As soon as the puck dropped in front of an almost entirely sold-out crowd at the Kohl Center Friday night, the Badgers (10-15-1, 5-12-1-1 Big Ten) came out hot. They managed to score two goals relatively early in the game and earned a 2–1 lead through the first seven minutes of the second period. Juniors Ty Pelton-Bryce and Tarek Baker each tallied a goal, with juniors Linus Weissbach and Sean Dhooghe on the assist.
After ending the first period tied at one and playing the majority of the second period tied at two, the Badgers always had the edge on the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers (12-10-4, 7-5-4-3) in total shots — finishing the game with a 31–27 advantage.