Ohio State and Wisconsin were deadlocked at 2-2-0-0 each in their season series going into the Big Ten semifinal. The teams tangled one last time this afternoon. The Badgers emerged victorious in a very tight, back and forth contest ultimately decided by a single goal.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 3 Ohio State | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| No. 2 Wisconsin | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Both teams had quality chances early. Matt Tomkins denied a Wisconsin breakaway. Janik Moser broke up a 3-on-2 Badger rush. At the other end of the ice Tanner Laczynski rang the post. Mason Jobst was alone on the doorstep but the puck was slow in coming to him and a timely poke by Wisconsin goalie Jack Berry disrupted Jobst’s shot.
| buckeye goal scorer (assists) | pd | time |
|---|---|---|
| PP - Dakota Joshua (Mason Jobst, Josh Healey) | 2 | 13:48 |
The Badgers broke through at the 17:18 mark of the first period. They won a faceoff in the Ohio State zone and kept the Buckeye defense hemmed in around the net. This gave top scorer Luke Kunin all the time and space he needed to fire home the game’s opening goal.
Wisconsin carried its 1-0 lead into the second period. The Buckeyes upped the physicality, flirting with serious penalty trouble while trying to draw the Badgers into a foul. The plan worked. Matt Weis got hit a hair too late for the official’s taste and the potent Ohio State power play went to work.
It took all of 19 seconds for the Bucks to tie the game. Ohio State won the offensive zone faceoff. Jobst dished to Dakota Joshua at the net. The big man made a deft spin and tucked the puck past Berry for the game tying tally.
Power play goal!
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) March 17, 2017
It's @DakotaJoshua with the nifty stick work for @OhioState_MHKY to tie it up: https://t.co/l71EIG7MwV
The Bucks hit the ice in the third period pressing hard for the go ahead goal. In the first 12 minutes of the frame they outshot Wisconsin 7-1. However, that one Badger shot found the back of the net. Seamus Malone and Will Johnson caught the OSU defenders coasting. Malone connected with Johnson for a cross ice pass and an easy empty net tap in.
Ohio State kept the offensive pressure on. The Bucks briefly appeared to tie the game. Upon further review, though, Joshua’s deflection was seen to hit the crossbar. Despite trailing 2-1 the team’s energy was still high. Tomkins made a couple of brilliant stops to keep the deficit to a single goal.
The Buckeyes were buzzing with less than five minutes to play. Then the team’s bad habits surfaced once again to bite them in the rear. Down one and needing to rally, Josh Healey got overaggressive with a hit and was whistled for a major penalty.
Wisconsin controlled the puck for most of the remaining two minutes and change. OSU’s penalty killers did not manage to gain possession until the final seconds of the game. They threw a couple shots at Berry but in the end the Badgers skated away with a 2-1 decision.
The Buckeyes competed well for large swaths of today's tilt. In the end, though, they were undone by a few missed chances and a couple defensive breakdowns. If any one of those plays had turned out differently the final score could easily have favored the Scarlet and Gray.
Now Ohio State must wait to learn its NCAA fate. Against all odds, an at large bid is not completely out of reach just yet. The Buckeyes could still make the tournament on the strength of their season record.
Right now, based on various PairWise Predictor scenarios, the Bucks' chances seem to be about 50/50. (It didn't hurt that Notre Dame and Quinnipiac crashed and burned today.) For the next couple days you are a super huge fan of Denver and Air Force. Also, focus any hexing power you have on the rest of Atlantic Hockey, Wisconsin, and Boston College.
- The Buckeyes went 1-for-2 on the power play today while holding the Badgers goalless in four tries.
- Matt Tomkins made 24 saves in net for Ohio State. Jack Berry stopped 23 shots for Wisconsin.
- Senior defenseman Drew Brevig did not dress for today’s game. (Presumably because he blocked a shot with his hand against Michigan State.)
- Wisconsin advances to face either Penn State or Minnesota for the Big Ten tourney championship on Saturday at 8pm.
- The NCAA bracket will be announced live on ESPNU this Sunday at noon.
