What to know about Wisconsin men's hockey's return to the Fiserv Forum, Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off
MADISON – Fiserv Forum is becoming the Wisconsin Badgers' home away from home.
In addition to being a regular stop for the UW men’s basketball team, which plays Marquette there every other season, the Badgers have had a growing presence in Milwaukee during the last couple of years.
The Badgers volleyball team played Marquette there in September and drew a NCAA regular-season record indoor crowd. Next September, UW will be back for a showcase event Labor Day weekend that includes two-time defending national champion Texas, Stanford and Minnesota.
This week the Wisconsin men's hockey team plants roots downtown for the third-annual Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off. The tournament kicks off the second half of the season for the sixth-ranked Badgers (14-4) and gives locals a chance for an in-person look at a resurgent program that is off to its best start since its national championship season of 2005-06.
Wisconsin hasn’t played since Dec. 9 when it completed a sweep of Penn State.
“I think they’re excited about being back playing hockey again,” UW coach Mike Hastings said. “That’s one thing about hockey players. It’s like hockey coaches, you take a day or two away from the game and the game starts calling you and so our guys are excited about starting off in the second half and being able to do it in Milwaukee.”
Here is what you need to know about the third-annual Kwik Trip Holiday Face-off.
What channel can I watch or listen to the Wisconsin hockey team Thursday and Friday?
TV/stream: Both games will be shown on Bally Sports Wisconsin. The matchups can streamed on the Bally Sports app or Big Ten Network app.
Radio: The contests can be heard on 97.3 The Game in Milwaukee and can also be found on the Badgers App or the Varsity Network App.
What is the schedule for the Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off at Fiserv Forum?
Thursday
Minnesota Duluth vs. Northeastern, 4 p.m.
Air Force vs. Wisconsin, 7:30 p.m.
Friday
Minnesota Duluth/Northeastern vs. Air Force, 4 p.m.
Minnesota Duluth/Northeastern vs. Wisconsin, 7:30 p.m.
*Wisconsin will play in the final game Friday regardless of the outcome Thursday.
Who is hot for Wisconsin?
Sophomore forward Cruz Lucius and Christian Fitzgerald have scored a point in five straight matches, the longest streak for a Badger this season. Charlie Stramel, another sophomore, had a four-point weekend in the Badgers' sweep of Penn State Dec. 8-9. Stramel started the season slowly but could be in line for more shifts this week as the team plays without freshman Quinn Finley, who is competing for the United States at the World Junior Championships.
“We’ve moved (Stramel) around a litlte bit and he’s with a unit he hasn’t played with before and hopefully that will be an opportunity he takes advantage of because he’s really earned that,” said Hastings, who also noted that he plans to use the majority of his roster during the tournament. “Then we’re going to need the usual suspects. When we were playing as well as we could in the first half, we did it with scoring depth. We did it with some really solid goaltending and some discipline by staying out of the penalty box. I think those are incredients we’re going to have to rely on if we’re going to have any success Thursday or Friday."
A look at the field
Air Force, 8-9-1
The Falcons are 2-3-1 in their last three series but are still off to their best start in five years. Their biggest win came against then-No. 8 Michigan State, 6-5, on Oct. 12. With 10 points, the team (5-4-1) is ninth in the Atlantic Hockey Association. Sophomore defenseman Chris Hedden is tied for the league lead in points (19) and senior forward Will Gavin is tied for second in the association in goals (nine). The team is coached by Frank Serratore. Serratore coached Hastings in junior hockey and is credited by Hastings for helping him get his first head coaching job. “They’re going to be the mentally strong,” Hastings said. “They play with pace. They’re going to be physical."
Minnesota Duluth, 5-8-4
The Bulldogs are one of the best power play teams in the nation, ranking second with a power-play percentage of .305. Sophomore Ben Steeves ranks second in the nation with seven power play goals and leads the team in goals (11) and points (17). Bulldogs coach Scott Sandelin led the program to national championships in 2011, ’18 and ’19 and has 444 victories. This year the team was ranked as high as No. 11 by USCHO and No. 12 by USA Hockey Magazing/The Rink Live. “I think their reputation speaks for itself,” Hastings said. “What they do at the most important time of the year. Scott Sandelin’s program and what he’s built there, I think is a top five program in the country.”
Northeastern, 5-8-1
The Huskies have won three of their last four games, a run that includes a split with top-ranked Boston College Dec. 1-2. They received votes in the latest USCHO poll. Senior Alex Campbell, a transfer from Clarkson, leads the team in goals (nine) and points (16). He has six goals and one assist in the last four games. Northeastern is coached by Jerry Keefe, who played junior hockey for Hastings. “They’ve played very well as of late,” Hastings said. “They beat Boston College, starting to find their stride after having some injuries.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about Wisconsin Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off Fiserv Forum
