Wisconsin tied for Big Ten lead after high-scoring win

Published Mar. 3, 2017 10:27 p.m. ET

If you like high scoring hockey games, the battle between the No. 16 Wisconsin Badgers and No. 11 Penn State Nittany Lions was a must-watch game.

The two teams combined for 11 goals, but seven of them went in the Badgers' favor en route to a 7-4 victory.

Wisconsin grabbed a 1-0 lead when Ryan Wagner found Will Johnson to open up the night's scoring with 10:48 to play in the first period. It was a lead they would hold on to the entire game.

Penn State would tie it at 1-1 and 3-3, and the Nittany Lions closed the gap once again at 5-4 with 14:48 to play in the third period.

But Wagner responded with the play of the night. The junior defenseman from Park Ridge, Ill. skated to his left and fired a shot as he was falling down that snuck past Penn State freshman goaltender Peyton Jones. Wagner would score once again with an empty netter to seal the victory for Wisconsin, 7-4.

The Badgers improve to 19-11-1 overall and 12-5 in the Big Ten. They are now tied with the Minnesota Gophers for first place in the conference after the No. 5 Gophers were upset by Michigan on Friday night in Ann Arbor.

Penn State (20-8-2, 9-7-1 Big Ten) missed a chance to move up the Big Ten standings.

Wisconsin and Penn State will square off again on Saturday night at 7 p.m. The Badgers will try to complete a sweep on the road, just like the Nittany Lions did on Feb. 10-11 at the Kohl Center.

The Badgers wrap up the Big Ten regular season with a home series against Ohio State on March 10-11.