Badgers hockey season ends with loss to Wolverines in first round of Big Ten tourney
After taking home the conference tournament crown the last two seasons, the sixth-seeded Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey team lost, 5-1, to the third-seeded Michigan Wolverines in the first round of the Big Ten tournament at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit on Thursday night.
Badgers fans were hoping to see an offense boosted by the return of sophomore forward Grant Besse, who missed the last three games with an injury -- but the sophomore forward couldn't come up with a goal despite having three of Wisconsin's best chances of the night. The Badgers narrowly avoided being shut out in the historic NHL barn despite outshooting the Wolverines 29-28.
Hobey Baker candidate Zach Hyman got the Wolverines on the board first, knocking in a rebound on a power play in the first period.
Michigan's luck continued after the first intermission, with Andrew Sinelli scoring his first goal of the season and Hyman picking up his second of the game.
Wisconsin avoided a ninth shutout of the season when sophomore forward Jedd Soleway pushed in his own rebound in the third period. It was the Badgers' fifth goal in the last eight games and Soleway's seventh of the year.
Big Ten rookie of the year Dylan Larkin and Justin Selman padded the Wolverines' lead to end the game.
Senior goaltender Joel Rumpel stopped 23 shots in the loss, his final game as a Badger.
