Men's Hockey - Wisconsin Outlasts OSU in Lambeau Field

Men's Hockey
Wisconsin Outlasts OSU in Lambeau Field
By Jeff Svoboda

It was as unique a college hockey venue as one could imagine. More than 40,000 fans chanted and roared as though Brett Favre was leading the Green Bay Packers through Lambeau Field, except this time, it was Ohio State and Wisconsin playing hockey on actual frozen tundra in the famed venue.

At the same time, the result was nothing unique at all for the Buckeyes. Another game where enough scoring chances couldn't find the net led to another hard-fought loss in a season that continues to slip away.

The Buckeyes (14-14-4, 10-11-2 Central Collegiate Hockey Association) gave No. 4 Wisconsin (20-7-2, 14-6-2 Western Collegiate Hockey Association) all it could handle, but the Badgers -- with a little help from the referees -- left the frenetic atmosphere with a 4-2 victory Saturday.

The second college hockey game to be played in outdoors in a football stadium in recent memory attracted 40,890 spectators, most wearing Wisconsin colors. The face-off temperature was 28 degrees -- a temperature to match the Buckeye offense.

OSU could put only 20 shots on freshman goaltender Shane Connelly, with Dave Barton and Sam Campbell lighting the lamp for the Buckeyes. However, it was the one that did not count that OSU might remember for a while.

After Wisconsin jumped to a 1-0 lead 23 seconds into the game, Buckeye defenseman Sean Collins appeared to tie the game seven minutes later by putting in a rebound of a Matt McIlvane shot. However, the officials conferred and ruled that Connelly brushed the net off its moorings while scrambling to stop Collins' shot -- a fact that looked to be dubious on television replays.

"The explanation was that linesman way back at the blue line called it off," OSU coach John Markell said. "For him to see that and the referee standing right there, I don't know. I thought the referee made the official call, but you have to go with what they call."

"I had no idea there was any kind of speculation whatsoever," Collins said. "None of the Wisconsin players complained afterward so I didn't know what they were talking about when the three referees met. I had no idea it was off."

It was the second night in a row that the same call would go against the Buckeyes. In Thursday night's 4-3 loss to Michigan State, the net appeared to be off the moorings before the Spartans scored the game-winning goal in the third period.

Still, OSU had plenty of chances to come back and actually added a soft goal. Midway through the second, Barton won a draw in his own end, skated to the neutral zone and sent the puck toward Connelly. It deflected off the skate of a Wisconsin defenseman at the blue line, bounced twice and hopped between the arm and leg of Connelly for an unlikely tally.

"All I can say is it was a snipe," Barton joked. "I was just trying to get it on net, go around (the defenseman) and get the rebound, but it went in, so I'll take it."

However, the Buckeyes luck ran out right about there. With Wisconsin on a power play at the 16:58 mark of the second, Kyle Klubertanz's shot from the left point bounced off a sliding McIlvane and by goaltender Dave Caruso to give the Badgers the lead back at 2-1.

Center Andrew Joudrey extended the Badger lead seven minutes into the third by putting home a cross-crease feed from linemate Ryan MacMurchy. OSU tried to come back once more when Campbell collected a loose puck and beat Connelly from the bottom of the left circle to pull the Buckeyes back within one with 4:03 to play, but Robbie Earl scored into an empty net to seal it with 58 seconds to play. The Badgers celebrated after the final whistle by doing the Lambeau Leap into the north stands behind what would normally be an end zone.

Captain Adam Burish scored Wisconsin's first goal by sliding his own rebound between Caruso's legs to send the crowd into a frenzy.

OSU had only 20 shots count but a few that ended as quite literal shots on goal. Campbell hit the post from a sharp angle 3:20 into the second, and defenseman Matt Waddell hit the post seven minutes later on the power play.

"When you hit a couple posts and have one disallowed, you know it's there," Barton said. "We just need to focus on getting the puck in the net."

The loss further complicates the postseason picture. This stretch that includes No. 10 Michigan State, Wisconsin, and No. 3 Miami coming up on Tuesday was supposed to be a chance for the Buckeyes to gain both valuable NCAA PairWise points and spots in the CCHA standings. Instead, they are 0-2. After playing Miami, the Buckeyes face only No. 20 Ferris State and \Northern Michigan in two-game series before the CCHA playoffs begin.

"Obviously we're going to have to win a lot of games coming up," Markell said. "We're not going to lay down and die, I can tell you that. I saw us hanging together out there. We fought back. We knew how important it was. I'm proud of our kids for doing that."

Caruso made 27 saves. In a chippy affair from the opening whistle, OSU amassed 44 penalty minutes on 14 infractions, while Wisconsin had 11 penalties for 22 minutes. The Badgers finished 1-for-8 on the power play and the Buckeyes were 0-for-7.

The game against Miami is at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Goggin Ice Arena in Oxford, Ohio, before the Buckeyes finish the home slate against Ferris State Friday and
Saturday.

Notes:

** Both Markell and Collins agreed that the game, the first outdoor college game since Michigan met Michigan State in October of 2001, was a success. Collins said it was an "amazing experience," and Markell spoke in glowing terms about the treatment Ohio State received in Green Bay.

"We were proud to come here and play in front of that many people," Markell said. "They supported it well. We were treated well by the Packers and their group. It's very, very impressive. I would recommend to anybody to come back in the same situation."

Collins said the chance to play in front of more than 40,000 people was an experience he'll never forget.

"Right when we got around (the corner of the bleachers) when we came out and saw the entire crowd, it was absolutely packed and it was an amazing sight to walk out to that," he said.

Markell also hinted that he'd like to see the same type of event brought a little closer to home.

"I'd like to host one," he said. "I'd love to play a team and have something to fill our football stadium. Someday that might happen.

"We'd have to look at it," Markell added. "The timing of it would have to be right. You never know."

** Junior forward Kenny Bernard was the recipient of a knee-on-knee hit with five minutes to play in the game as he chased the puck along the blue line. He did not return.

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