No. 2 Wisconsin advances to Holiday Face-Off title game

Sunday, December 28

Milwaukee

4 p.m.

Wisconsin Badgers

13-2-2

Lake Superior State

6-12-1

Lake Superior St.

Wisconsin

Photo by: Nolan Kromke

No. 2 Wisconsin advances to Holiday Face-Off title game

December 28, 2025 | Men's Hockey

Box Score

Badgers reach championship game for fifth time in five years of the tournament in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE – Finn Brink broke a 2-2 deadlock with Lake Superior State on a breakaway early in the third period to help advance No. 2 Wisconsin to the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off championship game in a 3-2 win at Fiserv Forum on Sunday.

The Badgers (13-2-2, 8-2-0 Big Ten) got contributions from all over, including sophomore defenseman Weston Knox, who opened the scoring at 13:02 on a screened point shot for his first career goal in his 14th game played.

Lake Superior State (6-12-1, 3-9-0 CCHA) scored consecutive goals in the second period to grab a two-goal lead, one on a breakaway after a penalty kill by Adam Barone and the second by Luke Levandowski on a nifty passing play on the rush.

UW got back to even on a Ben Dexheimer power-play goal with 6:58 left in the second period, firing after a Christian Fitzgerald offensive zone faceoff win.

That set the stage for Brink's goal 5:51 into the third on a breakaway just as UW's penalty kill expired. Defenseman Joe Palodichuk sent the puck up around the boards past a pair of Lakers from behind the Badger net to send Brink off to the races.

Freshman goaltender Daniel Hauser made 20 saves in the victory.

NOTES TO KNOW
- UW's victory puts it in the championship game of the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off for all five years of the tournament
- UW owns titles the last two years and three of the four prior tournaments
- UW got two goals from defenseman to give the defensive corps 15 goals on the season in 17 games. UW scored nine goals during the entire 2024-25 season
- Sophomore defenseman Weston Knox scored his first career goal in his 14th career game

UP NEXT: Wisconsin plays in the 2025 Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off on Monday at 7:30 p.m. against the winner of No. 7 Western Michigan and No. 12 Boston College still on tonight's docket in Milwaukee.

Monday's game streams on B1G+ and airs on 1310 WIBA and the Badger Radio Network, as well as the Badgers app and the Varsity Network app. You can also follow along on X/Twitter and Instagram at @BadgerMHockey.