Bryce Ingles (21) on offense while Joe Palodichuk (14) defends Friday at the Schottenstein Center. Credit: Cassandra D’Angelo | Freelance Photographer.
Before Ohio State could settle in Friday night, it was already chasing the game.
A sluggish start, turnovers and defensive miscommunication allowed Wisconsin to seize control early, and the Buckeyes never fully recovered in a 4-2 loss at the Schottenstein Center.
But less than 24 hours later, Ohio State flipped the script.
Behind two goals from Ryan Gordon Saturday, the Buckeyes earned a 3-2 win to split the weekend series 1-1 with the Badgers.
The split encapsulated Ohio State’s season – flashes of offensive firepower, stretches of inconsistency and, ultimately, resilience.
Wisconsin wasted little time setting the tone Friday. The Badgers struck twice in a span of 18 seconds less than six minutes into the first period, capitalizing on breakdowns in the defensive zone while Ohio State struggled to find rhythm.
Gavin Morrissey extended the lead to 3-0 just 5:01 into the second period, knocking home a rebound to put the Buckeyes in a deeper hole.
“We get disconnected at times, especially tonight, and they did a good job of taking advantage of that, and we need to clean that up,” senior forward Davis Burnside said after the loss.
Burnside provided a spark in the third period, scoring 3:59 in to put Ohio State on the board. Morrissey answered with a breakaway goal after intercepting a Buckeye pass, restoring Wisconsin’s three-goal cushion.
Burnside added his second goal with 14.4 seconds left after Ohio State pulled goalie Sam Hillebrandt for an extra skater, giving him 11 on the season and tying Max Montes for the team lead.
“I think we had more turnovers tonight than we had all last weekend,” head coach Steve Rohlik said. “Just a lot of one-on-one puck turnovers that can’t happen.”
Rohlik emphasized the need for a sharper mental approach heading into Saturday’s rematch.
His team responded.
Despite surrendering a goal in the first minute Saturday, Ohio State settled in. Gordon netted the equalizer in the second period, and the Buckeyes controlled much of the third.
They outshot Wisconsin 8-7 in the final frame and added two goals, including Gordon’s second of the night, to secure the 3-2 victory.
The win improved Ohio State to 11-16-1 overall and marked its third victory in four games after previously dropping three straight
