The men’s hockey Buckeyes returned to their Big Ten schedule tonight with a visit to the Kohl Center to face Wisconsin. Ohio State aimed to sustain the momentum gained at the Florida College Classic and boost its conference standing by earning some points off the Badgers. Mission accomplished.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Wisconsin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The game got off to a somewhat slow start. Though there were few whistles and the teams were able to establish a decent flow, neither team put much pressure on the opposing net. Shots were mostly long range and rebounds were steered harmlessly away by the defenders.
Action picked up in the middle frame. The Buckeyes pressured the Badgers early. This resulted in Ohio State’s second power play opportunity of the game. However Wisconsin denied the Bucks at every turn.
The success of their PK unit energized the Badgers. They seized the momentum and began to control the pace. Wisconsin would keep OSU on its heels right up to the intermission. Buckeye goalie Christian Frey stood tall during the assault. He made several good stops, including a beauty of a toe save on a wraparound attempt.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorers (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 8:53 | Dave Gust (John Wiitala, Mason Jobst) |
| 3 | 15:59 | Tyler Lundey (unassisted) |
However the biggest save of the period came from defenseman Drew Brevig. The Bucks turned the puck over. Frey was able to make a quick save but the puck popped over the goalie and headed for the open net. Brevig saved OSU's bacon by sweeping the puck off the goal line in the nick of time.
The intermission cooled the Badgers off a bit. The Buckeyes began to push back in the third period. They finally broke through at the 8:53 mark.
Mason Jobst, working hard below the goal line, got the puck out to John Wiitala. Wiitala wasted no time in moving it along to Dave Gust who was waiting in the slot. Gust fired the puck by Wisconsin goaltender Matt Jurusik, giving Ohio State a 1-0 lead.
The Badgers swarmed the Buckeye net looking for the equalizer, but Frey and the OSU defense held firm. Wisconsin native Tyler Lundey gave the Bucks some breathing room with four minutes to play. He cruised down the wing and threw a shot at Jurusik which trickled through the goaltender's legs.
Jobst made the final minutes a bit more interesting than Buckeye fans would prefer, taking a boarding penalty and giving Wisconsin a late power play. The Badgers pulled out all the stops by adding an extra attacker. Still Frey kept the net clear to record his second consecutive shutout.
As expected this was a very closely played game. Ohio State claims its first Big Ten victory of 2015-16. The three points earned tonight move the Buckeyes into a tie with Michigan State for fifth place, one point back of Wisconsin.
The Bucks and Badgers resume hostilities tomorrow. Opening faceoff is set for 8pm ET. The game can be streamed live online via BTN2Go.
Notes
- Three Ohio State forwards, Dakota Joshua, Miguel Fidler, and Luke Stork, sat out tonight's game due to a disciplinary issue.
- Other Big Ten results: Penn State tops Minnesota in overtime 3-2 while Michigan destroys Michigan State 9-2.
