MILWAUKEE – Any time a team wins 28 games during a college hockey season and reaches the Frozen Four, it has to be considered a successful season.

That’s especially true when the team is picked to finish third in its league (Hockey East).

But the goal of the University of Maine men’s hockey team every year is to win the national championship, so it was a disappointing finish when top seed Wisconsin ended the fourth-seeded Bears’ season 5-2 in a national semifinal Thursday night at the Bradley Center.

Maine failed in its quest to annex its first NCAA championship since 1999 and this was the Bears’ fourth Frozen Four appearance since then.

Maine was an underdog against a Badger team that hadn’t been to a Frozen Four in 14 years but has been a top-five team for almost the entire season. The only rough stretch Wisconsin had occurred when goalie Brian Elliott, a Hobey Baker Award finalist, was sidelined by a knee injury and then struggled in the first few games after his return.

The frustrating part for the Bears was that it was a game they could have won.

Wisconsin looked like it could be beaten.

“It wasn’t our best game. We weren’t doing the things that we do well,” admitted Wisconsin captain Tom Gilbert.

Maine couldn’t capitalize.

The Bears turned in a respectable performance, but it certainly wasn’t their best.

They had some periods of dominance as did Wisconsin.

They went toe-to-toe with the Badgers and proved they belonged in the Frozen Four despite being the nation’s 10th-ranked team in the final USCHO.com poll.

Wisconsin outshot Maine 39-34, but Maine had more high-percentage scoring chances 29-26 thanks to a 17-7 edge in the second period.

Wisconsin, with its 11 NHL draft choices, was simply better than Maine.

The Badgers expected to win the goaltending duel between Elliott and freshman Ben Bishop and they did.

Although Elliott left a lot of rebounds and the Bears did a pretty good job getting to the net front, the Badgers blocked 19 shots and rarely allowed the Bears to get second- and third-chance attempts.

Bishop turned in a decent 33-save performance, but it wasn’t one of his best games, either.

Elliott finished with 20 Grade-A (high-percentage) saves among his 32 while Bishop had 15 among his 33.

Maine’s bad habit of surrendering shorthanded goals again proved costly.

In both of Maine’s postseason losses, shorthanded goals gave the opponent the lead for good.

Benn Ferriero’s shorthander broke a scoreless tie for BC in its 4-1 win over Maine in the Hockey East semifinals, and Ross Carlson’s shorthander for Wisconsin broke a 1-1 tie in the second period Thursday night.

Wisconsin also held Maine scoreless on the power play to snap the Bears’ streak of six straight games with at least one power-play goal (10-for-30 entering the game) and limited the Bears to eight shots on goal on the power play.

Wisconsin, which has killed off all 32 opposing power plays in the postseason, went 1-for-7 on the power play to win the special teams battle 2-0.

When a team wins the goaltending duel and the special teams battle, it almost always comes out on top.

The critical fourth goal by Wisconsin, coming 57 seconds after Maine’s Mike Lundin scored to cut Wisconsin’s lead to 3-2 with 8:31 left in regulation, was disastrous.

The goal scorer, Ben Street, took the initial shot from the right circle, followed his shot to the net front, and had an absolute eternity to roof a rebound after Carlson spun around and, by his own admission, “accidentally” got off a shot that required another Bishop stop.

The Maine line of Billy Ryan, Derek Damon, and Keith Johnson – which scored one of the most important goals of the season when Johnson’s overtime winner beat UMass Lowell in the first game of the Hockey East quarterfinal – was victimized on the Street goal as it was on an even-strength goal earlier in game.

The Bears were understandably dejected after the game but felt they had a good season.

“We made believers out of a lot of people. They had us written off in January,” said senior defenseman and assistant captain Steve Mullin.

Maine’s 14-3-2 finish, including NCAA Tournament wins over Harvard (6-1) and Michigan State (5-4), transformed a disappointing season into an uplifting one.

Any time a team reaches the Frozen Four after entering a season with inexperienced goaltending and only two players who had received any kind of postseason league honor, it has overachieved.

Michel Leveille was the Hockey East Rookie of the Year and an All-Rookie team selection in 2004 and Bret Tyler was an All-Rookie team choice in 2005.

Now the question is can the Bears make a ninth straight NCAA appearance next season and, if they do, can they legitimately vie for the national championship?

Leveille’s status will be noteworthy. He can graduate in May, but he has another year of eligibility.

If he returns, that will give Maine two members back from each of the four lines that skated against Wisconsin.

“If I don’t get any decent [pro hockey] offers, I’ll be back. I’m not planning to march [with his class on graduation day],” said Leveille.

Leveille finished the season as Maine’s third-leading scorer with 16 goals and 24 assists, including 7 & 9 on the power play. He had 5 & 8 over his last 10 games and finished with points in 13 of Maine’s last 16 games. He was also one of their top penalty-killers.

He makes his linemates better players. They need his creativity and leadership.

If he doesn’t return, Maine will struggle to score goals.

Hobey Baker Award finalist Greg Moore, Maine’s leading scorer (28 & 17) and captain, will be sorely missed. In addition to his on-ice production and hustle in all three zones, he was a terrific leader on and off the ice.

They will also miss the offensive abilities of Damon (15 & 20) and East Regional Most Outstanding Player John Hopson (10 & 14) and the gritty work turned in by valuable checking-line center Jon Jankus (7 & 11) and overachieving defensemen Travis Wight (2 & 9) and Mullin (0 & 4).

Leveille’s return would mean the Bears will have eight of their top 12 scorers in uniform next fall.

Left winger Josh Soares (15 & 26) had a breakthrough year and shared the team lead in power-play points (9 & 12) with Moore (12 & 9) and Damon (9 & 12). Soares was on a line with Moore and Leveille.

Sophomores Billy Ryan (10 & 18) and Keenan Hopson (4 & 19) are the other returnees with at least 20 points along with sophomore defenseman Tyler (7 & 16).

Ryan and Hopson could evolve into dominant forwards if they can get stronger and become a little grittier. Both are clever playmakers, but look for them to improve their goal totals next year. Hopson was goalless in his last 18 games, but that streak should end early. He needs to shoot more, as does Ryan.

Linemates Rob Bellamy (6 & 9) and Brent Shepheard (5 & 3), Maine’s most ferocious hitters, should improve their numbers next season but must continue to deliver their bone-rattling hits.

Johnson (6 & 7) is capable of reaching double digits in goals next year, and Maine has to get more production out of Mike Hamilton (1 & 10), who has just four goals in his last 70 games. Hamilton is fast and skilled and is another forward who needs to shoot more and become consistently grittier.

Freshman Chris Hahn (3 & 2 in 16 games) showed promise and could become a regular along with sophomore Wes Clark (0 & 4 in 10 games). Newcomers Vince Laise and Jeff Marshall each played in eight games and could figure in the equation with improvement.

Ted Purcell, who was the third leading scorer in the prestigious United States Hockey League, and fellow USHL player Robby Dee headline the list of incoming recruits.

The Bears will need at least 20 goals and 40 assists from the sophomore and freshman forwards next season.

The goaltending and defense corps should be improved.

Hockey East All-Rookie team goalie Bishop (21-8-2, 2.28 goals-against average, .907 save percentage) could develop into one of the league’s best through the knowledge and experience he gained this year and by adding some strength. Sophomore Matt Lundin (7-4, 1.72, .934) is a valuable backup and could work his way into the rotation with his continued development, particularly in his puck distribution skills.

Tyler, who played the last three months of the season on a sprained ankle, and junior Mike Lundin (3 & 13), who played the last six weeks with a fractured and sliced pinky finger, will anchor a defense corps that improved dramatically during the season.

Sophomore Travis Ramsey (1 & 5) emerged as a steady and reliable defenseman while freshmen Matt Duffy (3 & 5) and Simon Danis-Pepin (0 & 5) showed dramatic improvement over the last two months of the season and displayed some offensive flair.

Freshman Bryan Plaszcz, who played in six games and had a goal, exhibited good offensive instincts in his limited duty and should see a lot more playing time next year.

Johnson and Soares said it will be up to their senior class next season to provide the leadership that this year’s seniors did so effectively.

“And we’re going to need some of the new guys to step in and contribute,” said Soares.

“I think we’re going to have another great team,” Bishop said.

Bishop would love to lead the Bears to the Frozen Four next season, and for a very good reason.

He is from the St. Louis suburb of Des Peres, Mo., and the Frozen Four will be in St. Louis.