Finding the net with almost comical ease on the young season, Wisconsin averaged nearly seven goals a contest and cracked double digits twice en route to a perfect 12-0 record.
Even this torrid start wasn’t enough to ward off Wisconsin’s demons in Columbus, however, as No. 1 Wisconsin scored just once in a frustrating weekend sweep against Ohio State (3-0, 2-1), extending its losing streak in the Ohio capital to six games.
Ohio State wasted little time putting the Badgers on the back foot as Kiara Zanon fired home her seventh goal of the season inside the opening 15 minutes. It was an opportunistic Jennifer Gardner that snowballed Wisconsin’s deficit out of the first intermission, capitalizing on a pair of power plays with two goals in 131 seconds to give her Buckeyes an early 3-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Wisconsin’s dynamic offense crumbled into historic ineptitude, finishing with fewer than 20 shots for just the second time in the last six seasons — you guessed it, the other occasion was in Columbus last season — and suffering its first shutout since January.
The Buckeyes made their fast starts habitual in the follow-up match Saturday afternoon, as Gardner stayed hot with another goal that put Ohio State ahead after just seven minutes. Cassie Hall finally snapped the Badgers’ four-quarter scoring drought, set up by Cayla Laila and her remarkable 14th assist on the season, to create a deadlock that endured into overtime.
Hannah Bilka would capitalize on the 4-on-4 playing field just a minute into the extra period, perfectly executing a 2-on-1 break and firing a powerful wrist shot into the right corner that secured a deserved Ohio State win — the Buckeyes outshot UW by 11 Saturday.
Ohio State returns to its out-of-conference campaign next against St. Lawrence, while Wisconsin can idly enjoy the holiday weekend before resuming its schedule against Minnesota-Duluth Dec. 2.
