A huge Saturday in men’s and women’s college hockey saw some big-time results.
First, No. 6 Wisconsin downed No. 1 Ohio State women’s hockey in a wild overtime. Then, the No. 10 Buckeyes men’s squad took down No. 4 Michigan outdoors in Cleveland.
Here’s what you might have missed:
No. 6 Badgers take raucous upset over top-ranked Ohio State women
This high-power WCHA matchup saw no shortage of offense, potentially giving us the game of the year in women’s college hockey as Wisconsin staved off a late Buckeye comeback to win, 6-5 in overtime.
Freshman Kirsten Simms scored on a penalty shot in the extra frame, finishing a backhander after some slick stick-handling for the win.
Do we dare mention how she’s a FRESHMAN? Simms wins it off the penalty shot 🚨 pic.twitter.com/e0SwCzk10O
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerWHockey) February 18, 2023
The Badgers’ top players showed out in the first period as Jesse Compher had two goals and an assist, Britta Curl and Casey O’Brien each had a goal and an assist, and Vivian Jungels and Nicole LaMantia each had two assists all in the opening 20 minutes en route to a quick 4-0 lead.
WOMEN’S SCOREBOARD: Click or tap here to keep up with the latest action in NC women’s ice hockey
Jennifer Gardiner and Emma Maltais got OSU on the board in the second to cut it to 4-2 before Brooke St. Bink made it 4-3 quickly in the third.
Sophie Shirley answered for Wisco shortly after to restore the two-goal cushion, but Gardiner’s second of the game with under 10 minutes to go in the third pulled the Bucks back to 5-4.
Maltais picked up her second of the night with 2:49 left into regulation to send it to overtime, tied at five apiece, but Simms prevailed as the hero for Wisconsin, who is coming off a big unbeaten weekend at former No. 3 Minnesota.
No. 10 Buckeyes knock off rival No. 4 Michigan outdoors
One of college athletics’ most historic rivalries found a unique stage as No. 10 Ohio State men’s hockey took home the upset over No. 4 Michigan with a 4-2 win outdoors at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland in Faceoff at the Lake.
Co-captain Jake Wise had a goal and two assists and Stephen Halliday added a goal and a helper as well for the Buckeyes.
After a scoreless first period, the closing moments of the second period brought more than its fair share of offense.
MEN’S SCOREBOARD: Click or tap here to keep up with the latest action in DI men’s ice hockey
Cole McWard opened the scoring with a low snap shot off the rush to make it 1-0 with 5:39 left in the second, and Wise extended it to 2-0 when he buried a cross-crease feed from Travis Treloar on the power play with 2:49 left. Gavin Brindley got the Wolverines on the board just 1:15 later when his backhand from close range found a way through Jakub Dobes (35 saves).
Tyler Duke answered for OSU with 49 seconds left in the period, firing a wrister through a net-front scramble to make it 3-1 with the tenth shorthanded goal of the year for the Bucks, which leads the NCAA. Duke’s brother Dylan is a freshman forward for Michigan.
Tyler Duke of @OhioStateMHKY scores against his brother’s team and mom is loving it. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/i2X4K2Wsg3
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) February 18, 2023
Eric Ciccolini cut it to a one-goal deficit for Michigan nearly midway through the third, but Halliday added a power play goal 54 seconds later for the 4-2 final.