Win Streak Hits Seven As Bucks Sweep Badgers

No. 3 Ohio State charged out to an early lead in Wisconsin on Saturday. The Bucks staggered through a rough third period but managed to hold off the Badgers by a final score of 4-1. With the win, OSU swept both the teams’ weekend and season series. 

The Bucks opened Saturday’s game with more jump than they displayed on Friday. So did Wisconsin, but Tommy Nappier was up to the task. He thwarted 10 Badger shots in the first period. He would eventually finish with 29 stops and his eleventh win of the season. Wisconsin goalie Daniel Lebedeff was equally busy, but unlike Nappier, he did not escape the first period unscathed. 

Midway through the frame, Dakota Joshua liberated the puck from the Badger defense, cruised to the middle of the ice, and ripped his ninth goal of the year. It was a supremely impressive solo effort from the big man. There was no doubt he was extra motivated tonight after being excused from last night’s contest on a dubious penalty. 

The Bucks stretched their lead to 3-0 in the second period thanks to a pair of unlikely goal scorers. First, Tommy Parran chalked up his first score of the season. The senior defenseman ended a series of perimeter passes by ringing a goal off the iron and in. Then Miguel Fidler potted his first of the season, collecting a big bounce off the end wall and stuffing it home. 

The game, chippy from the start, degenerated into a series of whistles as it wore on. Four penalties were called in the first period, nine in the second, and another six in the third. The bad blood erupted in the final frame when Wisconsin’s leading scorer, K’Andre Miller, crashed hard into the boards.

Miller left the game in serious distress and did not return. No penalty was assessed on the play as a review showed that he wasn't tripped. He lost an edge and went down on his own. But the wrathful Badgers did not have the benefit of a second look and they were looking to retaliate.

Mason Jobst was targeted with a rather late, low, open ice hit. Naturally the Buckeyes, already having so many major players among the walking wounded, did not appreciate this. More penalties were doled out and Steve Rohlik parked Jobst on the bench. There the captain remained until a late penalty kill. Wisconsin attempted to double down on the advantage by pulling Lebedeff for the extra attacker. Instead Jobst locked up the Buckeye win with a shorthanded empty-netter.

Jobst’s goal with a second remaining on the clock was the first shot on net of the period for Ohio State. In spite of the win, the Bucks cannot be happy with their performance in the last stanza. They started the period on a major power play (cut off after 3:31 by a Buckeye penalty). They had an extended 5-on-3 midway through. And they put exactly nothing on Lebedeff.

Nappier fought the puck late in the game and ended up surrendering a goal. Seamus Malone turned freshman defender Ryan O’Connell inside out and beat the Buckeye goalie. He drew a penalty on the play to boot. Fortunately, Ohio State’s penalty killers were able to step up and prevent another late-game disaster (a la Michigan State).

OSU improves to 19-5-4 overall and 12-3-3-2 in the Big Ten. The Bucks are poised to post back-to-back-to-back 20+ win seasons for the first time since 2002-05. They remain 11 points clear of second place which is now occupied by Michigan. Ohio State is at home next week to face Minnesota. The Gophers were swept at Penn State this week.

• Wisconsin outshot Ohio State 30-23 in the contest.
• Wyatt Ege and Ronnie Hein paced the Buckeyes with four shots each. 
• Miguel Fidler (1-1--2) led all OSU scorers. This was his second career multi-point game. 
• Both the Bucks and Badgers went 0-for-7 on the power play.