Wisconsin, North Dakota advance to 2026 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four

The first two spots in the 2026 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four have been determined.

Saturday’s regional finals saw both entertaining play, with a dash of drama to send some fans back home happy, while others held their heads in their hands.

Let’s look back at how things played out on Saturday, and which teams were the first to book their flights to Las Vegas:

Worcester

Wisconsin 4, Michigan 3 (OT)

Our first game of the national tournament to go beyond regulation was exactly what you’d expect from a Big Ten matchup. Exciting, unpredictable, with that down-to-the-wire action that everyone loves to see.

The Badgers certainly didn’t play in fear of the conference’s regular season champions. Putting pucks on Detroit Red Wings prospect Trey Augustine early and often. While they weren’t able to find the back of the net in the first period, they were able to strike first in the opening moments of the second, as New York Islanders draft pick Quinn Finley scored his second goal of the weekend, and 17th of the season, to put Wisconsin out in front.

However, Michigan State responded later in the period. After a power-play goal from Gavin O’Connell, Buffalo Sabres prospect Patrick Geary scored just his second goal of the season, just 31 seconds later, to put the Spartans out in front.

MSU looked poised to be heading to Las Vegas in the third, especially after Matt Basgall potted a goal on the man advantage before the halfway mark of the frame. Yet, the pesky Badgers didn’t go away. Luke Osburn cut the deficit to one after banging home a rebound with less than five to play in regulation. Then, less than a minute later, Gavin Morrissey tied the game, with the two teams needing extra time to determine a winner.

The momentum for Wisconsin carried into overtime, as captain Ben Dexheimer fooled Augustine with a long-range shot to send the Badgers to the Frozen Four for the first time since 2010.

It was Dexheimer’s first goal since Feb. 7.

The Badgers ended up outshooting the Spartans 38-27, playing strong and confident hockey against the No. 3 team in the country.

For the Spartans, a team many expected to at least reach the Frozen Four, it marks the third year in a row that Adam Nightingale’s team has bowed out in the regionals. It certainly didn’t help that top-line center Charlie Stramel (Minnesota Wild) left the game in the first period after blocking a shot, which Nightingale later reported that Stramel suffered a broken ankle on the play.

Like each of the past two seasons, MSU is poised to lose a good chunk of talent to the pro ranks, possibly even Augustine.

Let’s see which players stood out in the final game in Worcester:

Gavin Morrissey, C, Wisconsin: The game-tying goal was just a small part of the incredible game from the sophomore. A solid two-way player, Morrissey was noticeable all around the ice on Saturday. He picked up an assist on Finley’s goal earlier in the game and had the helper on Dexheimer’s game-winner. The three-point performance further cemented this as a career year for the 23-year-old, who now has eight points in the past six games.

Ben Dexheimer, D, Wisconsin: A Badger for life, Dexheimer is going to play a little more hockey for his school before he graduates. A leader who’s as reliable in his own zone as he is to contribute on the other end of the rink, the Edina, Minn. native showed off all of his abilities against the Spartans. An assist on Morrissey’s marker before finishing the job himself, it’s college veterans like Dexheimer who have helped the Badgers return to prominence this season.

Sioux Falls

Quinnipiac 0, North Dakota 5

While the first regional final provided plenty of excitement, the second game on Saturday wasn’t as thrilling. With a very partisan crowd behind them in South Dakota, the Fighting Hawks came out flying. Though the Bobcats created some chances in the first 20 minutes, a couple of goals from freshman Jack Kernan were part of a three-goal opening period for the NCHC power.

North Dakota’s attack continued well into the second period, with Red Wings prospect Dylan James scoring for the second time in the regional, while Calgary Flames draft pick Cole Reschny added on to the onslaught with just his sixth goal of the campaign later in the middle stanza.

The Fighting Hawks were on cruise control from there, punching their ticket to the Frozen Four since their last national championship in 2016.

It was an exceptional all-around team effort from UND. Jan Spunar had to make some big saves early on in the game, leading to a 22-save shutout, his second of the weekend. Flames prospect Abram Wiebe had a pair of assists, while Cody Croal scored his third goal of the regional back in the first period.

Despite winning the national championship in 2023, the Bobcats have lost a regional championship game in three of the past five seasons.

Jack Kernan, C, North Dakota: It has been said before, and it’ll be said again – you need all hands on deck in the playoffs. With Seattle Kraken prospect Ollie Josephson out due to injury, Kernan was placed centering the fourth line. While he didn’t have much of an impact in North Dakota’s win over Merrimack on Thursday, he certainly left his mark on Saturday. Not only did he score the first goal of the game, but he also had a glorious snipe on Dylan Silverstein later in the first, forcing Quinnipiac to make a desperate goalie change.

Just a couple of days shy of his 21st birthday, Kernan’s performance played a big role in pushing the Fighting Hawks to a regional title, giving him 10 goals on the season and three in the postseason.

Will Zellers, RW, North Dakota (Boston Bruins): While Wiebe also had a solid game, Zellers was heavily involved when the Fighting Hawks were swarming the Bobcats in the first half of the game. He had primary assists on Kernan’s first goal and James’ tally in the second period, bumping up to a tie for third in team scoring with Nashville Predators draft pick Ben Strinden with 34 points apiece.

Zellers can beat opponents in a variety of ways. Not only is his ability to finish superb, but as we saw in James’ goal, he has the vision and patience to create great opportunities for others.