Defenceman Blake Montgomery and his No. 19/20 University of Wisconsin Badgers Men's Hockey teammates completed a dominant season-opening sweep, routing the Lindenwood Lions 7-2 in a goal-filled performance at the Centene Community Ice Center.
The victory moves Wisconsin's flawless record to 2-0-0 for the season.
The night belonged to senior forward Christian Fitzgerald, who powered the offensive explosion with his first collegiate hat-trick.
Wisconsin took control early, finishing the first period with a 3-0 lead. Fitzgerald opened the scoring on the power play at 5:23, quickly followed by freshman Luke Osburn's first collegiate goal. Fitzgerald sealed his brace just minutes later with another power-play strike.
Lindenwood (0-2-0) showed resilience in the second period, scoring twice, including a five-on-three power-play goal, but Fitzgerald completed his hat-trick at 8:22 into the middle frame to keep the Badgers comfortably ahead at 4-2.
The Badgers sealed the sweep with a third-period goal blitz, scoring three more times. Quinn Finley, Simon Tassy, and Finn Brink all found the net, with Wisconsin showcasing clinical efficiency, going 4-for-9 on the power play for the game.
The result is a major statement of intent for the Badgers, with Montgomery and the defence providing the support for an explosive offensive start to the campaign.
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