Ladies and gentlemen, we have a victory to report. Ohio State's losing streak is over. The Buckeyes started well tonight, faded briefly, but collected themselves and powered to a 2-1 win over Wisconsin.
The Bucks had their opportunities in the first period, especially early. They were successful in getting pucks and bodies to prime scoring real estate, but couldn't get both to arrive together. Matt Johnson was particularly noticeable in encroaching on Joel Rumpel's space.
However the Badgers were the first team on the board. The Ohio State defense loosened as the period progressed, allowing Wisconsin increasingly higher quality shots. Christian Frey managed most of them but a big rebound got away from him at the 15:56 mark. Frey was hampered in his recovery effort by a well meaning but poorly placed teammate and Wisconsin took a 1-0 lead.
| goals by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ohio State | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Ohio State came roaring back in the second period. The Bucks unleashed a barrage of shots on the Badger net. They nicked Rumpel twice.
Tyler Lundey chalked up the first Buckeye tally, chunking the puck past Rumpel from the goal line. Nick Schilkey put the Scarlet and Gray ahead in the waning minutes of the frame. The sophomore put a little shake and bake on the Wisconsin defense and planted his shot in the back of the net.
That would be all Ohio State could get by Rumpel, but it was enough. The good guys took the victory, 2-1. The win is OSU's first since early January.
The Bucks controlled the stat sheet throughout the night, getting stronger as the game went on. They outshot the Badgers by a final tally of 42-24. Neither team cashed in on their power play chances. Ohio State was 0-for-3 and Wisconsin went 0-for-2.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorer (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 5:58 | Tyler Lundey (Chad Niddery, Nick Oddo) |
| 2 | 18:04 | Nick Schilkey (Matt Weis) |
While OSU did a lot of things right there was still room for improvement. As dominant as the Bucks were, this game could have ended very differently. Open Wisconsin players had far too many looks at huge swaths of uncontested net. Fortunately for Ohio State, they just couldn't hit it.
I'm not complaining too much, though. It's been a long time since we could say the Bucks were the better team in a game. And even with their faults, they were most definitely the better team tonight.
The Badgers and Buckeyes meet again tomorrow night at 7pm. The game will be broadcast locally on the CW. Herb has the radio call on 1460 AM and an online stream is available through BTN2Go.
Badger Women Best Lady Bucks
Over at the Ice Rink the ladies fell to No. 3 Wisconsin. Two goals by the Badgers' red hot Blayre Turnbull provided all the support Ann-Renee Desbiens needed.
| goals by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 3 Wisconsin | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Ohio State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kassidy Sauve started in net for Ohio State. She stopped 22 shots in the loss. Buckeye special teams had a tough night. OSU went 0-for-4 on the man-advantage and allowed one power play goal on three Wisconsin opportunities.
The lady Bucks close out their home schedule tomorrow afternoon at 4pm. Fans attending the game are asked to wear red to Scarlet Out the Ice Rink. Ohio State's six seniors will be honored following the game.
