Buckeyes Close Regular Season with Series at Wisconsin – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
March 12, 2015
Ohio State vs. Wisconsin
WATCH: Coach Larson on – keeping focus| momentum|protecting the puck|postseason prep
Date:Friday, March 13| Time: 7 p.m. CT/8p.m. ET |Venue: Kohl Center|Location: Madison, Wis.
Live Stats:Gametracker |Radio:1460 AM OhioStateBuckeyes.com | TV: ASN|Online/Mobile: BTN2Go
Date:Saturday, March 14|Time: 6 p.m. CT/7 p.m. ET |Venue:Kohl Center |Location:Madison, Wis.
Live Stats:Gametracker |Radio:1460 AMOhioStateBuckeyes.com |TV: BTN|Online/Mobile:BTN2Go
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio State men’s hockey team wraps up the regular season with two games at Wisconsin this weekend. The Buckeyes (12-18-2, 7-11-0-0 B1G) and Badgers (4-24-4, 2-14-2-2 B1G) will meet at 8 p.m. ET Friday and 7 p.m. ET Saturday in the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.
FOLLOW ALONG
? The game Friday by American Sports Network, with Sam Smith and Barry Richter calling the action. The broadcast will be available in Columbus on WSYX-2 (MyTV/This TV), in Cincinnati on WSTR (MyTV) and in Dayton on WRGT-2 (MyTV/This TV), as well as outlets in Wisconsin. Fans should check their cable guide for the exact channel.
? The game Saturday will be televised by BTN, with Joe Beninati, Rob Andringa and Jay Wilson on the call.
? Both games will be available through BTN2Go for smart phones, tablets and computers. Fans who receive BTN through their cable provider have access to televised games on BTN2Go. ? Buckeye head coach Steve Rohlik was a teammate at Wisconsin with both Richter and Andringa, with all three on the 1990 NCAA Championship team.
? The Buckeyes’ radio broadcast will be on 1460 AM in Columbus and online on OhioStateBuckeyes.com through Buckeye Vision subscription packages. Herb Howenstine and former Buckeye John Mowat will provide commentary.
? Gametracker live stats for both games can be accessed through OhioStateBuckeyes.com.
? In-game updates will be on Twitter @OhioState_MHKY.
? Audio, video and stats links for all Buckeye games this season are updated prior to each series on the Buckeye hockey gameday page: go.osu.edu/mhkygameday.
BUCKEYE SNAPSHOT
? The Buckeyes, 5-3 in their last eight games, are 12-18-2 overall and 7-11-0 in the Big Ten. The team is coming off a split with No. 15 Minnesota last week, with a 4-2 loss Friday and 5-2 win Saturday in Value City Arena to close the home schedule.
? Ohio State is averaging 2.84 goals a game and allowing 3.47 goals a contest. The power play is 15-for-107 (.140) and the penalty kill is 71-for-95 (.747). The team averages 9.9 penalty minutes and 30.3 shots a night.
? Senior forward Tanner Fritz leads the squad with 15 assists and 26 points and ranks third with 11 goals. Junior forward Anthony Greco is first with 15 goals and second with 22 points. Senior forward Matt Johnson is second with 13 goals and tied with sophomore forward Nick Schilkey (9g, 11a) and freshman forward Matthew Weis (6g, 14a) for 20 points each. Junior Sam Jardine leads the defensemen with 10 points (2g, 8a).
? In goal, sophomore Christian Frey has started and played in 21 games, including 14 of the last 16, posting a 3.24 goals-against average and .906 save percentage, with an 8-11-1 ledger. Sophomore Matt Tomkins has played in 13 games (starting 11) and has a 3.56 goals-against average and .870 save percentage. Logan Davis has played limited time in two games and has a 2.75 goals-against average and .846 save percentage.
LAST TIME OUT – BUCKEYES SPLIT WITH GOPHERS
? Ohio State closed its home slate with a split with No. 15-ranked Minnesota, with a 4-2 loss in the opener and come from behind 5-2 win in game two
? Game 1 (Minnesota 4, Ohio State 2): Minnesota posted a 4-2 win over Ohio State, with two goals in the second period the difference. Each team scored twice in the first period for a 2-2 game after the first 20 minutes, with Ohio State tying the game twice. Justin Kloos tallied at 13:04 and Buckeye Craig Dalrymple responded 12 seconds later. At 17:04 Sam Warning put Minnesota ahead but Tyler Lundey scored for Ohio State 19 seconds later. The Gophers scored the only two goals of the second period for a 4-2 lead, with scores at 6:10 and 15:36. Neither team scored in the third. Ohio State was 0-for-1 on the power play and Minnesota was 0-for-2. The Buckeyes were outshot, 32-26.
? Game 2 (Ohio State 5, Minnesota 2): Ohio State scored the game’s final four goals en route to a 5-2 win. The Buckeyes scored the only goal of the first period, a Nick Schilkey tally at 8:54. The Gophers tallied the first two goals of the second period for a 2-1 lead, with goals at 2:23 and 5:09. On a delayed penalty, Buckeye senior Matt Johnson tied the game at two with a goal at 8:07, deadlocking the score at two. The Buckeyes scored the only three goals of the third period, with Dalrymple scoring the eventual gamewinner at 5:42. Anthony Greco and Fritz sealed the win with empty net goals in the final 1:02. Shots were 32-24 in favor of Ohio State. The Buckeyes were 0-for-3 on the power play and Minnesota was 0-for-2 for the second night in a row.
BUCKEYES VS. BADGERS
? Ohio State is 4-14-0 all-time vs. Wisconsin, with a 1-5-0 ledger in Madison.
? The first eight games between the teams were between 1965-69, with the next three matchups all neutral site games from 2004-07. The squads met in the first round of the NCAA tournament March 26, 2004 in Albany, N.Y. a 1-0 Badger win. Feb.11, 2006, the Buckeyes and Badgers played on Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., a 4-2 UW victory. Ohio State topped Wisconsin, 5-3, in the Lefty McFadden College Hockey Invitational Oct. 13, 2007 in Dayton, Ohio.
? The teams did not face off again until the Big Ten Conference added hockey. Last year, the squads split their two regular season series. In Madison Jan. 24-25, 2014, UW won the first game 5-3 before a 3-1 Buckeye victory in game two. In Columbus Feb. 14-15, 2014, Ohio State won the opener 2-1 and UW won game two, 4-2. The squads then met in the inaugural Big Ten Tournament championship game. Wisconsin came from behind to top the Buckeyes in overtime, 5-4. Earlier this year, the squad split a series in Columbus Feb. 13-14, with a 2-1 Buckeye win in game one and 3-2 UW victory in game two.
? Ohio State head coach Steve Rohlik was a four-year letterwinner at Wisconsin and was captain of the team’s 1990 NCAA championship squad.
BADGER BIO
? Wisconsin enters the series on a five-game losing streak, with a 4-22-4 record overall and 2-14-2-2 ledger in the Big Ten. Last weekend the squad lost back-to-back 3-0 games at Michigan State.
? The Badgers are averaging 1.75 goals a game and allowing 3.75 a contest. The power play is 14-for-116 (.121) and the penalty kill is 97-for-119 (.731). Wisconsin averages 11.1 penalty minutes a night and puts 24.9 shots on goal per outing.
? Grant Besse leads Wisconsin with 22 points, 11 goals and 11 assists. Joseph LaBate and Morgan Zulinick are tied for second with 10 assists, with LaBate second with 16 points and Zulinick third with 15. In goal, Joel Rumpel has played in 29 games and has a 3.48 goals-against average and .902 save percentage.
OHIO STATE VS. WISCONSIN EARLIER THIS SEASON
? Ohio State and Wisconsin split a series Feb. 13-14 in Value City Arena. Ohio State won 2-1 in the opener before a 3-2 Badger victory in game two.
? Game 1 (Ohio State 2, Wisconsin 1): The Buckeyes came from a goal down to beat the Badgers, 2-1. Wisconsin opened the scoring at 15:56 of the first period on a goal from Corbin McGuire. Ohio State took control in the second, outscoring the Badgers, 2-0, and outshooting Wisconsin, 17-4. Tyler Lundey tied the game at 5:58 and Nick Schilkey put Ohio State ahead at 18:04. Neither team scored in the third, with Ohio State putting 10 shots on net and the Badgers getting nine through. Buckeye sophomore goalie Christian Frey had 22 saves in the win, as the Buckeyes outshot the Badgers, 42-23. Neither team was able to score on the power play. Ohio State was 0-for-2 and Wisconsin was 0-for-3.
? Game 2 (Wisconsin 3, Ohio State 2): The Badgers came from a goal down twice to defeat the Buckeyes, 3-2. Ohio State’s Anthony Greco scored just 1:06 into the game before UW tied the score at 11:58. In the second, Ohio State freshman Christian Lampasso again but the Buckeyes ahead with a goal at 8:03, but at 12:09 UW’s Joseph LaBate scored on the power play to deadlock the score at two. In the third, UW’s Adam Rockwood scored the gamewinner at 15:41. Shots were 30-28 in favor of Ohio State in the game, with Frey making 25 saves. Wisconsin converted its lone power play chance and Ohio State was 0-for-2.
B1G BANTER
? All six Big Ten teams are in action this weekend to close the regular season. In addition to the series between the Buckeyes and Badgers, Penn State travels to Minnesota and Michigan and Michigan State face off in a home-and-home series.
? Each league team has played 18 games. Michigan State is in first place with a 10-6-2-2 ledger and 34 points and clinches the title with two wins over Michigan. Michigan (11-7-0-0) and Minnesota (10-5-3-0) are tied for second with 33 points each, while Penn State (10-7-1-0) is in fourth with 31 points. Ohio State (7-11-0-0, 21 points) will be the fifth seed in the Big Ten Tournament next week and Wisconsin (2-14-2-2, 10 points) will be the No. 6 seed.
? In Big Ten play this year, teams receive three points for a win in regulation or overtime, two points for a shootout win, one point for a shootout loss and no points for a regulation or overtime loss. Games that go to a shootout are officially recorded as a tie, with the shootout only affecting league standings.
? All six teams qualify for the Big Ten Tournament, which will be held March 19-21 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The tournament winner receives the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA tournament. The top two seeds receive a bye into the semifinals, with seed No. 3 facing No. 6 and Nos. 4 and 5 meeting in the quarterfinals.
? Single-session tickets for the conference tournament are on sale now and can be purchased through Ticketmaster and online at OlympiaEntertainment.com.
Complete notes, bios and statistics are available in the PDF linked above
