Ohio State tops Wisconsin in overtime to even their Big Ten hockey playoff series

Wisconsin was unable to put away ninth-ranked Ohio State on Saturday night, surrendering a two-goal lead to fall, 3-2, in overtime in the second game of the teams’ Big Ten men’s hockey tournament quarterfinal series.

UW (12-30-3) has won just two of its 12 overtime games this season. Saturday was the Badgers’ 12^th loss by a single goal.

Wisconsin and Ohio State (22-12-2) will play again at 6 p.m. Sunday in Columbus, Ohio, for the right to advance to the single-game semifinal. On Friday night, UW beat OSU, 4-1, after having been swept in the teams’ four regular-season games.

Wisconsin sophomore defenseman Joe Palodichuk scored on the power play late in the first period, and junior forward Kyle Kukkonen gave the Badgers a 2-0 lead 6:19 into the second. But Jake Rozzi got Ohio State on the board late in the second, Gunnarwolfe Fontaine tied it with 89 seconds left in regulation. Riley Thompson redirected a shot past Wisconsin senior goaltender Tommy Scarfone for the winner 7:30 into the five-on-five extra period.

Badgers leading scorer Quinn Finley missed an empty net moments before Fontaine scored the equalizer.  

Scarfone finished with 38 saves as Ohio State had 41 shots on goal to Wisconsin’s 33.