Badgers shutout the Fighting Irish in season opener

Friday, November 13

Notre Dame, IN

6 p.m.

Wisconsin Badgers

1-0-0, 1-0-0B1G

Notre Dame

0-1-0, 0-1-0B1G

Wisconsin

Notre Dame

Badgers shutout the Fighting Irish in season opener

November 13, 2020 | Men's Hockey

Box Score

Wisconsin wins first NCAA Division I hockey game of the 2020-21 campaign

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The Wisconsin men's hockey team (1-0-0, 1-0-0-0 Big Ten), playing in its first game in 250 days due to the coronavirus pandemic, came out strong and made a statement Friday night with a 2-0 shutout at No. 20 Notre Dame (0-1-0, 0-1-0-0 Big Ten) in the season's opening game in South Bend, Indiana.

Senior Linus Weissbach lit the lamp for UW with 6:55 left to go in the first earning his and the Badgers' first goal of the season after splitting Notre Dame's defense with senior Ty Pelton-Byce.

Here's a look back @Weissbach68's goal!

3:30 left in the first! @NBCSports pic.twitter.com/WJDVMOPtOe
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) November 14, 2020

After killing their first penalty in the second period, the Badgers took on their first power play where sophomore Dylan Holloway notched his first goal of the season to secure Wisconsin's 2-0 win with 7:51 to go on the clock.

Here's a look back at Holloway's power-play goal from the slot! @NBCSports pic.twitter.com/tPA7whaOjf
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) November 14, 2020

Weissbach finished the game with one goal and one assist for his first two-point game of the season.

Notes to know:

Graduate transfer netminder Robbie Beydoun earned his first win and first shutout as a Badger.
Wisconsin's power play and penalty kill won the day, going 1-for-2 and 2-for-2, respectively.
This was UW's first win in a Big Ten season opener since the 2016-17 season and the second time in a row the team shutout Notre Dame in their first meeting of a season. The Badgers posted a 3-0 win last season on Nov. 15, 2019 against the Fighting Irish.

Straight from the rink
Head Coach Tony Granato:
"For not playing a game in eight months, the first two periods were as physical probably as probably any game we've played in the past few years. I'm not just saying on our end, but both ways. There were some big hits. I think every puck was contested with physical battles. I thought we got a little bit tired, a little bit sloppy at times in the third period, but when we did either we got a big save or got a some shot blocks or made some big defensive plays. They came at us really hard in the third period and fortunately Robbie was real sharp. Big penalty kill at the end. I know they hit a couple of posts, but I thought we did a pretty job being down 6-on-5 the last couple minutes of the game. It was great start for us and I'm really happy with it."

Up next: Wisconsin takes on Notre Dame in its first series finale tomorrow night at 6 p.m. Saturday's broadcast will be televised on the NHL Network, and a radio broadcast will be available on 1070 WTSO.