No. 8 Ohio State and Wisconsin wrapped up their first series of the season on Saturday night. The Badgers were seeking a sweep after defeating the Buckeyes 3-1 on Thursday. They got what they were after, though not without a fight.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | ot | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| No. 8 Ohio State | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
The game was tightly contested. Both sides found it difficult to gain the upper hand at even strength. OSU goalie Christian Frey and UW netminder Matt Jurusik were terrific, each fending off multiple point blank scoring chances. Special teams, then, became tremendously important.
| buckeye goal scorers (assists) | pd | time |
|---|---|---|
| PP-EA - Mason Jobst (Matt Weis, Dave Gust) | 3 | 18:20 |
| EA - Josh Healey (Dave Gust, Mason Jobst) | 3 | 19:44 |
Wisconsin took a 1-0 lead late in the first period thanks to its penalty killers. Although the goal was not officially a shorthanded tally, it was generated by the Badgers' PK unit which relieved Dave Gust of the puck and skated off on odd man rush with the Wisconsin player who exited the box. Puck carrier Aidan Cavallini took the shot himself, beating Frey high on the glove side.
That score held up through a scoreless middle frame. Wisconsin added a second goal in the third period which came hard on the heels of a major penalty kill for Ohio State (super awesomely combined with a full two minute 5-on-3 disadvantage). In a continuation of a bad Buckeye trend, another OSU turnover led to numbers for the Badgers and a Matthew Freytag marker.
Down 2-0 the Buckeyes needed a late game rally and they got one thanks in large part to Dakota Joshua, though he was not credited with a point on either goal. With Ohio State on a power play, Steve Rohlik made the decision to also pull Frey for the extra attacker. On the ensuing advantage the big Maple Leafs prospect provided a screen for Mason Jobst's tally.
The Ohio State goal cut the Badger lead to one. Joshua was again parked in prime real estate for the Bucks’ game tying score. Josh Healey let a long shot fly which was redirected in by the Badger attempting to cover Joshua in front.
Like regulation, overtime was a back and forth affair. Also, as in regulation, Wisconsin found the back of the net first. Cameron Hughes was able to stuff a loose puck into the Buckeye net while Frey was down and out at the side of the net. Rohlik argued strenuously that the goal should be disallowed. However after an official review the play was deemed legal.
Coach Rohlik and Mason Jobst postgame: https://t.co/bIJhtVzDlb.
— Ohio State M Hockey (@OhioState_MHKY) January 29, 2017
Jobst extended his point streak to 10 (8g, 11a, 19p) tonight. #GoBucks
The Badgers’ sweep drops the Buckeyes to 12-6-6 on the year and 3-4-1-1 in the Big Ten. Next up for Ohio State is a series at Michigan. Games are scheduled for Friday at 8pm and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
- Ohio State once again skated without Nick Schilkey and regular defensemen Drew Brevig and Tommy Parran due to injury. Tanner Laczynski is still playing shortened minutes as he recovers from an illness.
- It wasn’t a good night for the women’s hockey Bucks who dropped a 3-0 decision to No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth. They are back in action next week at home against St. Cloud State.
