Ohio State then-junior defenseman Ryan O’Connell (24) zones in on the movement of the puck during the Ohio State-Wisconsin game on Dec. 4, 2020. Ohio State lost the game 1-3. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
No. 9 Ohio State will play host to Wisconsin in its penultimate home series of the regular season, fresh off a four-game road stand.
The last time the Buckeyes (19-7-2) and the Badgers (8-17-3) met was in Madison, Wisconsin, Jan. 8-9. In two games, Ohio State earned a win and a tie against Wisconsin, 5-3 and 2-2 respectively. After the tie, the Buckeyes secured an extra conference point with a shootout victory.
Ohio State junior forward Tate Singleton said there are a few things the Buckeyes can improve from their previous meetings with the Badgers.
“Clean up our D-zone a little bit, have earlier exits and get to the net,” Singleton said.
Ohio State outmatches Wisconsin on paper, with the Buckeyes ranked second in the Big Ten with 37 points and the Badgers in sixth place with 16, seated above only Michigan State.
The Badgers are particularly dangerous on special teams, with the seventh-, eighth- and ninth-ranked short-handed goal scorers in forwards freshman Zach Urdahl and seniors Tarek Baker and Dominick Mersch.
Ohio State head coach Steve Rohlik said he knows Wisconsin is a better team than its record suggests and understands the importance of this weekend’s pair of games.
“You got to be ready in our league and anybody can beat anybody,” Rohlik said. “They’ve beaten some of the best teams in the country, including a few in our league, so we’d better be ready for Friday.”
The Buckeyes are fresh off a weekend in State College, Pennsylvania, during which they played two games against the Nittany Lions. Ohio State tied its hosts Friday 2-2, but lost the shootout. They stormed back Saturday, winning the series finale 6-0.
Wisconsin fell in both games to Michigan last Friday and Saturday, 5-1 and 6-2 respectively.
The weekend series between Ohio State and Wisconsin begins Friday at 7 p.m. and concludes Saturday at 8 p.m. Big Ten Network Plus will air the first night, and Big Ten Network will host the second.
