Indiana wins Big Ten
The University of Indiana continued its dominance over the Big Ten by winning its 10th regular-season title in 11 years with a 4-2 home win over Ohio State University.
The two goals scored by Ohio State equal the total amount of goals scored on the Indiana team in the past seven games, while Indiana has scored 15 goals in that same span.
The win wrapped up the Big Ten regular season for the Hoosiers as they finished with a perfect 6-0 record. It is the Hoosiers’ 36th consecutive win in regular-season league play, and more importantly, the win gives Indiana the no. 1 seed for the Big Ten tournament, which is set to start three weeks from now.
No team in the Big Ten seems to be a match for the Hoosiers, as the presentation of the Big Ten tournament trophy seems like merely a formality for the juggernaut.
No. 2 in the nation, the team has extended its winning streak to nine games as it hasn’t lost or tied a game in close to two months.
The Hoosiers remain a serious contender to win the National Championship, which begins in December, as this year’s team looks to be the strongest team Indiana has fielded since winning the national title in 1998.
Big Ten Tournament
UW’s upcoming Big Ten clash with Michigan State University Sunday in East Lansing holds big implications for the Big Ten tournament seedings.
The Spartans are holding onto second place in the league with a 3-2 record. Trailing right behind the Spartans are Penn State, 3-3, and Ohio State, 2-2. A second-place finish would mean avoiding a potential clash with either of these two teams for the Spartans. Indiana University, the no. 1 seed, looks certain to make the finals and win the tournament as no Big Ten team has really challenged it this year.
A finals appearance for the Spartans would boost their likelihood of receiving an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament to be held in December.
Likewise, for the Badgers this game also has a great deal of importance. The team currently stands with a 1-3 Big Ten record, tied with Michigan University and one game ahead of conference cellar-dwellers Northwestern, 0-3.
With a win against Michigan State, the Badgers will guarantee that they will avoid receiving the lowest seed in the conference tournament. A loss, however, sets up a match the following week against Northwestern that will likely decide who will get the bottom seed for the tournament and win a first-round date with Indiana University, who has beaten these three teams by a combined score of 8-2 this year, including a 5-1 win over the Badgers.
Two different seasons
With a team of new players and coaches, the Badgers look to have a season of change from their recent hard times of seasons past.
After starting the season 6-2 and reaching as high in the polls as No.20, the Badgers have gone 2-7 since. Starting fast only to sink is a perplexing trend that continues to plague the Badgers year after year, and this year is no different.
The Big Ten season has been especially rough for the team, as it has gone 1-3 in conference play.
UW will have three more opportunities to get back on the right track with two more Big Ten games and a regular-season clash against intrastate-rival Marquette before the Big Ten conference tournament begins Nov. 14 at State College in Pennsylvania.
