Ohio State sweeps Wisconsin and owns the third period

I called a split. Ohio State took both, and it wasn't a fluke of the schedule. The Buckeyes won the hockey that decides March, the third period, and the two-time defending champions went home 0-2 in the WCHA.

Friday ended 2-1. Saturday ended 5-3. Ohio State is 6-0, Wisconsin is 4-2, and the No. 1 ranking should change hands on Monday.

The number

4-0. That's how badly Ohio State won the third periods this weekend, by our count from the box scores. Wisconsin led after two on Friday and was tied after two on Saturday. The Badgers never scored again.

That's the part that should worry Madison. Mark Johnson's teams usually own the back half of a game. This weekend they got buried in it.

Friday: the goalie couldn't do it alone

Ava McNaughton was the best player on the ice for 50 minutes. She made 38 saves, tying her career high, and Cassie Hall's goal at 14:43 of the second held up into the third.

Then the third turned into a siege. Ohio State outshot Wisconsin 19-3 in the period. Mira Jungåker tied it on a power play at 7:01, and Hilda Svensson won it at 16:20, set up by Jungåker and Sanni Vanhanen.

Wisconsin took nine of the game's 17 penalties. A team that does that against this power play is asking for it.

Saturday: the freshman held, the vets finished

Hall scored 34 seconds in, and Ohio State answered with three goals in about six minutes. Vanhanen scored on the power play, Kaia Malachino followed 25 seconds later, and Kate Viel added another on the man advantage.

Wisconsin clawed back to 3-3 on goals from Maddy Kimbrel, her first in college, and Laney Potter. Then Svensson scored 10 seconds into the third off a Joy Dunne feed, and Vanhanen tipped in a Jungåker shot at 12:11 for her second of the day.

Rowan Houweling, the freshman I worried about on Wednesday, made a career-high 22 saves and is 4-0. Jungåker had three assists Saturday and a hand in both winners this weekend. She's the defender every Kazmaier conversation should start with.

What it means

Ohio State outshot Wisconsin 77-46 over two games. That isn't a hot goalie stealing a series. It's a team that beat the champions at their own game: depth, special teams and the third period.

It's also the Buckeyes' first sweep of Wisconsin since the 2023-24 season, and they won the national title that year. I'd read nothing into that alone. I'd read plenty into the shot count.

The W read: I was wrong on Friday, and I'm happy to be. Ohio State is the best team in the country right now. The test comes Friday at Ridder Arena, where No. 3 Minnesota gets two cracks at them. My call: the Buckeyes take three of four points in Minneapolis.