January 28, 2025 | Men's Hockey
Junior picks up first career Big Ten weekly honor
MADISON, Wis. – After scoring three goals, including the game-winner in Friday's 5-4 comeback victory in Wisconsin's series against then-No. 10 Michigan last weekend, junior forward Christian Fitzgerald was named Big Ten First Star of the Week, the conference announced on Tuesday.
Fitzgerald started the weekend by scoring twice in Wisconsin's 5-4 win on Friday against the Wolverines. Midway through the first period, he recorded his first power-play goal of the year to tie the game at one. Starting in the second period, the Badgers rallied back from a two-goal deficit to tie the game at four before Fitzgerald scored the game-winning tally with 3:09 left in regulation to give the Badgers the victory. The performance marked the forward's first-career two-goal game at UW in his 100th career collegiate contest.
The junior found the back of the net again on Saturday in Wisconsin's 4-4 tie with Michigan. Despite entering the second period with Michigan leading, 3-1, Fitzgerald lit the lamp with 8:55 left in the frame to help the Badgers overcome the two-goal deficit and tie the game at three.
Through 26 games played this year, the Coquitlam, British Columbia, native is sixth on the Badgers with six goals and 14 points.
This marks Fitzgerald's first career Big Ten weekly honor, bringing Wisconsin's 2024-25 season total to eight. The last Badger named a star of the week before Fitzgerald was graduate student forward Ryland Mosley, who earned the conference's third star on Jan. 21.
Fitzgerald and the No. 17 Badger men's hockey team head to Minneapolis for a series at No. 4 Minnesota on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 31-Feb. 1. Friday's game starts at 7 p.m., while Saturday's begins at 5 p.m. Both contests stream on B1G+. Audio play-by-play can be found on 1310 WIBA as well as on the Badgers app and the Varsity Network app. You can also follow along on X/Twitter and Instagram at @BadgerMHockey.
