MADISON, Wis. – After notching a hat trick and a career-high five points in Wisconsin's season-opening series at Lindenwood last weekend, senior forward Christian Fitzgerald was named the Big Ten Third Star of the Week, the conference announced on Tuesday.
Fitzgerald started the weekend by scoring the season-opening and game-winning goal in Wisconsin's 3-0 shutout win on Friday against the Lions. He got UW on the board first, 9:27 into the first period, when he banked a rebound of sophomore defenseman Logan Hensler's shot into the net on the power play.
On Saturday, the senior recorded his first-career hat trick, scoring two power-play goals in the first period before completing the feat with an even-strength goal 8:22 into the second frame. To add to his point tally, Fitzgerald notched an assist on junior forward
Quinn Finley's third-period goal to post his first-career four-point night and total five points on the weekend.
This marks Fitzgerald's second career Big Ten weekly honor and Wisconsin's first of the 2025-26 season. The senior was also the Badgers' most recent star of the week, earning the conference's first star on Jan. 28, 2025, after scoring three goals in Wisconsin's series against then-No. 10 Michigan.
Fitzgerald and the No. 18 Badger men's hockey team play host to the U.S. Under-18 Team for an exhibition game on Thursday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. The game streams on B1G+, while 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.
UW's official home opener against Minnesota State is set for Thursday and Friday, Oct. 16-17. Both games start at 7 p.m.
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