‘They got it done and we didn’t’

Buckeyes eliminate Badgers from Big Ten tournament

MADISON – Playing the what-if game with the Wisconsin men’s hockey team Sunday is almost too tantalizing to pass up.

What if the Badgers pushed that first goal through? What if the puck gave goaltender Kyle McClellan a couple of better bounces? What if the team got the benefit of the doubt from the officials at a key moment or two?

Wisconsin coach Mike Hastings, however, dealt with the reality of his team’s situation.

The Badgers lost, 3-1, to Ohio State at the Kohl Center in the deciding game of a best-of-three Big Ten quarterfinal series.

“At the end of the day we didn’t do enough,” Hastings said. “We can sit back and read the book any way you want it from front to back. They got it done and we didn’t and we have to own that.”

The Buckeyes (14-19-4) set the tone for the game with two goals during the first 30 minutes and added a third against an empty net after the Badgers pulled McClellan with about 3 minutes to go. UW freshman Sawyer Scholl’s goal during the final 2 minutes allowed the Badgers to avoid the shutout.

There is no shaking the stain, though. The tournament’s No. 2 seed was ousted by the league’s last-place finisher. The outcome spoils the rivalry theme the semifinals would have had if UW advanced.

Instead of Minnesota at UW and Michigan at Michigan State, the Big Ten semifinals will feature Michigan at Minnesota and Ohio State at Michigan State next Sunday.

The Badgers will sit on a 26-11-2 record for two weeks until the NCAA Tournament pairings are released.

“When you’re playing three (games) in three (days) that first (goal) I think is really important just for momentum,” Hastings said. “They found a way to get the first one and I guess I didn’t think we had enough juice in the tank to get it even.”

Wisconsin faced Ohio State five times in the last month and lost four times. In three of those games, the Badgers were held to one goal.

Wisconsin finished with a 30-22 advantage in shots on goal but had just one power play while Ohio State had three.

The good news for Wisconsin is it is still expected to get a berth into the NCAA Tournament, which begins March 28. The bracket will be announced March 24.

Ohio State's Theo Wallberg clears the puck from the crease just before it crosses the goal line during the first period of the Buckeyes' Big Ten quarterfinal victory over the Wisconsin Badgers on Sunday at the Kohl Center.