MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin men's hockey team didn't have the start it wanted in the series finale against Ohio State, but the Badgers more than made up for that with their response.
 
After falling in a 2-0 hole with less than a minute and a half left in the opening period, Wisconsin (4-8-6, 1-3-2-1 Big Ten) scored in the last minute of both the first and second periods on the way to earning a 4-4 tie with the Buckeyes (6-11-1, 1-2-1-0 Big Ten). The Badgers then took the shootout 1-0 to earn two total points in the conference standings.
 
"The fact is that it was interesting to see how we responded in a wacky game and it's all about the process with this young group," head coach Mike Eaves said. "It was another step for us, we're learning, we're growing but we're growing in the direction that we need to."
 
One of the more critical junctures of the game for UW came in a 1:14 stretch that spanned the last 30 seconds of the first period and the first minute of the second. In that time frame, Wisconsin erased the two-goal deficit to tie the game at two.
 
Following an Ohio State goal with 1:28 left in the first period, Wisconsin answered with its first goal and arguably biggest goal of the game. With just 25 seconds left in the first period, Ohio State tried to clear the zone but Luke Kunin kept the puck in at the right circle. Kunin then fed the puck to the slot toward Ryan Wagner, and the puck deflected off Wagner and beat Christian Frey to cut the deficit to 2-1.
 
Wisconsin then capitalized off the momentum heading into the locker room to tie the score in the opening seconds of the second period. Kunin helped set up the second goal as well, redirecting Kevin Schulze's pass from the point to Grant Besse in the low slot. Besse couldn't get his shot through traffic, but Adam Rockwood tracked down the loose puck and blasted it past Frey at the 0:49 mark of the second.
 
"It gave us confidence going in because we got shutout last night, so to kind of break the seal there in the end of the first period was a confidence booster," Besse said. "Then we came out and got one right at the start of the second too, so that gave us a lot of energy."
 
Ohio State had a quick response of its own and scored less than two minutes later to take the lead right back. The Buckeyes then tacked on another goal when Nick Schilkey scored on the power play at 13:34 to make it a 4-2 edge.
 
But again, Wisconsin had a response late in the period to bring the game back within one. After setting up the first two goals, Kunin ripped a one-timer past Frey with just 12 seconds left in the second to make it 4-3.
 
Less than four minutes into the final period of regulation, the Badgers top line struck again to knot the score for good. Frey stopped Besse's initial shot from the left wing, but the loose puck ricocheted off an OSU defenseman's skate into the back of the net.
 
Neither team could muster another goal in the final 16:29 of regulation, as the Badgers went to overtime for the sixth time this season. The overtime session was devoid of any scoring, but UW eventually earned the extra point in the conference standings thanks to Ryan Wagner's first-round shootout goal.
 
Wisconsin got 25 saves from Jurusik, while the top line of Besse, Rockwood and Kunin produced eight points, including a goal and three assists from Kunin.
 
"Me and Luke have been playing together most of the year now, so we kind of know how to read off of one another, that showed tonight," Besse said. "Then having Rockwood up there, he sees the ice really well and can make a lot of plays so he just added that. I thought we really clicked in the short time that we were together, so we'll see what happens going forward."
 
The Badgers travel to Penn State next weekend for a matchup with the Nittany Lions. Faceoff is at 5:30 p.m. on Friday night and 5 p.m. on Saturday night, with Friday's contest airing on BTN and Saturday's on ESPNU.