized on Badgers’ turnovers and defensive miscues. After playing a game for the first time in over three weeks, Hastings said his team would be ready to break down the film.
“The one thing that’s been fantastic about being around this group, they’ll be there eyes open and ready to eat,” the third-year head coach of Wisconsin said.
“We’re gonna have to be a lot better,” Hastings added, acknowledging his team’s need for a more well-rounded performance against Western Michigan than it had against Lake Superior State.
“We trust our guys. They went home; they stayed in great shape. They came back with that training camp energy, you know. Maybe a little training camp execution as well,” said Ferschweiler of WMU’s performance against BC, which saw a 4-1 lead nearly evaporate as the Eagles crept within a goal in the third period.
Both coaches pointed to the need for their players to quickly hydrate, rest, and recover for back-to-back games, “but these guys got lots of energy. They haven’t played a game in a month,” Ferschweiler noted. “They’re not going to say I’m too tired, that’s for sure.”
Why to watch: For the hardware
Western Michigan captured its program’s first-ever national title in April, chasing behind Wisconsin’s six. Now, the reigning national champion Broncos hope to take their first-ever Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off crown from the reigning champion Badgers.
Wisconsin has won three of the four Holiday Face-Off tournaments, including those in 2024, 2023, and 2021. The Clarkson Golden Knights won the tournament in 2022.
After shaking off the rust against the Lakers, Wisconsin faces a ranked opponent for the first time since Thanksgiving. UW currently lacks a win over a ranked non-conference opponent, and Monday’s championship game will be its last opportunity to earn one.
Where, when, and how to watch Wisconsin hockey vs Western Michigan
Where: Fiserv Forum — Milwaukee, Wisconsin
When: Monday, December 29th, 2025, 7:30 p.m. Central
Watch/Streaming: Big Ten Plus (Play-by-play: Brian Posick; Analyst: Ian Perrin)
Listen/Radio: 1310 AM WIBA / Varsity Network App / Badger Sports Network (Play-by-play: Brian Posick; Analyst: Ian Perrin)
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