Ohio State men’s hockey proved once again that it can compete with the best the NCAA has to offer. Through two and a half periods on Friday the Buckeyes contained No. 14 Penn State. Unfortunately, the Bucks also proved once again that they’re susceptible to a comeback.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | ot | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 14 Penn State | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Ohio State | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
The first period was a grind with heavy traffic along the walls and in front of the nets. Quality scoring chances were few and far between. Neither team gained an edge at even strength.
At the 9:37 mark, the officials assessed the game’s first penalty. Penn State quickly proved why it is so dangerous on the kill. The aggressive Nittany Lion defenders picked off a Buckeye pass. Andrew Sturtz led a 3-on-1 rush to the Ohio State cage, shooting and beating OSU goalie Christian Frey.
The Bucks’ power play went back to work and knotted the score almost immediately. Mason Jobst pushed the puck through the PSU line. The home team moved the puck swiftly around the zone. Craig Dalrymple fired a shot on Nits netminder Matthew Skoff. It was stopped, but Josh Healey was in an ideal position to clean up the rebound.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorers (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11:31 | PP - Josh Healey (Craig Dalrymple, Dave Gust) |
| 2 | 18:37 | Nick Schilkey (Drew Brevig, Matt Weis) |
The opening frame was dead on the teams’ statistic averages. Penn State led 15-10 in shots on goal. Each team scored once. The Buckeyes flipped the script in the second period.
Ohio State outshot the Nittany Lions 17-9 in the middle minutes. Dogged work by the Buckeyes eventually paid off as their scoring chances slowly increased in quality and frequency. Near the end of the period, they broke through.
As Skoff and the PSU defenders scrambled to recover from an OSU rush, Drew Brevig moved the puck out to Nick Schilkey on the blue line. The junior tickled the twine with his team-leading eleventh goal of the season. Though he wasn’t credited with an official assist on the play, Luke Stork was a contributing factor in the goal, screening Skoff.
Though it initially looked like the Bucks would make this score stand up, the Nittany Lions came roaring back. With less than five minutes to play Kevin Kerr drew Penn State even. The Ohio State defenders failed to pick up the freshman as he crashed the net and scored his first collegiate goal.
The re-energized Penn State squad swarmed the net in the overtime session. At the 2:32 mark the Nittany Lions completed their comeback. The game winning goal was very similar to the game tying goal, only this time it was Alec Marsh getting the credit.
After the helter-skelter Michigan series, it was good to see the Buckeyes settle in and play some all-around solid hockey. For 55 minutes, anyway. Of course another blown lead casts a pall on the otherwise good outing.
The series continues tomorrow night. Opening faceoff is set for 7pm. Game promotions include the celebration of Pride Night and a postgame meet and greet with select Ohio State players.
- Other Big Ten results: No. 6 Michigan defeated the U.S. National Development Program’s U-18 team 5-2 in an exhibition match.
Women Tie Minnesota State, Claim Shootout Point
It wasn’t exactly a win, but it wasn’t a loss either. The Ohio State women’s hockey team put an end to its losing streak with a tie at Minnesota State this afternoon. The Buckeyes prevailed in the shootout, claiming the moral victory and an extra conference point.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | ot | final | so |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Minnesota State | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
Leading scorer Kendall Curtis cashed in on a power play opportunity late in the opening period, putting the Bucks on the board first. A minute later, Erin Langermeier increased Ohio State’s advantage with an even strength tally.
Minnesota State rallied. The Mavericks chipped away at OSU’s lead. Emily Antony potted a goal in the second period. Jordan McLaughlin scored the equalizer at 13:45 of the third.
Melani Moylan pushed the Scarlet and Gray ahead gain with less than five minutes to play in the game. But a late power play marker from Amanda Martin tied the score and forced overtime. Neither squad found the back of the net in the extra time so the game is recorded as a tie by the NCAA.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorers (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18:31 | PP - Kendall Curtis (Claudia Kepler) |
| 1 | 19:48 | Erin Langermeier (Katie Matheny, Cara Zubko) |
| 3 | 15:22 | Melani Moylan (Julia McKinnon) |
Ohio State and Minnesota State then squared off in a shootout, vying for the WCHA’s bonus point. The Bucks claimed it with a 2-1 decision. Curtis and Julianna Iafallo converted tries for OSU. Minnesota State’s Anna Keys was the only Maverick shooter to defeat Alex LaMere.
The teams face each other again tomorrow afternoon. That game is set to begin at 3pm ET. It can be viewed online through Minnesota State’s website.
