BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Playing in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, the eighth-seed Wisconsin Badgers fell at the one-seed Indiana Hoosiers, 2-1, on Friday. Indiana held a lead the majority of the game, before the Badgers started to chip away in a comeback that came up just short.
The loss ends the Badgers season with a 6-5-6 (2-2-4 Big Ten) record.
How It Happened:
Wisconsin's early deficit began in minute 13, when a foul in Wisconsin's box led to a Indiana penalty kick.
Nate Crockford, who prevented one of two penalty kicks this season, was unable to stop Joey Maher's attempt, giving Indiana the 1-0 lead.
Â
Both offenses were stifled for the rest of the half. Indiana's penalty kick was the lone shot on goal for the Hoosiers in the first half, while the Badger's first shot wasn't until minute 43.
Â
The second half of the game began much of the same way, with the Hoosiers scoring early in minute 55. Indiana's All-Big Ten First Team forward Samuel Sarver broke through the Badgers' defense and delivered a great pass to Maouloune Goumballe, who finished the play with a goal to make it 2-0 Hoosiers.
Â
The Badgers, who only had one shot on goal at this point, finally broke through in the 75th minute.
Nils Vallotto drove the ball up the outside of Indiana's box before passing the ball off to
Mitchell Dryden. Dryden then delivered a beautiful one-touch crosser to
Maxwell Keenan, who buried the header to keep the Badgers in the game at 2-1.
Â
The goal set off an offensive explosion for the Badgers, who record three shots in the next three minutes, and five total in the last 15 minutes. The last of which came from captain
Tim Bielic, whose shot on goal from outside the box was saved by Indiana's J.T. Harms in the last 15 seconds, securing the win for Indiana.
Wisconsin outshot the Hoosiers 8-3 in the second half.
Key Notes:
- Maxwell Keenan scored his second goal of the season, tying him for the team lead in points with eight. Keenan also led the Badgers in points last season.
- Nils Vallotto recorded an assist on Keenan's goal, not only the first of the season for him, but the first point in the defender's career as well. The sophomore from Norway started 16 games last season and nine this season.
- Despite allowing two goals, the Badgers managed to hold the Hoosiers to just two shots on goal. The Hoosier's had put up 27 shots on goal in their last two games before tonight. It ties Indiana's previous season low of two shots on goal against Wisconsin in their regular season matchup in September.
