The No. 6 men’s hockey Buckeyes brought a two-game win streak and a two-game shutout streak into their series opener against Wisconsin. They extended both with a 4-0 win over the Badgers. Ohio State improves to 5-3-1 overall and 2-1-0-0 in the Big Ten.
| Scoring by Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RV Wisconsin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 6 Ohio State | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
The game did not get off to a rollicking start. The teams eased into the action. Only a couple shots found the net in the opening five minutes of the tilt. Ohio State stifled Wisconsin’s first power play of the game. After 19 minutes, we appeared to be headed for a rather ho-hum, scoreless opening period.
| Buckeye Goal Scorers (Assists) | Pd | Time |
|---|---|---|
| PP - Tanner Laczynski (Gustaf Westlund, Dakota Joshua) | 1 | 19:12 |
| Brendon Kearney (Matt Miller, Ronnie Hein) | 1 | 19:37 |
| PP - Mason Jobst (Tanner Laczynski, Gustaf Westlund) | 2 | 4:30 |
| Brendon Kearney (Sam McCormick) | 3 | 10:51 |
But the Buckeyes had other plans. A late Badger penalty gave the Bucks their first power play of the game. Mystifying life decisions by Wisconsin’s penalty killers gave Tanner Laczynski an unobstructed shot in a juicy scoring area. He didn’t miss.
Power Play GOAL!!
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) November 17, 2018
Win a board battle and make the play.
It's @OhioStateMHKY's Laczynski with the wrister. Buckeyes leading Badgers 2-0 at the 1st intermission. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/jMVpzFXzak
Before the Badgers had time to recover, the Bucks had the puck in the back of the net again. Just 25 seconds after Laczynski’s tally, Brendon Kearney staked OSU to a two goal lead. Hard work by the senior resulted in a couple of fortunate bounces and his first goal of the season. The score came with a tick over 23 seconds to play in the period.
Mason Jobst piled on the Buckeye lead early in the second period. The Ohio State captain kept the special teams mojo flowing. He potted the Bucks’ second power play goal of the game in as many tries.
Mason Jobst scored his sixth goal of the year in the second period, converting on the power play. Laczynski and Westlund assisted on the tally. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/Dh18E0nCDu
— Ohio State Men's Hockey (@OhioStateMHKY) November 17, 2018
The power play success must have tickled head coach Steve Rohlik. Prior to the contest, Rohlik said special teams would likely be a deciding factor against Wisconsin. Although they entered the game with an abysmal 11.6% conversion rate, the Buckeyes were decisive winners on the power play tonight.
Friday's game marked the first time since the season opener that the Bucks scored multiple man-advantage goals in a single contest. Ohio State went 2-for-5 on the power play. OSU's penalty killers held the Badgers to a 0-for-6 mark.
Wisconsin turned up the gas in the third period, outshooting the Buckeyes 14-5. But Kearney put a final nail in the visitors' coffin with his second goal of the game. Ohio State rolled to a 4-0 win.
Senior Brendon Kearney with his second of the night for a 4-0 Buckeye lead in the third period. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/uf3542ErvL
— Ohio State Men's Hockey (@OhioStateMHKY) November 17, 2018
Of course, it's not like the Buckeyes needed four goals. Senior goalie Sean Romeo was untouchable once again. He made 32 saves in the contest en route to his third straight shutout.
Since getting the hook against Bowling Green on Oct. 26, Romeo has stopped every one of his opponents' shots. 74 in all. He is the first Buckeye goaltender in program history to post three straight goose eggs.
The whitewash was also the third consecutive blanking for the Buckeyes as a team. Romeo kicked off the streak last Friday. Tommy Nappier continued it last Saturday. And Romeo preserved it tonight.
Ohio State and Wisconsin tangle again tomorrow evening at 5pm ET. If you can't make it out to the game you can stream the action live with a BTN Plus subscription and/or check in here afterward for our recap.
- Wisconsin edged Ohio State, 32-27, in shots on goal.
- Six Buckeyes tied for the team lead with three shots each.
- Brendon Kearney's pair of goals is a new single-game personal best for the senior forward.
- Tonight's victory is win No. 100 for head coach Steve Rohlik.
