The opening weekend of conference play did everything but disappoint. At the heart of the chaos was an electrifying upset in Columbus and relentless offensive firepower in Madison and Austin.
Upset in Columbus: Buckeyes Take Down Wolverines
The Ohio State–Michigan rivalry never fails to deliver, and Saturday night at the Schottenstein Center added another thrilling chapter to the storied feud. Taking on the nation's top-ranked Wolverines — who entered the weekend boasting the country’s most potent offense — the Buckeyes earned a 5–2 victory to secure the biggest win of its season.
After a scoreless first period, Jake Karabela broke the ice with a power play score; just over three minutes later, Evan Jardine found the back of the cage to double the lead. While the Wolverines remained within striking distance, cutting the lead to 2-1 in the second and 3-2 in the third, freshman goalie Jakub Milota made 26 saves and the Buckeyes blocked 13 Michigan shot attempts.
Two empty net goals clinched the 5-2 win with five Buckeyes scoring goals. More on Saturday in Columbus.
On Sunday night, though, Michigan responded with a thrilling win of its own in a game that featured four lead changes and four ties. In a chaotic third period featuring five goals, Ohio State pulled ahead 4-3 late before Malcolm Spence tied it with just 1:12 remaining. In the 3-on-3 extra session, Michael Hage capped off a five-point night by setting up Adam Valentini for the game-winning goal, securing a 5-4 victory and a hard-fought weekend split. Read more on the Wolverines.
Badgers Sweep Irish in Kohl Center Explosion
No. 2 Wisconsin turned its Big Ten opening weekend into an offensive clinic, topping Notre Dame in a two-game sweep with 16 goals.
The Badgers rolled to a 7–1 victory on Friday behind freshman Brent Solomon's two-goal Big Ten debut, and on Saturday night raised the bar with a 9–1 win. Bruno Idžan headlined the outburst with a second-period natural hat trick — becoming just the ninth Badger in program history with a natural hat trick.
Mike Hastings’ team racked up six power play goals, its most since 1979 and just one short of the school record. The Badgers sit at 6-0, their best start since the 2000-2001 season.
Spartan Statement in Texas
While No. 4 Michigan State has yet to dive into conference play, the Spartans made noise down south. Headlining the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Showcase in Texas, Michigan State defeated No. 8 North Dakota 5-3.
The high-action first period was scoreless in the top-10 matchup, but the Spartans drew first blood just 54 seconds into the middle frame on Anthony Romani’s power play goal. Less than three minutes later, Eric Nilson added onto the lead with an end-to-end play. The Fighting Hawks responded with two goals of their own in the second and third to tie the game, but Michigan State quickly reclaimed the lead courtesy of Romani’s second of the night.
North Dakota once again evened the score with less than four minutes in the third to make it 3-3. But, once again, Michigan State’s offense provided a fast response, with Cayden Lindstrom putting home a rebound just 19 seconds later to give the Spartans the lead for good.
The top-10 win marked head coach Adam Nightengale’s 100th win with the program, becoming the fastest coach to do it in only 156 games. More from Texas as Michigan State improved to 6-1.
Conference action is officially underway, and there’s much more to come. Check out the other scores, including two back-and-forth affairs in Minneapolis, and the upcoming schedule.