So this is how 2016 ends, not with a bang but a whimper. After running up an impressive record through the first half of the season, Ohio State men’s hockey began the second half and ended the calendar year with a disappointing 6-3 loss to in-state rival Miami.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| No. 9/10 Ohio State | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
The early stages of the game carried no hint of the eventual outcome. The Buckeyes got off to a fantastic start. Tommy Parran netted the team’s first goal just nine seconds after the opening faceoff.
Mason Jobst chipped in another OSU tally midway through the first period. It looked as though the Bucks would head into the intermission with a healthy two goal lead. Then Miami’s Josh Melnick nicked Christian Frey with five seconds to go, sending Ohio State to the break with only a 2-1 advantage.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorers (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0:09 | Tommy Parran (Josh Healey, Nick Schilkey) |
| 1 | 9:17 | Mason Jobst (unassisted) |
| 2 | 17:25 | PP-Dave Gust (Nick Schilkey, Mason Jobst) |
The teams traded scores in the middle frame. Carson Meyer potted a RedHawks goal in the early going. Dave Gust notched his eleventh marker of the season late in the period, capitalizing on a Buckeye power play. OSU retained its one goal lead heading into the final stanza.
But the wheels came flying off for the Scarlet and Gray in the third period. For 12:03 the Bucks’ 3-2 advantage held up despite steady fire from the RedHawks. Then Gordie Green struck with a power play equalizer for Miami. Kiefer Sherwood added back-to-back goals. In a shade over three minutes Ohio State toppled from a one goal lead into a two goal hole.
It was a blow from which the Buckeyes would not recover. Scott Dornbrock threw in an empty netter for the RedHawks, making the final damage 6-3. Miami outshot Ohio State 29-15 in the contest, a total which includes a 14-1 margin in the third period.
After the game Steve Rohlik spoke plainly about what went wrong for his team: "We didn't take care of the puck, we didn't play with a sense of urgency. When you're playing a very good hockey team you have to bring it. There's no excuse. There's no excuse of being off that long - they were off too. They continued to plug away and they were the better team, especially in the third period."
Captain Nick Schilkey echoed his coach’s sentiments, saying “We put ourselves in a good situation - lucky bounces or not - but we were up 2-0. That's the time to make simple, smart plays and buckle down and for some reason we didn't do that tonight and it came back to bite us."
OSU drops to 9-3-4 with the loss. The team is going to take a hit in the rankings and the Pairwise this week. It stings but, as long as it isn’t the beginning of a major downturn, this loss shouldn’t hurt the Bucks much in the long run. They can easily regain whatever ground they lost today with a good Big Ten run.
The Buckeyes do need better results next week against No. 3 Penn State, though. The Nittany Lions are currently the top dogs in the B1G. They roll into Columbus looking to continue their red hot 13-1-1 start. Games are scheduled for Friday at 7pm and Saturday at 8pm.
Update from the World Juniors
Tanner Laczynski and Team USA (4-0-0-0) secured the top spot in Group B on Saturday with a victory over arch-rival Canada. The Americans now head to the single elimination quarterfinals where they will face the fourth place finisher from Group A, Switzerland (0-2-0-2). Their match is scheduled for Monday at 5:30 p.m. The game will air live on NHL Network.
Around the Big Ten
Ohio State isn’t the only B1G team shuffling into the second half of the season. Michigan and Michigan State were both losers in their opening games at the Great Lakes Invitational. The teams faced each other in a consolation contest. The Spartans forced overtime with a three goal third period, but the Wolverines recovered for a 5-4 overtime win. Minnesota rolled through sub-.500 teams Mercyhurst and Massachusetts to claim a Mariucci Classic victory.
