No. 7 Wisconsin (8-2-2, 4-2-0 Big Ten) split a two-game series at home against Ohio State (5-5-0, 1-3 Big Ten) over the weekend.
With freshman goaltender Daniel Houser starting, Ohio State’s offensive attack proved too daunting. Houser had his worst game of his season Friday, allowing four goals with 15 saves. The Badgers were unable to overcome their poor goalie play and lost 5-1.
Hauser struggled again Saturday, allowing five goals, but Wisconsin’s offense came to bat, helping them win 6-5 in overtime.
Third period nightmare
Ohio State overwhelmed the Badgers 5-1 on Friday.
The Buckeyes scored the first goal of the game on a wrister that Hauser, beat glove-side, couldn’t grab.
The Badgers went on their first power play of the game two minutes into the second period after an Ohio State too-many-men penalty. Wisconsin amassed three shots during the power play but were unable to tie the game.
Wisconsin tried to stay energized, but two minutes in the offensive zone led to a minor holding penalty on sophomore defenseman Jack Phelan. An interference call on Ohio State sent the game to four-on-four play early into the Buckeyes’ powerplay. Neither team could capitalize.
The Badgers went back onto the man-advantage late in the second, but Wisconsin could only win a singular faceoff. They ended the period still down one and scoreless.
Wisconsin dominated the start of the third period, but a slip-up at 3:23 put Ohio State up 2-0. A puck left alone in a scuffle in front of the net gave the Buckeyes an open opportunity on a distracted Hauser.
A tripping call on Ohio State put Wisconsin on their first power play of the third, but none of the five shots the Badgers had went in.
At 11:34, senior forward Simon Tassy scored from the left faceoff dot on an assist from sophomore forward Gavin Morrissey, putting the Badgers on the board and within one.
But only two minutes later, Ohio State scored on a breakaway and brought back their two-goal advantage. The puck slipped through Hauser’s glove-side arm and leg as he fell backward and was rushed by two Buckeyes and a Badger.
Ohio State added another goal against Hauser at 13:55, widening a gap the Badgers eventually couldn’t close.
Head coach Mike Hastings pulled Hauser at the 16:00 mark and took a timeout 26 seconds later. Ohio State took Wisconsin’s empty net, jumping out to a four goal lead.
The Badgers got five shots in the last three minutes, but the Buckeyes took game one in a disappointing loss for Wisconsin. Despite leading in shots, faceoffs and low penalty minutes, the Badgers couldn’t get pucks in net.
Extra hockey, Morrissey wins it
Following a ceremonial puck drop in honor of the late Phil Dzick, the Badgers won game two 6-5 in overtime on Saturday.
An Ohio State holding call granted Wisconsin the first power play of the game. The Badgers put three shots on net but were unable to score.
Wisconsin had a few great rushes after their power play. The Badgers played with physicality and huge hits against the board but still had nothing to show on the scoresheet.
Ohio State took the lead with 10:59 to go in the first, scoring over Hauser’s glove-side shoulder. Less than a minute later, Ohio State tore through the Badger’s defensive zone on a breakaway and flipped the puck over Hauser’s stick-side shoulder for their second goal of the game.
Freshman forward Oliver Tulk took the game into his own hands with just over eight minutes to go, redirecting junior defenseman Zach Schulz’s shot from behind the left circle and bringing the Badgers within one.
Freshman forward Grady Deering scored his second goal of the season with 4:46 to go in the first period off a one-timer. Waiting outside the right circle for a pass from the boards, Deering took the shot from a lunge and tied the game 2-2 to end the first period.
Bringing the energy into the second period, sophomore defenseman Logan Hensler walked in Wisconsin’s third goal of the game unassisted. Hensler worked through three Ohio State players to rip it in glove-side.
Wisconsin successfully killed a minor tripping penalty on Hensler. Following his release, the Badgers dominated the offensive zone, and freshman forward Bruno Idžan scored his first of the season and as a Badger to bring the game to 4-2.
The officials called off an Ohio State goal two minutes into the third period, as the whistle blew when Hauser covered the puck. Minutes later, Schulz was out-worked by an Ohio State forward as he ripped one past Hauser’s stick-side.
Freshman forward Vasily Zelenov scored Wisconsin’s fifth goal of the game with 12:01 to go, backhanding it past the netminder who was lying on his stomach. Ohio State retaliated quickly, bringing the score to 5-4 and erasing Wisconsin’s two-goal lead again.
The Buckeyes tied the game with 7:27 to go on a Nathan McBrayer goal, with Hauser unable to back into the net for the save.
With seconds to go, Ohio State was called for interference after a huge open-ice hit. Wisconsin went on the power play with 14 seconds left, giving the Badgers four-on-three play to start the five minute, three-on-three overtime.
Ohio State forward James Hong was assessed a 10-minute misconduct before overtime play began and sat in the box the rest of the game.
Halfway through overtime, Morrissey ripped the game-winning goal past Ohio State’s netminder with assists from Tulk and senior defensemen Ben Dexheimer.
With almost 11,000 fans in attendance, five different Badgers ended up with a goal on the scoresheet to help Wisconsin avoid the sweep.
This weekend, Wisconsin heads on the road in another Big Ten battle, this time against No. 1 Michigan State at 7:30 p.m. Friday in East Lansing, MI.
