No. 7/8 Buckeyes Drop Game at Wisconsin, 4-0

Box Score

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 7/8 Ohio State men’s hockey team fell at Wisconsin, 4-0, Friday in a Big Ten game. After a scoreless first, the Badgers scored the only goal of the second. Wisconsin pushed the lead to two almost midway through the third and then added two goals on a major power play for the final.

Ohio State is 15-9-1 on the year and 8-7-0-0-0-0 in Big Ten play. Wisconsin is 10-13-0 and has a 3-10-0-0-0 B1G mark. The teams will close the weekend and regular season series at 8 p.m. ET Saturday. The game will be televised by Bally Sports Wisconsin Extra and Great Lakes, streamed through Big Ten Plus and broadcast on Ohio State Radio.

Quoting head coach Steve Rohlik

“We got outworked and outplayed in every facet of the game tonight. We have to be much better tomorrow.”

The Short Story

• There were no goals in the first period, and just one penalty and Wisconsin power play, with the Badgers outshooting the Buckeyes, 11-5.
• Despite Ohio State holding the shot lead, 14-7, in the middle period, the Badgers scored the only goal, as Luke LaMaster tallied at 4:25.
• In the third, Jack Gorniak scored eight minutes in for a 2-0 UW lead.
• Ohio State was assessed a major penalty at 11:59 and another infraction gave the Badgers a 5-on-3 power play for a full two minutes. The Buckeyes were able to kill off the two-man chance, but the Badgers converted twice in less than a minute while still on the major, at 13:49 and 14:27, to push the lead to 4-0.
• Wisconsin put 16 shots on net in the third, limiting the Buckeyes to three.
• Ohio State was outshot for just the fifth time this season, with the Badgers ahead, 34-22. Ohio State blocked 13 Wisconsin shot attempts, with Cole McWard, Mason Lohrei, Scooter Brickey and Patrick Guzzo each blocking two. Wisconsin had 21 recorded shot blocks.
• The Buckeyes did not convert on their two power play chances. Wisconsin was 2-for-5, the first time this season Ohio State gave up more than one power play goal. Ohio State entered the game second nationally on the penalty kill.
• The shutout was the third for the Buckeyes this season, along with a 0-0 overtime tie at UConn Oct. 14 and a 1-0 loss to Notre Dame Nov. 19.