Christian Fitzgerald’s OT goal caps wild win for Wisconsin men’s hockey over No. 14 Michigan

The Wisconsin men’s hockey team refused to go down for the count Saturday.

The third-ranked Badgers came back from deficits four times before leaving Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with a 6-5 overtime victory over No. 14 Michigan.

Sophomore Christian Fitzgerald’s score 57 seconds into overtime allowed the Badgers to leave town with a series split.

Friday, Michigan handed UW its worst loss of the season, 5-1. Saturday, the Badgers responded by tying their second-highest goal total of the season.

BOX SCORE: Wisconsin 6, Minnesota 5 overtime

The victory raised Wisconsin’s record to 20-5-1 overall and 11-3 (33 points) in the Big Ten. That result coupled with first-place Michigan State’s 5-1 loss at Minnesota cut the Spartans’ lead over UW in the standings to four points.

The win also gave the Badgers a 3-1 record in games tied after two periods and a 2-0-1 mark in overtime contests.

The offensive eruptions resulted in four players with multi-point nights for Wisconsin and 11 players with at least one goal or assist. Fitzgerald (one goal, one assist) recorded his third game-winner of the season. Freshman Quinn Finley (one goal, three assists), freshman Joe Palodichuk (two assists) and senior Anthony Kehrer (two assists) also had multi-point nights.

The tone for the game was set during the first 10 minutes when Michigan scored during the first 2 minutes and UW responded with goals by Finley and senior Carson Bantle to take a 2-1 advantage at the 7-minute, 27-second mark.

Michigan game back with two more goals before the game was 10 minutes old to take a 3-2 lead.

Wisconsin wouldn’t reclaim the lead again until Fitzgerald’s game winner, which came off passes from Finley and Kehrer.

The victory sets up a visit from ninth-ranked Minnesota at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Kohl Center. UW swept the Golden Gophers, 5-2, on Oct. 26 and 3-2 on Oct. 27.