Last night Michigan trounced Michigan State. Minnesota and Penn State played an overtime thriller. Ohio State and Wisconsin played what was clearly the least exciting hockey game in the Big Ten on Friday.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final | so |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Wisconsin | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
A similar statement could not be made about tonight’s contest. The Buckeyes and Badgers engaged in a wild, penalty-filled tilt. Twice Ohio State gained a two-goal lead. Twice that lead was wiped out by Wisconsin. Sixty minutes would not be enough to decide a victor.
A pair of rookies, Ohio State’s Dakota Joshua and Wisonsin’s Luke Kunin, set the tone for the game. They were assessed penalties before the game even officially began. The opening faceoff was taken 4-on-4.
Less than two minutes in the Buckeye PK unit faced a major penalty kill. The Bucks defended their net well and, shortly after returning to full strength, drew a whistle on Wisconsin. This sort of back and forth, revolving door penalty trouble continued throughout the night. Of the game’s 65 minutes, roughly 29 were played by special teams.
Ohio State struck first. Freddy Gerard lured the Badger defenders toward the wall. This opened up space for Kevin Miller on the doorstep of the Wisconsin net. The rookie netted the first goal of his collegiate career.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorers (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10:41 | Kevin Miller (Tyler Lundey, Freddy Gerard) |
| 1 | 18:32 | Freddy Gerard (Mason Jobst, Josh Healey) |
| 2 | 2:29 | Tyler Lundey (Freddy Gerard, Janik Moser) |
| 2 | 13:34 | PP - Nick Schilkey (Dave Gust) |
The Buckeyes extended their lead. Josh Healey sent a heads up pass to Mason Jobst who was lurking at Wisconsin’s blue line. Jobst got the puck in deep and then threw it out front. Gerard, streaking in from the bench, buried it for a 2-0 lead.
The Badgers would get one back before the end of the period. Pressing hard in the final minute of play, a Wisconsin player’s shot deflected in on Frey. Ryan Wagner poked it home with 25 seconds to spare.
Wisconsin came out of the intermission flying and knotted the game up just 49 seconds after the puck dropped. A Buckeye defensive zone turnover caught defenders out of position. Goalie Christian Frey didn’t have much of a chance as Adam Rockwood blasted a point blank shot.
The Buckeyes appeared to have an immediate answer as Mason Jobst danced around the Badger defense and beat goaltender Matt Jurusik. Upon further review, Ohio State was offside on the play. However a few shifts later Tyler Lundey swatted in his second goal of the series, putting the Buckeyes back on top.
Ohio State stretched its lead to two when the power play finally cashed in on an advantage. Dave Gust won a puck battle along the wall. He took the puck to the net and set up Nick Schilkey. The Buckeyes’ leading scorer potted the team’s fourth goal of the game.
With the second period winding to a close and Ohio State facing a defensive zone faceoff, Steve Rohlik called a time out, one would presume for the purposes of avoiding a repeat of the Badgers’ last second heroics. This strategy failed. Wisconsin won the faceoff and Kunin ripped a shot past Frey with 12 ticks on the clock.
Once again the Badgers came out of the intermission energized. Once again they tied the game up. Grant Besse was credited with the goal which seemed to deflect in off a Buckeye defender.
The teams remained deadlocked through the third period. They played right down to the wire and both goalies were called upon to make big saves. Neither side could find the back of the net in overtime.
Wisconsin earned the Big Ten’s bonus point by claiming a 1-0 shootout victory. Wagner scored on the Badgers’ first attempt, trickling a shit through Frey’s legs. Jurusik stopped all three Buckeye tries.
Ohio State went 1-for-7 on its power play opportunities. Wisconsin was 0-for-5. The Badgers outshot the Buckeyes 38-29 in the game, including a 5-0 count in the overtime session.
Although they pick up a point in the shootout loss, this was not a good outing for the Bucks. They got caught up in undisciplined play and failed to capitalize on numerous power play chances. While they did a great job of gaining the lead, they did a terrible job of maintaining it, allowing Wisconsin to erase two separate two-goal advantages.
Ohio State moves to 6-11-1 overall and 1-2-1-0 in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes try to get back to their winning ways next week against No. 8 Michigan. The series is a home-and-home affair with OSU hosting on Friday night.
Notes
- Other Big Ten results: Minnesota earns a decisive 7-1 victory over Penn State. Michigan sweeps Michigan State by a final score of 6-3.
