Around the Big Ten Hockey: Week of Feb. 13
Two weeks are left in the Big Ten hockey season with only a few key games still to go. The standings are still closer than ever, and with teams in fingertip range of each other, the intensity is through the roof.
To start things off, let’s go to Madison, Wisconsin, where the Wisconsin Badgers had a tall mountain to climb against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Game one was as expected with a Minnesota win.
Golden Gopher forward Logan Cooley continued his dominant season with a goal and an assist. Bryce Brodzinski found the back of the net twice and Jimmy Snuggerud found it as well.
Brock Caufield was the lone scorer for the Badgers as they fell 4-1. Game two was quite the opposite.
After a late first-period goal by Minnesota, Wisconsin’s Cruz Lucius tied it with less than a minute in the frame. It was all Badgers after that with Daniel Laatsch and Carson Bantle both notching a goal.
Jack Horbach and Bantle both tallied two points as the Badgers came away with a huge 3-1 upset.
Minnesota will now head to Happy Valley to play the Penn State Nittany Lions who are coming off a bye, while Wisconsin gets ready for Michigan State.
Ohio State welcomed Notre Dame and the results weren't what they wanted. Heading into this matchup, the Buckeyes held 30 points, and the Fighting Irish not far behind with 26.
In game one, Landon Slaggert had himself a night with two goals. The Buckeyes had a late push putting the game within one, but Notre Dame goaltender Brian Bichel locked it down late saving 36 of 37.
After the Fighting Irish’s 2-1 victory, game two saw the teams go into a shootout. With a 2-2 game and an extra point on the line, the shootout went to nine rounds. It was then the Irish decided to end it and earn the extra point.
Notre Dame will head into a bye while Ohio State heads to Michigan.
The Michigan State Spartans and Michigan Wolverines clashed in their action-packed series. Mackie Samoskevich, Adam Fantilli and Gavin Brindley put the Wolverines up 3-0, but the Spartans battled back early in the third to make it a one-score game.
Late in the third period, Gavin Brindley scored his second of the game to stab the dagger into the Spartans, giving the 4-2 win to the Wolverines.
In the second game, the action was moved to Little Caesars Arena where it was certainly a spectacle. It was very back and forth with teams taking blow after blow. Michigan’s Frank Nazar tallied his first of the year after coming back from an injury.
Overtime was intense, but at the buzzer, Luke Hughes sent the Michigan fans home happy with a 4-3 win. Gavin Brindley ended the series with four goals.
Looking at the standings once again, Minnesota sits pretty with 46 points. Michigan has won seven straight, pushing them up to second-place and 35 points.
Michigan State, Ohio State and Notre Dame all have 31 points, while Penn State sits right behind with 30.
Wisconsin feels great after the upset but still has only 12 points.
Anthony Desher is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email acd5698@psu.edu.
