Buckeyes Win 3-1 at No. 5/6 Wisconsin

Friday, March 8

Madison, WI

8:00 PM ET

Ohio State

13-18-4

University of Wisconsin

25-10-2

Ohio St.

Wisconsin

Buckeyes Win 3-1 at No. 5/6 Wisconsin

3/8/2024 10:53:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

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Ohio State takes 1-0 lead in B1G series as Montes scores twice in the third

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State men's hockey team opened its best-of-three Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal series at No. 5/6 Wisconsin with a 3-1 win Friday in Madison, Wis. The No. 7 seed Buckeyes lead the series vs. the No. 2 Badgers, 1-0, with game two set for 7 p.m. ET Saturday. If necessary, game three will be at 6 p.m. ET Sunday.

Friday, defenseman Brent Johnson opened the scoring for Ohio State at 9:08 of the first, answered by the Badgers less than three minutes later. Neither team was able to find the back of the net again until Ohio State freshman Max Montes, a Wisconsin native, scored on the power play at 2:21 of the third. Montes sealed the win with an empty net goal with 1:47 left in regulation. Buckeye goalie Logan Terness had 28 saves in the victory, with the Buckeyes 2-for-2 on the penalty kill. Ohio State blocked 22 shots as a team and freshmen forwards Thomas Weis and Ryan Gordon were first with three each.

Quoting head coach Steve Rohlik
"That was a great win on the road against one of the top teams in the country. We really had to grind it out for the victory. Special teams were the key. We know we need to be better as a group tomorrow."

How it Happened

Brent Johnson opened the scoring at 9:08, taking a pass from Riley Hughes and beating the goalie far side from inside the faceoff circle. Dalton Messina also assisted on the tally.
Johnson had nearly scored on a similar shot earlier in the period on the power play, with that shot hitting the post. That was the only power play of the first period, which came at 6:39. The Badgers also had shot hit the pipe in the stanza when the teams were tied.
William Whitelaw deadlocked the game for the Badgers at 11:40, putting in a rebound.
Ohio State outshot Wisconsin, 12-6, in the first period, including the first five shots on goal of the game.
There were no goals and one Badger power play in the second period. The Badgers put 16 shots on net, with Ohio State recording seven.
The Buckeyes took advantage of a power play early in the third period. Johnson found Max Montes with a cross-ice pass and he converted for a 2-1 Ohio State lead at 2:21. Damien Carfagna had the second assist on the goal.
Ohio State killed a Badger power play chance at 4:52 to maintain the one-goal lead.
Wisconsin pulled its goalie with a little over two minutes remaining. Stephen Halliday gathered a shot attempt by the Badgers and passed out to Michael Gildon. He found Montes, who scored from just inside the UW blueline.
The teams combined for 12 shots in the third period, with Wisconsin ahead, 7-5.
Ohio State was outshot in the game, 29-24. Terness played 59:39 and had 28 saves. Ohio State had 22 shot blocks in the win. Thomas Weis and Ryan Gordon each had three, while Johnson, Scooter Brickey, Caden Brown, Theo Wallberg, Patrick Guzzo and Carfagna each had two.
The Buckeyes were 1-for-2 on the power play in the game, with the penalty kill 2-for-2.

Buckeye This and That

Ohio State has won three games in a row vs. Wisconsin, with a sweep in Columbus Feb. 16-17.
Montes had his second career two-goal game and first since Feb. 2 vs. Michigan. He has eight goals and 16 points on the year.
Johnson had a goal and an assist for a two-point night. It was his fourth career two-point game and second as a Buckeye. It was his fifth goal of the year, but the first goal since Nov. 24.