Ohio State closed out the regular season with a win over Wisconsin. The Bucks were in control of nearly the entire game, outshooting the Badgers by a wide margin. As tournament lead-ins go, this was a pretty solid outing.
Tonight's first period was choppier than yesterday's. The pace was low and the game was physical. A late frame 4-on-4 opened up the ice a bit and brought a brief flurry of shots but Matt Tomkins and Joel Rumpel kept the Buckeye and Badger nets clear.
| goals by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Wisconsin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Midway through the game OSU finally broke through. Dave Gust, on his knees off to Rumpel's right, backhanded a centering pass to Tyler Lundey. The Badger killer tapped it in for second goal in as many games.
The Buckeyes continued their grinding assault on the Wisconsin net. Nothing they threw at Rumpel was fancy but the pressure was relentless. Eventually the Bucks found another chink in in the Badger goalie's armor.
Matt Weis picked up the puck in the Ohio State zone. He carried it coast-to-coast, winding around the Wisconsin defense and beating Rumpel from a sharp angle. The Bucks didn't let up, kept pressure on right up to the final horn, and closed out the regular season with a solid 2-0 win.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorer (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 8:54 | Tyler Lundey (Dave Gust, Anthony Greco) |
| 3 | 10:50 | Matt Weis (Darik Angeli, Clark Cristofoli) |
OSU outshot the Badgers 42-17 in the game. Tomkins wasn't called on often but the sophomore netminder was good when he was needed. Tonight's shutout is the second of his career.
The Big Ten tournament is next for the Buckeyes. They’ll be the fifth seed, playing the fourth seeded Nittany Lions. The sixth seeded Badgers are still waiting to learn their quarterfinal opponent. It will likely be Michigan. Minnesota needs only one point to ensure a first round bye. The Gophers are presently leading PSU 4-2.
