Brendan Smith was rarely without a smile in the postgame press conference Saturday — and with good reason.

The junior defenseman scored two power play goals in the last six minutes of play to give the No. 3 Wisconsin men’s hockey team a 3-2 win over Michigan in the Camp Randall Hockey Classic. In front of a UW record crowd of 55,031, his heroics made up for a game that lacked much excitement outside of the first and last five minutes of the contest.

So with the game tying and game winning goals, what would Smith tell his grandkids about the game years from now?

“That we had 55,000 fans and we beat Michigan. I think that would be the first two things I’d say,” he said. “[The goals will] come later, but I think when I’m old I’ll be saying I had seven.”

After a slashing penalty on UM’s Chris Summers with just less than two minutes to play, it only took 34 seconds of power play for UW’s Michael Davies to find Smith open at the top of the left circle.

Smith ripped a shot past Michigan goaltender Bryan Hogan, putting Wisconsin up 3-2 with 1:22 left in the game and sending the remaining crowd into a frenzy.

The play was almost a complete replica of Smith’s first goal, which tied the game at two goals apiece with 5:32 to play. Smith was able to score from about the same spot, skating into the high slot and putting away a one-timer.

Davies and sophomore center Derek Stepan assisted on both goals.

“They were pushing us up and we were able to go down to Davies and either had Blake back door or me coming down the slot,” Smith said. “So it was actually just up to that weak side forward to choose if he was gonna go on me or Blake. He chose Blake twice, which left me open, so I was lucky enough to have that time.”

In a nod to the usual occupants of Camp Randall, Smith struck a Heisman pose after the goal.

The goals were vindication for a power play unit that had gone just 2-25 since Jan. 15. UW went 2-4 Saturday.

“We made an adjustment and we executed at a critical time, which says a lot about the guys on the team, because Michigan played a tremendous game,” UW head coach Mike Eaves said.

Up to that point, it looked like the second-largest crowd for a collegiate outdoor hockey game would go home disappointed. Consistent stretches of possession in the offensive zone were rare for both teams and the game featured a lot of back-and-forth action that produced few results.

Michigan went ahead 2-1 halfway through the third period, after UM’s Kevin Lynch fired a long wrist shot from the blue line that took UW goaltender Scott Gudmandson by surprise. The goal came at 11:03 of the period and ended a 30-minute stretch where the teams were mired in a 1-1 tie, after UM’s Scooter Vaughan’s equalizer near the end of the first frame.

The Badgers actually led 1-0 just 3:04 into the first period when Craig Smith made a centering pass from the wing. The puck managed to get by defensemen and Hogan and through to Jordy Murray, who put it away.

“It was kind of a flukey goal, but on that ice you take it however it comes,” Murray said. “I was just crashing the net and it popped right to me and I had a wide open net. I was ecstatic at that point, it was a great feeling.”

For much of the game, the ice was a major issue, with play stopping multiple times to fix a gouge in the ice near the south goal’s crease. But the opportunity to play outside in front of all those fans made the delays worth it for the players.

“I’ll tell you what, I was really nervous before the game, I felt like a freshman again out there, I had the butterflies going and everything,” senior tri-captain Blake Geoffrion said.

“I think we really wanted to win it for the fans. They came out here and braved through the cold — what is it, 25 degrees out?” Gudmandson added. “It’s pretty chilly and they stayed for the whole thing and we battled through it for them and got them the ‘W.’”

The Badgers’ exuberance after the game was countered by the Wolverines’ somberness. Michigan’s two penalties allowed Wisconsin to come back and win the game and a late goaltender interference penalty called on David Wohlberg essentially ended any chances UM would be able to come back and tie it.

Asked about the late penalties the Wolverines took — two of which were generous calls in favor of UW — Michigan head coach Red Berenson had little to say.

“Well, that’s a bad question to ask a coach after he loses a game on a penalty in the last five minutes of the game,” he said.

With the win Wisconsin improved to 16-7-4 overall and earned revenge for a 3-2 loss to Michigan in November at UM’s Yost Ice Arena. The Wolverines fell to 16-13-1 and became the second Central Collegiate Hockey Association team to fall to the Badgers in an outdoor game.

Wisconsin beat Ohio State 4-2 at Lambeau Field in 2006, in the program’s other outdoor contest. The Badgers finished that season as national champions, so the importance of Saturday’s win wasn’t lost on senior tri-captain Ben Street. Street is the only Badger remaining on the team that also played in the 2006 game.

“This is one of those games that will really help us further on in the year,” he said. “It was a huge game, huge stage. It’s easy to get nervous and tense up at the end, and we didn’t, we came back, we stayed persistent.”