For the second year in a row Ohio State men’s hockey began its season by toppling one of the nation’s top teams. Last year it was No. 3 Denver. This time around the Buckeyes knocked off No. 10/12 Wisconsin in a down-to-the-wire thriller.
| Scoring by Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 19 Ohio State | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| No. 10/12 Wisconsin | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
The opening of the game was anything but thrilling, however. The teams skated a scoreless first period. The frame was solid one for the Bucks but they did not get on the board. Ohio State outshot Wisconsin 8-4.
The stalemate continued into the middle frame. The Badgers drew first blood at the 7:38 mark when Boston Bruins prospect Trent Frederic netted his first goal of the season. Mason Jobst answered for the Scarlet and Gray with a nifty, from-his-knees score. The goal was the first of the season for the Buckeye captain and career tally No. 32.
Captain Mason Jobst tied the game at 1 in the second period with his first - the Buckeyes' first - goal of the year. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/9H23a4cknD
— Ohio State M Hockey (@OhioState_MHKY) October 7, 2017
The teams remained deadlocked heading into the final period. Wisconsin took the lead with just under 10 minutes to play. The officials awarded Tarek Baker a penalty shot when they deemed Jobst had thrown his stick at the driving Badger. Baker converted the attempt to give Wisconsin a 2-1 edge.
Then, with five minutes on the clock, John Wiitala and Sam McCormick hooked up for a slick game tying tally. McCormick threaded a pass through traffic to Wiitala who had a clean shot at Wisconsin goalie Kyle Hayton.
WATCH: McCormick finds Wiitala in front and Wiitala converts, tying the score at 2. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/wY8H38aJin
— Ohio State M Hockey (@OhioState_MHKY) October 7, 2017
And the Buckeyes did not stop there. Jobst and Freddy Gerard, engineers of OSU’s first goal, teamed up once again. With just over a minute to play, Jobst finished off another feed from Gerard vaulting the Buckeyes into the lead for the first time in the game.
Gamewinner!
— Ohio State M Hockey (@OhioState_MHKY) October 7, 2017
Mason Jobst scored, assisted by Freddy Gerard, with 1:16 left in regulation for a 3-2 Buckeye win at Wisconsin. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/QZZmCCpEI3
| Pd | Time | Buckeye Goal Scorers (Assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 14:31 | Mason Jobst (Freddy Gerard) |
| 3 | 15:00 | John Wiitala (Sam McCormick) |
| 3 | 18:44 | Mason Jobst (Freddy Gerard) |
Ohio State held off one final extra attacker charge by the Badgers to secure a huge Big Ten win. Goalie Sean Romeo made 18 saves in the contest. He picks up his first victory as a Buckeye.
OSU and Wisconsin go another round tomorrow evening. The puck drops at 6pm ET. If you think your heart can take it, you can follow the action over the radio on 1460 AM or stream the game live online with a BTN Plus subscription.
