Ohio State
20-10-6, 11-8-1-1B1G
Wisconsin
19-14-1, 12-8-0-0B1G
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Wisconsin | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
No. 15 Buckeyes Complete Sweep of No. 16 Badgers with 3-1 Win
3/12/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
March 12, 2017
MADISON, Wis. – The No. 15-ranked Ohio State men’s hockey team downed No. 16 Wisconsin 3-1 to wrap up the regular season with a road sweep of the Badgers. Ohio State won the first game in the series 5-1 Friday.
The Buckeyes, now 20-10-6 overall, finished third in the Big Ten with an 11-8-1-1 B1G record.
Ohio State 3, Wisconsin 1
Ohio State led 1-0 just 2:46 into the game when Mason Jobst scored on the power play. The lead grew to 3-0 after 40 minutes, with Kevin Miller and Brendon Kearney (shorthanded) scoring in the second. The Badgers got on the board with a power play goal midway through the third, but the Buckeyes did not let them get any closer. Buckeye goalie Matt Tomkins had 27 saves in the game, including nine in the third period. The Buckeyes were 1-for-3 on the power play in the game and the penalty kill was 1-for-6.
Ohio State is now 13-2-3 in road games this season.
Jobst, K. Miller and Kearney all scored in the Buckeyes' win over the Badgers. https://t.co/ea6rZJlvTh #GoBucks
— Ohio State M Hockey (@OhioState_MHKY) March 12, 2017
Quoting Ohio state head coach Steve Rohlik
“I’m proud of the guys for going on the road and getting two big twins. Give credit to the guys in the lockerroom. This is certainly a very positive way to end the regular season. We want to keep building on this as we enter the postseason.”
Quoting Ohio State senior goalie Matt Tomkins
“It was great to finish the weekend off with a win and get the sweep. We knew it would be tough to come in to Wisconsin on senior weekend and get two wins and we couldn’t be happier we were able to pull it off. We are clicking right now as a group and feel very confident as a team going into the tournament next weekend. The guys played a great game in front of me tonight and made my job easy. I can’t credit the guys enough for sacrificing their bodies and blocking so many shots.”
Big Ten Update
Ohio State clinched the No. 3 spot in the Big Ten standings with the win. The squad will take on No. 6 Michigan State at 4:30 p.m. Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The winner of that game will face No. 2 Wisconsin at 4:30 p.m. Friday.
Jobst B1G Co-Scoring Champ
With four points in the sweep of the Badgers, Buckeye sophomore Mason Jobst finished with a share of the Big Ten scoring title. He had 13 goals, 21 assists and 34 points in 20 conference games, matching Tyler Sheehy of Minnesota for points. Jobst had nine points in his last four games combined, with four goals and five assists.
Jobst hit the 50-point mark with his first period goal and now has 51, the first Buckeye with 50 or more points since RJ Umberger had 53 in 2003. It is the fifth 50-point season for a Buckeye since 1998. He is second in points in the B1G and ranks eighth in the NCAA in points per game.
In the First …
Ohio State led 1-0 just 2:46 into the game when Mason Jobst scored on the power play, taking a pass from goalie Matt Tomkins and skating up the right side, converting for his 18th goal – and 50th point – of the season. The Buckeyes outshot the Badgers 10-7 in the period.
In the Second …
Ohio State scored twice in the middle period. At 10:42 Kevin Miller completed a passing play with Dakota Joshua and David Gust for a 2-0 lead at 10:42. The Buckeyes extended the lead to 3-0 at 17:39. Sasha Larocque got the puck to Mason Jobst in the neutral zone. He came in the zone with Brendon Kearney, put a pass over the Badger defenseman’s stick right to Kearney, who scored his first career shorthanded goal. Shots were 13-11 in favor of the Buckeyes in the period.
In the Third …
The Badgers appeared to get on the board 5:36 into the third period. The Buckeyes challenged the play for offsides and the goal was overturned, returning the Buckeyes’ lead to 3-0. Wisconsin got on the board with a power play goal from Luke Kunin at 11:37, but could get no closer, despite skating with the net empty for the final 2:48. Wisconsin had 10 shots in the period, with the Buckeyes putting five on net.
Blocking the Puck
Each team had 28 shots in the game. Buckeye senior goalie Matt Tomkins had 27 saves in all 60 minutes, improving his record to 11-3-3 this year. He allowed just two total goals in the weekend sweep of the Badgers.
The Buckeyes blocked 29 Badger shot attempts, with Josh Healey blocking eight and Sasha Larocque and Janik Moser each blocking four.
Special Teams
The Buckeyes were 1-for-3 on the power play in the win. On the year, the Buckeyes are 46-for-146 on the power play, converting an NCAA-best 31.5 percent of their chances.
Ohio State’s penalty kill was 5-for-6 in the game.
