The Minnesota State Mavericks were unable to sour Wisconsin men’s hockey head coach Mike Hastings’ return to Mankato. A shutout victory on Friday night eventually turned into another lopsided game on Saturday as the No. 7 Wisconsin Badgers (4-0-0, 0-0-0 Big Ten) remained unbeaten on the young season.
UW assistant coach Andy Brandt said in a post-game interview after the series finale that his team gave a “60-minute effort” on Friday and was hoping to build off that. Despite a slower start on Saturday, he thought Wisconsin “did a great job just kind of re-racking and sticking with it.”
“For our group, just their ability to not get rattled at a start we probably want back and stick with it, I think speaks volumes towards our leadership in that locker room,” Brandt added.
Third star: Zach Wooten
In his second weekend with the Badgers, freshman Zach Wooten earned the promotion to the top line. Playing alongside standout juniors Gavin Morrissey and JJ Wiebusch, Wooten made the most of his opportunity and tallied his first collegiate points.
Friday, the Wooten recorded his first-career assist on a power-play goal by defenseman Logan Hensler. Wooten added his first-career goal and multi-point game on Saturday.
On what Brandt called “a great, great line rush,” the Winnipeg Jets prospect perfectly located a wrist shot short-side to the top corner, giving the Badgers a 2-1 lead just before the 2nd period expired.
“What a finish by Wootz to be able to put that underneath the bar,” Brandt remarked. “That was a pretty goal.”
In the third, Wooten directed a pass in a crowded area on the power play to Vasily Zelenov to double that lead.
Zelenov celebrated that goal by emphatically pointing to Wooten, who proved himself by performing on the top forward group and top power play unit. The Apple Valley, Minnesota native has a knack for knowing just how much time and space he has to operate.
Second star: Wisconsin Badgers hockey goaltending
A battle for the role of UW’s starting goaltending position that Hastings had declared to be “hot and heavy” remained intense over the weekend as netminders Alexis Cournoyer and Daniel Hauser combined to make 30 saves on 31 shots by the Mavericks.
Cournoyer logged his first shutout as a Badger in Friday’s 4-0 victory. Hauser allowed the lone goal of the weekend in Saturday’s 4-1 contest when a shot from MSU defenseman Sam Court ricocheted off the back wall, to Hauser’s right skate, and into the back of the net.
Regardless of the awkward bounce, Hauser played a critical role in helping Wisconsin gain and maintain a first-period lead. The Mavericks outshot the Badgers 10-6 in the opening frame on Saturday, the only period in which Minnesota State had such an edge in the series. Brandt agreed with the notion that the sophomore was the MVP of the first period and acknowledged that Wisconsin “probably didn’t have our best 20 to start the game.”
“[Hauser] made some huge saves,” Brandt commented. “Our transition game just wasn’t there in that first period and Daniel gave us the opportunity to get going. And when you have goaltending like that, it gives your club confidence to get going after a slow start.”
UW is surely entering games confident regardless of who is starting in net.
First star: Vasily Zelenov
An injury in the championship game of the 2025 Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off put a pause Zelenov’s freshman season just as he was hitting his stride. At the time of the injury that led to the Buffalo Sabres prospect being sidelined for over a month, he had tallied six points in his last five games. Down the stretch of the second half, he found his stride again finishing with 10 points in 13 games, including a goal in the national title game.
Now a sophomore, Zelenov has picked up right where he left off.
The Russian logged a weekend-highs with three assists and four points. His six helpers and seven total points also lead the Badgers so far this season.
Zelenov not only dished out on assist through traffic on the rush for Wooten’s first collegiate goal, he did the same for Chase Jette’s first NCAA goal.
It was a highlight-reel assist as the 6-foot center put the puck between the skates of Minnesota State defenseman Easton Hewson to put the Badgers up 1-0 on Saturday.
The impressive fashion in which Zelenov and Grady Deering (who added his second goal of the season on Friday night) have played early this season should put Wisconsin hockey fans at a bit of ease for how the duo of sophomore centers will fare this season for UW’s middle six.
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