Wisconsin Badgers Hockey has its next head coach. Mike Hastings – the former head coach of the Minnesota State Mavericks – is the 14th UW men’s hockey team coach. Earlier this month, Athletic Director Chris McIntosh introduced Hastings to the Badger faithful at the Kohl Center. The mood surrounding the hiring was a familiar one. Just a handful of months before Hastings’ introduction, McIntosh hired Luke Fickell to serve as head coach of the Wisconsin Football program. That familiarity was no accident; in fewer than two years, Barry Alvarez’ protege revealed exactly what he looks for in a head coach.

Chris McIntosh introducing Wisconsin Badgers Football head coach Luke Fickell. Photo Credit: Matt Belz, Site Publisher for AllBadgers.com

Wisconsin Badgers Hockey Head Coach Mike Hastings has a Record of Success

Before his hiring at UW, Hastings served as the head coach of the Minnesota State Mavericks men’s hockey program. In his time with Mankato, the Eugene, Oregon native completed an unimaginable program turnaround. Before his arrival, the Mavericks had only one winning season in the previous nine. Minnesota State won only 12 games in the 2011-12 season. In 2012-13, Hastings’ first of 11 seasons with MSU, his team doubled that win total. That team, which went 24-14-3, also reached the NCAA Tournament. It was Minnesota State’s second tournament appearance since joining Division 1 in 1996.

In the ensuing ten seasons, the three-time Spencer Penrose Award winner, college hockey’s national coach of the year award, missed the NCAAs only twice. Beyond just making the tournament, Hastings was building a real contender at Minnesota State. In his final seasons in Mankato, the Mavericks won six consecutive regular season conference titles, back-to-back conference tournament titles, and made the Frozen Four in 2020-21 and 2021-22. Although MSU fell in the 2022 national championship game, it was clear that Hastings made himself the most highly-sought after coach in college hockey.

Following the 2022 national championship game loss, Hastings was reported as one of, if not the top candidate, for multiple head coaching positions. Among them was Boston University. The Terriers showed significant interest in Hastings, although it is uncommon for a college hockey head coach to go from the Midwest to the East. However, the five-time national championship-winning program had a unique opportunity to lure the then-MSU head coach because his son was attending college at Northeastern – also in Boston. Of course, Hastings did not take the opportunity before leaving for Madison just a year later.

Chris McIntosh Shows his Formula for Success with Mike Hastings and Luke Fickell

The track record of the new Wisconsin Badgers Hockey head coach has tremendous parallels to that of Fickell’s. Fickell took Cincinnati, a Group of 5 program, to the College Football Playoff after inheriting a program that had compiled a disappointing 4-8 record the season before his arrival. Before leaving the Bearcats, he won back-to-back conference titles in 2020 and 2021 and earned multiple national coach of the year awards in 2021. Fickell and Hastings took middling programs, maxed out their potential for success, and ultimately left for Madison despite having no ties to UW.

Fickell and Hastings each chose Wisconsin over other premier programs. Hastings ended up at UW despite an earlier opportunity to coach at BU. In 2021, Fickell to Notre Dame rumors nearly overshadowed Cincy’s CFP appearance. Not to mention, USC, LSU, and Oklahoma all had head coach openings that offseason.

Wisconsin’s football and hockey coaches also brought similar talents to Madison to power the lifeblood of any collegiate athletic program: recruiting. Pat Lambert and Max Stienecker, Wisconsin football’s new heads in the recruiting department, followed Fickell from Cincinnati. Lambert and Steinecker already proved an ability to attract high-level talent to Cincy – including the nine Bearcats selected in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Hastings is bringing his top assistant, Todd Knott, to Wisconsin. Knott served as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at MSU under Hastings. The Minnesota native is considered one of the top assistants in college hockey. Upon Hastings’ departure, Knott was even offered the Mavericks head coaching job but ultimately chose to follow his boss to UW.

Wisconsin Badgers Hockey and Wisconsin Badgers Football Have Shared Destiny

Wisconsin Badgers Athletic Director Chris McIntosh has a formula. When hiring a head coach, he desires success. Both on the field (or ice) and in recruiting. McIntosh looks for the best available coach who has hit the ceiling at their current job. Hastings and Fickell will need to prove the formula works in Madison.

Contact Info

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Kedrick Stumbris on Twitter @KedrickStumbris.

Join the Badger Notes watch party! Stream Wisconsin Badgers games and chat with fans by following this link.

Wisconsin women’s hockey played a game for the ages in Duluth, Minnesota, against Ohio State on Sunday afternoon. It was the Badgers’ fifth game against the Buckeyes this season, but this game had national title implications. Ohio State came in as the preseason favorite to repeat as champs, earned the number-one seed in the NCAA Tournament, and challenged the Badgers the entire way, but it was not enough. Wisconsin defeated Ohio State 1-0.

After a five-game skid earlier this season, the NCAA Tournament was not a guarantee for the Badgers. Badgers’ fans defining memories from this season will not be that losing skid, however. What will be remembered are the contributions from an incredible freshman class, defeating the defending national champions, and securing the program’s seventh national championship.

Wisconsin Women’s Hockey Secures Early Lead

A pair of freshmen got the Badgers on the board early. Wisconsin has relied on their freshman to generate scoring throughout the season and Kirsten Simms answered the call with 6:32 remaining in the opening frame. Fellow freshman Claire Enright fought to keep the puck in the offensive zone and found Simms open in the high slot. Simms got a wrist shot off around one defender and scored high blocker side.

WHO ELSE BUT KIRSTEN SIMMS?! BADGERS ARE ON THE BOARD.

📺 ESPNU #WFrozenFour x @BadgerWHockey pic.twitter.com/VBNYcJGleE

— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 19, 2023

The Buckeyes outshot the Badgers 16-5 in the first period. Badgers senior goaltender Cami Kronish held OSU scoreless, stopping all 16 shots. Wisconsin skaters added another 7 blocked shot attempts by Ohio State – including three by captain Britta Curl.

Although no goals were scored in the second period, there was plenty of action on both ends of the ice. Wisconsin led the Buckeyes in shots on goal 11-6 in the second. The Badgers controlled possession at the end of the period in the Ohio State defensive zone to close the period – peppering a total of nine shot attempts toward the OSU goal in the final 1:50.

Third Period Blitz for the Buckeyes

Enright tried to get her name on the scoresheet again early in the third period. After finding herself alone on a breakaway, the Farmington, Minnesota native tried to go to her backhand to beat Ohio State goaltender Amanda Thiele, but could not get around her right leg.

After killing a roughing penalty committed by defender Riley Brengman, Ohio State brought pressure to its offensive zone. Kronish made an impressive toe save after sliding from her right to left across the crease to stop a shot attempt by Buckeyes winger Paetyn Levis with 12:43 remaining. It was the first of three saves by Kronish in a mere 49 seconds.

After both teams were held scoreless down the stretch, Ohio State attempted to pull Thiele for an extra skater but had the play blown dead after making an early substitution. Eventually, Thiele was successfully pulled, but it was too late. The Badgers won 1-0, shutting out Ohio State for the first time all season.

FINAL IN DULUTH#Badgers 1
Buckeyes 0

WE ARE SEVEN TIME NATIONAL CHAMPIONS pic.twitter.com/9TTKN41P1J

— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerWHockey) March 19, 2023

Wisconsin Women’s Hockey Record-Breaking National Championship

With the victory, Wisconsin broke its tie with the Minnesota Golden Gophers for the most NCAA Division 1 Women’s Hockey national championships. It is another feather in the cap of head coach Mark Johnson – the all-time winningest coach in women’s college hockey.

Kronish was named the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. She made 31 saves in the championship game, including 16 in the first period. The 2022-23 season was Kronish’s first as the Badgers’ starting goaltender.

CHAMPIONS!!! WISCONSIN WINS THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!! BADGERS WIN!!

📺 ESPNU #WFrozenFour x @BadgerWHockey pic.twitter.com/PfXcLxY9YJ

— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 19, 2023

Four other Badgers joined Kronish with individual accolades. Kronish, Natalie Buchbinder, Curl, Nicole LaMantia, and Sophie Shirley won their third national championship. That group of five joins only seven other UW players to ever win three national titles.

Contact Info

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Kedrick Stumbris on Twitter @KedrickStumbris.

Join the Badger Notes watch party! Stream Wisconsin Badgers games and chat with fans by following this link.

Wisconsin women’s hockey learned its NCAA Tournament fate Sunday morning. The Badgers (25-10-2, 19-7-2 WCHA) had to wait and see if they would earn an at-large berth to the tournament after falling in the WCHA Final Faceoff semifinals to rival Minnesota. Fortunately for UW, it found it has secured its place in a tenth-straight NCAA Tournament.

💃Back in the Dance!💃

For the 10th-straight season the #Badgers have heard their name called on Selection Sunday!#OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/u4j6vMAhvL

— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerWHockey) March 5, 2023

Wisconsin finished third in the WCHA this season, a position typically disappointing for such a dominant program. Beyond the final placement, however, is a more complex story. Minnesota, the conference’s second-place team, did not defeat the Badgers in regulation or overtime in their four tries in the regular season. Although Wisconsin went only 1-2-1 against Ohio State (including one loss in overtime and another decided with 55 seconds remaining in regulation), the Buckeyes entered the season as the reigning national champion and finished the regular season as the WCHA Champion.

Not to mention, those two teams Wisconsin fell just short of in the regular season? They earned the top two overall seeds in the NCAA Tournament.

All eyes on Duluth 🏒🏆

➡️ https://t.co/MEEy2Z5nsB#NCAAHockey pic.twitter.com/rGJQfuof2G

— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 5, 2023

Wisconsin will now play Long Island University on Thursday at 5 PM Central in Hamilton, NY. The LIU Sharks received an automatic qualifying bid to the NCAAs by winning the New England Women’s Hockey Alliance tournament. This is the first year a team from the NEWHA will be in the NCAA Tournament.

Longtime Wisconsin women’s hockey fans will be familiar with Sharks head coach Kelly Nash. Nash played at Wisconsin 2007-2011, bringing two national championships to Madison during her time with the Badgers. Nash recorded 22 goals and 47 assists at UW, including a career-high four points in the Culver’s Camp Randall Hockey Classic.

The #Badgers will face LIU on Thursday night in Hamilton, New York with the winner to face Colgate on Saturday pic.twitter.com/0AT1yh4Yv2

— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerWHockey) March 5, 2023

Contact Info

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Kedrick Stumbris on Twitter @KedrickStumbris