When I was a little kid, I loved to stay up late on Friday and Saturday nights to watch Badger hockey games on Wisconsin Public Television. I loved hockey, but what I really loved about those games was the whole atmosphere: the crowd, the band, the songs and the cheers. Watching those games every winter, I fell in love with the University of Wisconsin. Lucky for me that UW is a fabulous, world-class university, because I didn't want to go there because of the academics. I wanted to go to Wisconsin because I wanted to be a part of those hockey traditions. I wanted to dance the polka to the "Bud Song" and yell "Sieve!" at the top of my lungs.

Tonight, not only did I get to do all of that, I also got to see my Wisconsin Badgers win the NCAA Hockey Championship! The Badgers beat Boston College 2-1, but, to be honest, they had so many chances early in the game that it shouldn't have been that close.

This is just seconds after the end of the game. I love how the first thing hockey players do after a win is take off their helmets and gloves. At least the crowds in Wisconsin don't throw octopi on the ice.

There are some more pictures from tonight's game in Milwaukee in the extended entry:

Badger goalie Brian Elliott before the start of the 3rd period.

"If you want to be a Badger, then come along with me..."

The celebration continues. Barry Alvarez is in there somewhere.