Quinn Finley proved the difference-maker as Blake Montgomery and his No. 3 Wisconsin Men’s hockey teammates completed their first series sweep of 2026, holding off a late surge from the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves to secure a 3-2 victory at the Kohl Center.
The sophomore forward notched his first career short-handed goal—which ultimately stood as the game-winner—as the Badgers extended their impressive non-conference record to 7-1-2.
Wisconsin wasted little time asserting their dominance in front of the Madison faithful. The hosts jumped to a 2-0 lead in the opening period thanks to a clinical two-minute scoring burst. Finley opened the account at the 15:01 mark, rifling home a power-play goal just three seconds into the man advantage.
The momentum remained firmly with the Badgers as Finn Brink doubled the lead only 69 seconds later, finishing a slick move to put Wisconsin in total control heading into the first interval.
The second period saw Finley reach a personal milestone. With Wisconsin down a man following a boarding penalty, the forward broke free to score his first career short-handed goal at 14:06, extending the cushion to 3-0.
However, the three-goal lead was short-lived. Alaska Anchorage found an immediate response on the same power play, with Joey Potter threading a shot through traffic just seconds later to put the Seawolves on the board.
The visitors refused to go quietly, and the tension inside the Kohl Center rose when Oren Shtrom made it a one-goal game early in the third period. Despite a frantic final ten minutes and a late four-on-four situation, Wisconsin’s defensive core held firm. Captain Ben Dexheimer and the Badgers' backline recorded several key blocks in the closing stages to deny the Seawolves an equalizer.
The win caps off a perfect weekend for Mike Hastings' side following their 5-0 shutout on Friday night. Wisconsin now turns its attention back to Big Ten play, sitting third in the national polls with a 15-3-2 overall record.
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