| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 5/4 Minnesota | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| No. 12/13 Ohio State | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
Au revoir, Gopher. (Yes, I am going to say it every time.) No. 12/13 Ohio State persevered in a tough contest against No. 5/4 Minnesota. The win improved the Bucks’ record to 14-7-6 overall, boosted the team’s tournament resume, and tightened the race for the Big Ten crown.
The first period unfolded almost perfectly for Ohio State. The Buckeyes held decided territorial and possession advantages. After 20 minutes, the good guys owned a 2-0 lead. Tanner Laczynski started the scoring, threading a pass to Matt Weis who hammered home the Bucks’ first goal. The score was not pictured in BTN's highlight package, but it was preserved for you on Twitter.
Laczynski set up Matthew Weis for the Buckeyes' first goal of the game. https://t.co/1fCMhOd5bW #GoBucks
— Ohio State M Hockey (@OhioState_MHKY) February 11, 2017
Nick Schilkey stretched the OSU lead to 2-0 with a highlight reel tally. Words do not do it justice. (I know you already saw it in the highlight package. Watch it again. It's that good.)
Highlight reel goal for Nick Schilkey's 21st tally of the year. https://t.co/okzFqmE9Xx #GoBucks
— Ohio State M Hockey (@OhioState_MHKY) February 11, 2017
The euphoria from Schilkey’s goal evaporated immediately. After scoring, the captain tripped and went hard into the end wall. He was helped from the ice and, although he did return to the bench, he skated only limited minutes at even strength for the remainder of the game.
| buckeye goal scorers (assists) | pd | time |
|---|---|---|
| Matt Weis (Tanner Laczynski) | 1 | 7:58 |
| Nick Schilkey (Mason Jobst, Sasha Larocque) | 1 | 16:55 |
| Kevin Miller (Brendon Kearney, Josh Healey) | 2 | 11:04 |
| PP - Mason Jobst (Nick Schilkey, Dave Gust) | 3 | 3:47 |
| Tanner Laczynski (Sasha Larocque, Matt Weis) | 3 | 15:07 |
Minnesota clawed its way back into the game in the middle frame. The Gophers capitalized on their best opportunities. They reeled off the next three goals to take a 3-2 edge on the scoreboard.
Brent Gates Jr. took advantage of a defensive mix up to convert a power play. Rem Pitlick caught OSU goalie Matt Tomkins unprepared with a breakaway shot. Vinni Lettieri boosted Minnesota into the lead with a sniper’s goal, firing through a gap in the Buckeye defense and over the shoulder of Tomkins.
Ohio State’s fourth line put a halt to the Minnesota assault. The Gophers enjoyed their lead for less than a minute before the Bucks’ fourth line answered with a game tying score. Brendon Kearney snapped off a pass to Kevin Miller who knotted the score at 3-3.
The special teams battle heated up in the third period, a battle which was won decisively by the Buckeyes. Ohio State went on its first man-advantage of the game with a little over 16 minutes to play. The Buckeye power play unit needed only seconds to light the lamp. Schilkey set up Mason Jobst with a cross ice pass that Jobst one-timed for a 4-3 Buckeye lead.
The Bucks’ special teams struck again at the 15:07 mark. With the teams skated 4-on-4 Sasha Larocque fed Laczynski for the freshman’s eighth goal of the season. The tally increased OSU’s lead to 5-3 and would eventually be the game winner.
Minnesota pulled Schierhorn for the extra attacker in the late minutes of the game. Justin Kloos drew the Gophers within a goal of the Buckeyes but Tomkins came up with some timely saves. The senior netminder preserved a 5-4 victory for the Scarlet and Gray.
The Bucks and Gophers conclude their regular season series tomorrow night at 8pm ET. The game will once again air live on BTN. It can also be streamed via BTN2Go.
- Check out the full boxscore of tonight's game here.
- In other Big Ten results: Penn State topped Wisconsin, 6-3. Michigan and Michigan State played to a 4-4 tie. The Wolverines claimed the extra shootout point.
- The B1G standings are now as follows: Minnesota and Wisconsin (24 points), Penn State (19), Ohio State (17), Michigan (10), Michigan State (5).
Buckeye Women Rally to Tie Minnesota State, fall in Shootout
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | ot | final | so |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota State | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Ohio State | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
Ohio State’s women ran into a red hot goaltender on Friday evening as OSU and MSU played to a 1-1 draw. Maverick goalie Brianna Quade fended off 40 shots, including 18 in the third period. Kassidy Sauve made 24 stops in the Buckeye net.
| Buckeye goal scorers (assist) | pd | time |
|---|---|---|
| Maddy Field (Rebecca Freiburger) | 3 | 15:14 |
| Julianna Iafallo | SO | |
| Lauren Spring | SO | |
| Lauren Boyle | SO |
Demi Gardner netted a first period power play goal for the visitors. Maddy Field provided the equalizer for the Bucks with five minutes to go in regulation. Minnesota State prevailed in the shootout where 10 rounds were needed to decide a winner. Julianna Iafallo, Lauren Spring, and Lauren Boyle each tallied for Ohio State.
The teams meet again tomorrow afternoon at 1pm ET. The Buckeyes will honor seniors Breanne Grant and Katie Matheny prior to the opening faceoff. Fans not attending the game can stream it live online with a Buckeye Vision subscription.
