Badgers win WCHA playoff opener

Published Mar. 9, 2012 10:49 p.m. ET

foxsports

University of Wisconsin freshman goaltender Joel Rumpel stopped all 28 shots sent his way to earn his third career shutout as Wisconsin won, 1-0, against Denver on Friday night in the first game of a best-of-three WCHA playoff series.

Wisconsin's Sean Little scored the game's only goal at the 14:10 mark of the third period, raising the Badgers' record to 17-16-2 overall and dropping Denver to 21-12-4.

The teams will meet again Saturday night in Denver, and if the Badgers win they will advance to next weekend's WCHA Final Five in Minneapolis.