The Wisconsin Badgers are one win away from a national championship after a 2-1 victory over North Dakota in the Frozen Four semifinal Thursday at T-Mobile Arena. The Badgers struck twice in the first period, scoring both goals within 27 seconds of each other, and made that lead stand up against the Fighting Hawks.

The matchup revived a historic rivalry that dates back to the 1982 water bottle brawl, when Wisconsin’s John Newberry squirted water in the face of North Dakota’s Cary Eades, sparking a bench-clearing melee. Thursday’s game was far more orderly, but the intensity remained. “There was far more acrimony when we were both in the WCHA. But then they went to chase the money in the Big Ten,” said Chuck LeBlanc, a North Dakota fan sporting a green beard outside the arena.

Wisconsin’s victory continues a dominant year for the Big Ten, which has already claimed national titles in football (Indiana), men’s basketball (Michigan) and women’s basketball (UCLA). “The school comes first, so we want to do it for those 26 guys in the room,” Badgers defenseman Ben Dexheimer said. “But the way the Big Ten has performed this year, it just speaks volumes to the talent up and down the sports.”

The Badgers will face Denver in Saturday’s final after the Pioneers outlasted Michigan 4-3 in double overtime. The crowd of 17,942 created a lively atmosphere, with college bands, cheerleaders, and mascots filling the stands. “What an environment. Not just in the building but everything that’s going on outside it,” Wisconsin coach Mike Hastings said.

The Frozen Four is the latest major college event to make a home in Las Vegas, following the College Football Playoff national championship in 2027 and the men’s basketball Final Four in 2028. “I want to say that I hoped everybody had an opportunity to see what it was like when we got off the bus,” Hastings added.