Two days later than originally scheduled due to COVID-19 quarantine absences with the home team, the University of Wisconsin men’s hockey team opens a Big Ten series against No. 11 Notre Dame at the Kohl Center on Saturday. (8:30 p.m., no TV, BigTenPlus.com, 1:10 p.m.).
Here are five pre-game notes and the lines:
Party : The Badgers honor nine seniors ahead of the game, the penultimate home game of the season. Fifth-year players Tarek Baker, Josh Ess, Max Johnson (four years at Bowling Green) and Tyler Inamoto will join fourth-year seniors Roman Ahcan, Brock Caufield, Jack Gorniak, Dominick Mersch and Jesper Peltonen in the squad.
Faded away: The Badgers had more than half of their roster without practice for at least part of the week due to quarantines, injuries or long-term illnesses. Baker, Inamoto and Daniel Laatsch are out; Owen Lindmark, Mike Vorlicky and Jake Martin are long-term absentees. forwards Johnson, Brayden Morrison, Mathieu De St. Phalle, Ryder Donovan and Caden Brown; defenders Corson Ceulemans and Ess; and goaltenders Jared Moe and Ben Garrity did not practice Tuesday through Friday due to quarantines.
First: Ahcan leads current UW players with seven goals and nine points in 14 career games against Notre Dame.
Streaks: The Badgers have lost six in a row. Their last slippage longer than that was at the start of the 2014-15 0-8 season.
Road: Notre Dame, which is locked in the Big Ten’s top four and entered Saturday 13th in the PairWise rankings, is 7-3 on the road this season.
Badgers (8-19-3, 4-12-1-3 Big Ten)
Attackers
Carson Bantle – Brock Caufield – Mathieu De St. Phalle
Jack Gorniak – Ryder Donovan – Liam Malmquist
Roman Ahcan – Dominick Mersch – Max Johnson
Brayden Morrison/Zach Urdahl-Caden Brown-Sam Stange
Defenders
Josh Ess – Corson Ceulemans
Jesper Peltonen – Anthony Kehrer
Luke LaMaster – Shay Donovan
Goalkeepers
Jared Moe
Cameron Rowe
Ben Garry
Grooves : F Owen Lindmark (injury), F Tarek Baker (injury), D Tyler Inamoto (injury), D Daniel Laatsch (injury), D Mike Vorlicky (injury), D Jake Martin (illness).
Irish Fighter (20-8-0, 7-5-5-1 Big Ten)
Attackers
Jesse Lansdell – Jake Pivonka – Max Ellis
Landon Slaggert – Graham Slaggert – Trevor Janicke
Solag Bakich – Cam Burke – Ryder Rolston
Grant Silianoff – Hunter Strand – Jack Adams
Defenders
Spencer Stastney – Zach Plucinski
Adam Karashik – Jake Boltman
Charlie Raith – Ryan Helliwell
Hunt Blackmun
Goalkeepers
Ryan Bischel
Matthew Galajda
Josh Graziano
Officials
Referees: Joseph Carusone and Kevin Corbett.
Linesmen: Nick Bradshaw and Sam Shikowski.
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How 3 Wisconsin teams shuffled games to postpone the Badgers men’s hockey series
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Milewski on hockey: Wisconsin senior greetings go out to players on different timelines
Photos: Michigan men’s hockey beats Wisconsin
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Wisconsin forward Brock Caufield (19) and Michigan forward Matty Beniers (10) battle for the puck during the first period at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin on Friday January 28, 2022. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
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Wisconsin forward Liam Malmquist (23) tries to keep control of the puck against Michigan forward Matty Beniers (10) and Michigan forward Michael Pastujov (21) during the first period at the Kohl Center in Madison , Wis., on Friday, Jan. 28. 2022. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
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Michigan forward Dylan Duke (56) scores on Wisconsin goaltender Jared Moe (35) during the first period at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
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Michigan teammates, from left, forward Johnny Beecher (17), forward Dylan Duke (56) and forward Mackie Samoskevich (11) celebrate a goal against Wisconsin in the first period at the Kohl Center from Madison, Wisconsin on Friday, January 28. , 2022. KAYLA WOLF, STATE NEWSPAPER
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Wisconsin forward Jack Gorniak (11) hooks his stick around Michigan defenseman Nick Blankenburg (7) during the first period at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
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Wisconsin forward Brock Caufield (19) battles for the puck against Michigan forward Johnny Beecher (17) and Michigan forward Michael Pastujov (21) during the first period at the Kohl Center in Madison , Wisconsin, Friday, Jan. 28, 2022. KAYLA WOLF, STATE NEWSPAPER
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Michigan forward Mackie Samoskevich (11) celebrates a goal with teammates against Wisconsin during the first period at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
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Wisconsin forward Roman Ahcan (13) looks for a shot on goal against Michigan goaltender Erik Portillo (1) during the second period at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin on Friday January 28, 2022. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
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Wisconsin defenseman Anthony Kehrer (24) tries to gain control of the puck against Michigan during the second period at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
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Wisconsin forward Tarek Baker (16) shoots on goal against Michigan in the third period at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL