Can the Badgers get back on track after the sweep to Michigan State?
Following last weekend’s sweep at the hands of Michigan State, the No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers welcome another highly-ranked conference foe with a chance to make up some ground in the Big Ten race. The No. 8 Penn State Nittany Lions took two games from Notre Dame their last time out, vaulting into second place in the Big Ten standings, and now they are looking to solidify that position after a trip to Madison.
The Badgers (15-5-2, 8-4 B1G) currently sit nine points behind first-place Michigan in the conference standings, though the Badgers have two games in hand and host the Wolverines late next month. While Wisconsin no longer controls its own destiny, it can play its way back into contention, starting with two big games against Penn State this weekend.
On the other hand, Penn State (16-6-0, 8-4 B1G) is riding a five-game winning streak and now sits second in the Big Ten. There isn’t much that the Nittany Lions do exceptionally well; they are just an all-around solid hockey team capable of winning in multiple ways. They score just over three goals per game while conceding a clip just above two and a half.
They are converting on roughly 24 percent of their power plays, good for 11th in the country, but they get their power play unit on the ice more than all but two teams in college hockey. On the flip side, the Badgers concede fewer penalties than anybody in the conference and are among the best in the country at avoiding the need to kill penalties, which is good, as the Wisconsin penalty kill ranks 38th in the NCAA. They’ll need to avoid the box to get back on track.
Wisconsin’s power play has been its strength all season, but a lackluster performance against Michigan State, where they went 0-for-7 over both games, has dropped them from second in the NCAA down to fifth. Conversely, if Penn State is elite in one regard, it’s killing penalties. The Nittany Lions are third in college hockey, killing nearly 90 percent of their opponent’s power plays. They are also not shy about putting that unit on the ice, conceding the sixth-most penalties in hockey. It’s rare that a team takes so many penalties and is so successful with the kill, which means that even with the advantage, the Badgers will have their work cut out for them.
Penn State is not short on talented playmakers. Junior Matt DiMarisco and sophomore J.J. Wiebusch lead the way in points and are the Nittany Lions only double-digit goal scorers. Wiebusch hails from Verona, and we’ve learned time and again that ties to the state of Wisconsin are usually a good indication of future success against the Badgers. DiMarisco is from Pennsylvania but played his USHL hockey in Green Bay.
While DiMarisco and Wiebusch are the leading goal scorers, all eyes will be on freshman Gavin McKenna. The top-ranked prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft, McKenna has six goals and 18 assists on the year and is really growing into his own with 22 collegiate games now under his belt.
Michigan, Michigan State, and Wisconsin have been making enough noise this season that Penn State has been a bit of an afterthought, especially after their 4-4 start in conference play. The Nittany Lions are an afterthought no more; they are a full-blown conference contender.
The good news for Wisconsin is that Penn State has been a completely different team on the road this season, going 11-2 at home and just 5-4 as the visitors. The Badgers will get the home-ice advantage this weekend, where six points could go a long way toward keeping the conference race tight with just ten games remaining after this weekend.
Game Info
Date: January 23-24
Time: Friday – 7:00 p.m. | Saturday – 7:30 p.m.
Place: Madison, WI | Kohl Center
TV: B1G+/BTN | Radio: 1310 WIBA
Category: General Sports
