Freshman Trent Frederic had the first multi-goal game of his college career, helping the University of Wisconsin to a 6-3 win over Michigan State on an emotional night for the Badgers.
Wisconsin spent the evening honoring former head coach Jeff Sauer, who died Thursday after battling pancreatic cancer.
Sauer led the Badgers to national titles in 1982 and 1990, and was a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.
Badgers head coach Tony Granato, who played for Sauer from 1983-87, said Sauer had a big impact on his career.
"I learned a lot from him. I enjoyed playing for him," Badgers head coach Tony Granato said. "He taught me a lot about being a man… how he represented us as a coach with class in the community."
Everywhere we went he had friends. He shook everybody's hand. He smiled with everybody. He made everybody feel good about themselves, and that's a special quality to have."
Once the game got going the Badgers did their best impression of one of Sauer's championship teams, jumping out to a three-goal lead in the first period.
Frederic opened the scoring at 5:28 of the first period, before assisting on a Luke Kunin goal just over three minutes later to make it 2-0 Wisconsin midway through the first period.
Will Johnson's power play goal with five minutes remaining in the first made it 3-0, chasing MSU goaltender Ed Minney after just seven saves.
Aidan Cavallini stretched Wisconsin's lead to four goals early in the second, but the Spartans snapped goaltender Jack Berry's shutout bid just 70 seconds later.
Things started to turn for the Badgers in the third period after Patrick Khodorenko and Sam Saliba scored in quick succession to cut Wisconsin's lead to 5-3 with 7:16 remaining, but Frederic iced the game with an empty-netter at 19:48.
It's the No. 18-ranked Badgers' fourth win in a row, and their seventh in 10 games.
They return to action at 6:05 p.m. Saturday for a rematch with unranked Michigan State.
