BUCKEYES TO BROWNS
Mike Hall Jr. is selected 54th overall in the second round of the NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns.
Ohio State and Michigan met for their first battle of the 2016-17 season on Friday night. The Wolverines were the definite underdogs going into the contest. However, despite a furious third period charge by the Bucks, they led wire-to-wire and claimed a 5-4 win.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| No. 11 Ohio State | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
The Buckeyes got off to a bad start in this one. They succumbed to the same vague passing and loose puckhandling that plagued the team against Wisconsin. Christian Frey had his work cut out for him in the Buckeye net because Michigan was sharp from the outset. The Wolverines were up on their toes and out-hustled the Bucks at every turn.
| buckeye goal scorers (assists) | pd | time |
|---|---|---|
| PP - Tanner Laczynski (Matt Miller, Matt Joyaux) | 2 | 10:08 |
| PP - Nick Schilkey (Mason Jobst) | 3 | 0:06 |
| Miguel Fidler (Mason Jobst, Nick Schilkey) | 3 | 0:17 |
| PP - Dakota Joshua (Gordi Myer) | 3 | 8:58 |
Michigan took full advantage of its unfocused foe. The Wolverines outshot Ohio State 33-15 in the first two periods and built up a seemingly insurmountable 5-1 lead. Cooper Marody starred for the Maize and Blue, netting his first career hat trick.
The Bucks strengthened as the game went on, gaining in energy, making crisper passes, and getting clearer looks on Wolverine goalie Hayden Lavigne. Tanner Laczynski finally put Ohio State on the board midway through the middle frame. The freshman alertly scooped up a loose puck and buried it for his seventh tally of the season.
Matt Tomkins relieved Frey in net for the third period. Early exit notwithstanding, it’s difficult to lay the blame for the Buckeyes’ 5-1 deficit at Frey’s door. Every one of Michigan’s goals was a result of the Wolverines being gifted extraordinary amounts of time and space in which to operate, not to mention passing lanes like boulevards.
As it turned out, it didn’t much matter whom was in the OSU net for the third period because most of the action took place at the other end of the ice. The Buckeyes began the third period on a power play and trailing by four goals. In just 17 seconds back-to-back strikes by Nick Schilkey and Miguel Fidler cut the deficit to two.
Ohio State kept the pedal to the floor over the final 20 minutes. The Bucks' aggressive attack generated Michigan penalties. Midway through the frame the roaring PP unit lit the Wolverines up for a third time. Dakota Joshua tipped a puck by Lavigne, narrowing the score to 5-4.
The rejuvenated Buckeyes continued to pour on the pressure throughout the final frame. They outshot Michigan 14-5 in the third period. Roughly half of those shots were legitimate scoring chances. But the Wolverines managed to stave off Ohio State’s comeback bid.
This loss hurts the Buckeyes in the Big Ten standings and the PairWise rankings. There is no sugar coating that. However the OSU team that came out for the third period looked a heck of a lot better than any another version we’ve seen lately. Three periods like that one would crush any opponent. That should bode well for the Bucks going forward.
Ohio State clashes with Michigan again tomorrow night. The Buckeyes get Josh Healey back from suspension. The game begins at 7:30 p.m. and can be viewed online with a BTN Plus subscription.
- Nick Schilkey and Tommy Parran returned to the OSU lineup tonight after missing four games each to injury.
- Mason Jobst now has at least one point in 11 consecutive games.
- The Buckeye women jumped out to an early lead this evening thanks to a Lauren Spring goal, but St. Cloud State rallied behind a superb 33 save effort by Huskies' netminder Janine Alder to defeat the Buckeyes by a final score of 3-1. Kassidy Sauve stopped 23 shots in the loss.
