EAST LANSING, Mich. – A four-goal second period by Wisconsin and third-period game-winner from Ryan Botterill helped erase a two-goal deficit and fuel the seventh-ranked Badger men’s hockey team’s 5-4 win over the No. 1 Michigan State Spartans on Friday night at Munn Ice Arena.
Michigan State (9-2-0, 4-1-0 Big Ten – 11 points) opened the scoring eight minutes into the first period, before doubling its lead 12:26 into the first with a power-play goal. Wisconsin (9-2-2, 5-2-0 Big Ten – 14 points) responded in the second period, adding four goals to take a 4-2 lead heading into the third. In the second frame, Christian Fitzgerald scored at 1:08 on the power play, before Blake Montgomery lit the lamp at 4:11. Adam Pietila gave UW its first lead of the night at 11:19, and Tyson Dyck scored the Badgers’ fourth goal at 15:55.
MSU battled in the third, adding a tally at 9:34 into the frame to make it a one-goal game, but Ryan Botterill restored UW’s two-goal lead just 16 seconds later at 9:50. The Spartans continued to push, scoring once more at 10:24, but the Badgers held on for the remainder of the contest to snap Michigan State’s nine-game winning streak and hand it its first conference loss of the year.
How it Happened
First Period
With sophomore goaltender Eli Pulver earning his first start in net as a Badger, Wisconsin and Michigan State faced off for the first time this year, starting the season series in East Lansing.
After UW killed a Spartan power play early in the first period, MSU opened the scoring exactly eight minutes into the opening frame. Porter Martone capitalized on a failed clear at the blue line, sending the puck to Daniel Russel near the net, who sent it home to take a 1-0 lead.
At 12:26, on MSU’s second power-play of the contest, Martone tallied a goal of his own on a net-front pass from Shane Vansaghi.
Second Period
Just 1:03 into the period, Michigan State’s Colin Ralph went to the penalty box for roughing, sending Wisconsin to its first power-play of the game. Five seconds into the penalty, Fitzgerald scored his nation-leading seventh power-play goal of the season. From the blue line, senior defenseman Ben Dexheimer sent the puck to senior forward Simon Tassy by the net, who passed up to Fitzgerald near the slot. Fitzgerald then sniped the puck past MSU netminder Trey Augustine to pick up his ninth goal of the year.
POWER-PLAY FITZY STRIKES AGAIN 🚨
SEVENTH power-play goal of the season for the senior (@13Fitzgerald)
🍎: Simon Tassy & Ben Dexheimer pic.twitter.com/zeRhQuK2EO
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) November 22, 2025
The Badgers struck again at 4:11 to tie the game at two. While circling around the net, Tassy sent the puck to freshman forward Montgomery near the left post, who shoveled the puck home for his sixth goal of the year.
MONTY MAAAGIC 🪄
Sixth tally of the year for the freshman!
🍎: Simon Tassy pic.twitter.com/g0uKS0lYgi
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) November 22, 2025
Sophomore forward Pietila gave UW its first lead of the game at 11:19. Freshman forward Grady Deering left the puck for Montgomery in the neutral zone while absorbing an MSU player’s hit. Montgomery then came flying into the Spartan zone, passing to Pietila in the slot as the sophomore ripped home his second goal of the year.
PIETILA TO THE MOON 🚀
Second goal of the season for the Michigan native (@adampietila)
🍎: Blake Montgomery & Grady Deering pic.twitter.com/wYwY8zapid
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) November 22, 2025
To cap off a four-goal second period for Wisconsin, senior forward Dyck found the back of the net for the first time this year. From the neutral zone, freshman forward Vasily Zelenov raced into UW offensive territory with Dyck, creating a two-on-one opportunity. Zelenov passed across the slot, and Dyck let a shot fly to score his first goal in 15 games played and give the Badgers a 4-2 lead.
TDIZZLE WITH THE SIZZLE 🔥
First of the year for the senior!
🍎: Vasily Zelenov & Oliver Tulk pic.twitter.com/HkxoDNaXdW
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) November 22, 2025
Third Period
After a high-scoring second period, the game remained physical, with both teams taking a roughing penalty fifty-three seconds into the third frame. Neither team scored on the four-on-four.
Down two goals, Michigan State continued to push as Ryker Lee made it a one-goal game, 9:34 into the final period, when a centering pass found its way past Pulver.
Sixteen seconds later, sophomore forward Botterill restored Wisconsin’s two-goal lead. Dyck stole the puck in the neutral zone and rushed the puck into MSU territory before shooting, The puck rebounded off of Augustine’s pads, where Botterill picked up the puck and backhanded it into the net for his fifth goal of the year – a new career high.
A WORK OF ART 🎨
BOTTS WITH THE GAME-WINNER!
🍎: Tyson Dyck pic.twitter.com/wJh1S3yWfU
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) November 22, 2025
Down two goals once more, the Spartans did not back down. Martone scored his second goal of the game at 10:24 into the third, a nifty shot from the slot, to close to 5-4.
The Badgers held on to their one-goal lead from there to seal a comeback victory on the road against the top-ranked team in the nation and handed the Spartans their first conference loss of the year.
Wisconsin went 1-for-2 on the power play and 2-for-3 on the penalty kill. UW finished the contest with a 39-34 deficit in shots on goal.
Notes to know
– Wisconsin’s 14 points are currently tied with Michigan for first place in the Big Ten
– Eli Pulver earned his first victory in his first start as a Badger, turning away 35 Spartan shots in the 5-4 win
– Tyson Dyck scored his first goal of the season and first in 15 games, a drought dating back to Jan. 25, 2025, vs. Michigan
– The Badgers sit 22-26-3 in 51 contests against the top-ranked team since the USCHO.com Poll began in 1997
– When the Badgers rank in the top 20, they are 16-11-2 against No. 1 teams. When the Badgers rank in the top 10, they are 10-2-2 against No. 1 teams, including 9-0-2 in the last 11 such situations
– Wisconsin’s victory snapped Michigan State’s nine-game winning streak and the Spartans’ seven-game winning streak against the Badgers in East Lansing.
Up Next: The Badgers continue their series at Michigan State on Saturday, Nov. 22. Puck drop is set for 6 p.m. CT, and the game streams on B1G+. Audio play-by-play can be found on 1070 The Game as well as on the Badgers app and the Varsity Network app. You can also follow along on X/Twitter and Instagram at @BadgerMHockey.
