As the college hockey season approached its end, the Badgers were still looking for their first Big Ten conference win. Saturday, the Badgers (1-9-2 Big Ten, 3-19-4 overall) finally got it, grabbing a 3-2 win in the second game of their road series against Ohio State (3-9-0, 8-16-2).
But before they had their time to shine, the Badgers looked dull Friday night, losing a low-scoring affair 2-1. Wisconsin opened the scoring late in the first period, taking the lead off the stick of redshirt freshman forward Corbin McGuire after he punched in a rebound from the shot of junior defenseman Kevin Schulze. UW couldn’t muster up any more offense, and the Buckeyes’ two second period goals sealed the game.
Wisconsin’s senior goalie Joel Rumpel was fantastic in the first game despite the loss. He only allowed two goals on 42 shots, a performance that will usually earn a win. However, the team’s lackluster offense couldn’t capitalize on the gift that Rumpel gave them.
In Saturday’s game, OSU was the first on the board about a minute into the game, with junior forward Anthony Greco scoring his 14th goal of the year, making him the third highest scorer in the conference. UW responded with its own leading scorer, sophomore forward Grant Besse, netting a tying goal halfway through the first.
Midway through the third, Ohio State took the lead again, only to have the Badgers tie it up four minutes later when senior forward Joseph LaBate scored a goal off a pass from freshman forward Adam Rockwood. The pair also connected on the game winner in the third, this time with Rockwood getting the glory and LaBate tallying the assist.
The Badgers’ special teams played a large part in the victory, scoring on their only power play chance and killing both of OSU’s power plays as well.
For the second night in a row, Rumpel only allowed two goals, breaking a seven-game skid where he allowed four or more goals in each.
If Rumpel gets back to the form he was last season, which earned him a spot as a Mike Richter Award finalist for the NCAA’s top goalie of the year, the Badgers’ lack of offensive firepower might be compensated for.
The Badgers will host the Michigan State Spartans (6-4-2, 12-12-2) next weekend, with Friday night’s game at 8 and Saturday’s game starting at 7 p.m.
UWBadgers.com contributed to this report.
