MADISON, Wis. – Power-play goals by Christian Fitzgerald and Anthony Kehrer lifted the No. 5 Wisconsin men’s hockey team past Ohio State, 4-2, on Saturday night at the Kohl Center. In front of a Big Ten tournament-record crowd of 10,837, the victory helped the Badgers force a third and deciding game in their Big Ten quarterfinal series scheduled for 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Wisconsin (26-10-2) broke the ice with a power-play goal from Fitzgerald, but Ohio State (13-19-4) also notched a goal on the man advantage to send both teams into the second period tied at one. The Badgers added two goals from David Silye and Kehrer in the middle frame to make it 3-1. The Buckeyes cut UW’s lead in half on a goal midway through the third period, but an empty-netter from Cruz Lucius sealed a 4-2 victory for Wisconsin. Mike Richter Award semifinalist Kyle McClellan stood strong between the pipes, stopping 37 OSU shots on goal.
The Badgers got on the board first after sophomore forward Christian Fitzgerald tallied a goal on the power play. Sophomore forward Cruz Lucius passed from the left side boards to senior forward David Silye near the top of the right circle. Silye sent a cross-ice pass through an Ohio State player’s legs to meet Fitzgerald at the left side of the net, who used a drag move to put home his seventh goal of the season.
Ohio State tied it up with one minute remaining in the opening frame on a power-play goal from Thomas Weis.
David Silye gave Wisconsin its lead back 3:52 into the second period. Junior defenseman Daniel Laatsch shot from the blue line and the rebound found Cruz Lucius’ stick in the middle of the zone. An Ohio State player poked the puck away from Lucius, but Silye picked it up and took a shot from the slot to tally his ninth goal of the year.
The Badgers scored their second power-play goal of the evening 7:02 into the second. Sophomore forward Simon Tassy rushed the puck into Ohio State territory and passed behind him to freshman forward Owen Mehlenbacher. Mehlenbacher skated below the right faceoff dot and sent a cross-ice pass to senior defenseman Anthony Kehrer, who sunk a one-time shot in the net to extend UW’s lead.
The Buckeyes cut Wisconsin’s lead to one with 10:13 left in the third period after a Patrick Guzzo shot trickled into the crease before it was knocked in.
Cruz Lucius scored an empty-net goal with 2:18 remaining to seal the victory for Wisconsin.
Wisconsin went 2-for-5 on the power play and 1-for-2 on the penalty kill. UW finished the contest with a 39-37 deficit in shots on goal.
Straight from the rink
Head Coach Mike Hastings
On rebounding from last night’s loss
“It was an important bounce back. I’m glad we were able to play with the lead. At this time of year, it’s difficult to win hockey games. I thought our power play definitely helped us momentum-wise. Also, the crowd tonight, 10,000 plus coming out and they made a difference for us as we were able to ride some of their momentum and their energy.”
On standout players from tonight
“I thought some of our best players played some of their best games. Simon Tassy was outstanding. David Silye, Cruz Lucius and Matty De St. Phalle, that line, we needed that group to play well. Kyle McClellan played very well so it was a great win for us – we survive and move on to tomorrow.”
On staying focused
“I thought the guys did a great job staying with it. We had a really good push early but didn’t have a lot to show for it. The guys stayed with it – credit to the leadership group for keeping the guys focused and staying on it.”
Senior forward David Silye
On tonight’s win
“I liked it. We found a way to get it done. We weren’t perfect and there are things to work on, but we’ll come back tomorrow with a quick turnaround here. We still got some work to do to seal this weekend off.”
On forcing a game-three
“It gives us confidence getting the win tonight and getting the playoff jitters out. It’ll be good for us to come back. We really lean on each other. It’ll be a game of will tomorrow.”
Senior defenseman Anthony Kehrer
On getting ready for game three
“It’s playoff hockey, do or die tomorrow. Obviously, we got the W tonight, but the job’s not finished. We all know the Xs and Os. We’ve played this team enough, so it’s all about our mentality. I like our group and how we’re feeling.”
Notes to know:
– Wisconsin fans set the Big Ten tournament record with 10,837 at the Kohl Center (10,774 – 2022 Big Ten Championship Game at 3M at Mariucci in Minneapolis)
– Kyle McClellan’s 24 wins share fifth on UW’s all-time single-season wins list with Duane Derksen (1990-91) and Jim Carey (1993-94)
– UW is 14-4-2 at the Kohl Center this season
– Wisconsin is 19-2-1 when scoring on the power play
Up Next: The Badgers look to close out its best-of-three quarterfinal series against Ohio State on Sunday, March 10. The game starts at 5 p.m. and streams on B1G+. Audio play-by-play airs on the Badgers Radio network, including 1310 WIBA in the Madison area and 97.3 The Game in Milwaukee. It also airs on the Badgers app and The Varsity Network app. Follow along on X/Twitter and Instagram @BadgerMHockey.