Winter break is officially over for the Wisconsin men’s hockey team, as they hit the ice this weekend for a series with red-hot Ohio State. The Buckeyes (6-12-0) entered the weekend with some momentum, fresh off impressive wins over Boston College and Cornell in the Florida College Classic. The Badgers (4-8-6), whose only action over break came courtesy of a scrimmage with Canadian university Trinity Western, took the ice on Friday looking to make up some ground in the Big Ten standings.
Weekend Recap vs. Ohio State
UW showed its continued improvement on defense in the early going on Friday, surrendering just 15 shots in the first two periods, all of which were turned away by freshman goaltender Matt Jurusik. Offensively, however, the Badgers continued to struggle against the Buckeyes and goalie Christian Frey, who had not surrendered a goal to the Badgers dating back to a shutout at the Kohl Center last season. Neither team was able to pull ahead until nearly midway through the third period, when OSU’s David Gust scored on a one-timer from the slot. Jurusik made several big saves down the stretch as the Badgers tried to even things up, but a Tyler Lundey shot found its way between the freshman’s pads to give Ohio State the 2-0 victory.
A physical tone was set for Saturday night’s rematch before the officials could even drop the puck, as UW freshman Luke Kunin tangled with OSU’s Dakota Joshua at the center circle, leading to matching two-minute minors for roughing. The Badgers successfully killed off another Kunin penalty later in the period, but the Buckeyes scored at even-strength moments later, after Kevin Miller fired one past Jurusik from the top of the crease. A similar sequence ensued with 1:28 remaining in the first period, as the Badgers again killed off a penalty but immediately gave up an even-strength goal. Just as things were looking their darkest for UW, the Badgers finally got the lucky bounce they’d been waiting for. A Kunin pass bounced off the skate of forward Ryan Wagner, and beat Frey for a goal with twenty-five seconds left in the period. Adam Rockwood kept the momentum rolling for the home team, scoring 49 seconds into the second frame, and tying things up at two. The Buckeyes would battle back, however, with goals by Tyler Lundey and Nick Schilkey to take a 4-2 lead going into the final minute of the second period. But again, the Badgers found a way to beat the buzzer, thanks to none other than Kunin, who found the back of the net with eleven seconds to go. With Frey and the Buckeyes within range once again, leading scorer Grant Besse tied the game at four after Frey was unable to locate the puck between his pads. The goaltenders stood tall throughout the final ten minutes of regulation, as well as the five-minute overtime period, resulting in a 4-4 tie. The shootout, worth an extra point in the conference standings, was dominated by Matt Jurusik, who stopped every Buckeye shooter en route to a 1-0 victory.
Three Stars of the Weekend
Third Star: Adam Rockwood made his return to the lineup this weekend after injury, and provided a much-needed spark to the Badger offense. His ability to handle the puck in tight spaces was impressive, as he drew a critical penalty in addition to scoring a goal on Saturday night. His health, and quality play, will be key if UW hopes to make some noise in the Big Ten.
Second Star: Matt Jurusik showed great resilience this weekend. After a solid effort for most of Friday night, he let a late shot get away from him, essentially sealing the Badgers’ fate. He rebounded on Saturday night, making twenty-five saves, including a few absolute heart-stoppers down the stretch. His work in the shootout was masterful, and bailed out his offense which could only muster up one goal on three attempts. This performance just serves as further evidence of his ability to keep the Badgers in games late, and will hopefully lead to wins in the future.
First Star: Freshman forward Luke Kunin found himself in some impressive company following his performance on Saturday night. His four-point effort was the first since Mark Zengerle and Nic Kerdiles posted four points each in March of 2014. Kunin had a goal and three assists to lead the Badgers, but also showed a physical side that we haven’t seen much this season. In addition to a couple of nice hits, he also had a huge shot block late in regulation to keep things tied at four. It’s pretty simple really: as Luke Kunin goes, so do the Badgers.
This Week: #15 Penn State
The Badgers hit the road for a series with the Penn State Nittany Lions (13-4-3). Ranked #15 in the country, the Nittany Lions pose a tough test for the Badgers, especially if UW struggles to score the way it did on Friday night. That being said, anything can happen when a goaltender gets hot the way Jurusik did late Saturday night, so don’t write the Badgers off just yet.
Photo: University of Wisconsin-Madison Athletic Department.