The 20-year drought is over. No. 1 Ohio State picked up its first NCAA tournament win since 1998, downing No. 4 Princeton in a first-round matchup. The Buckeyes’ top line figured heavily in the victory. Goaltender Sean Romeo came within seconds of a shutout win.
| Scoring by Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 4 Princeton | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| No. 1 Ohio State | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
The teams started cautiously. The pace of the game remained slow through the first ten minutes. Then OSU's reconfigured top line, Mason Jobst sliding up to center Freddy Gerard and Tanner Laczynski, generated a three-on-one. And the Bucks were off and running.
Jobst manufactured the team's opening goal, first by drawing the Tigers into a penalty and then by tickling the twine with his twentieth tally of the season. Extensive (some might say excessive) passing opened an alley for the Buckeye captain. He sniped it right down the lane for a 1-0 lead.
.@OhioState_MHKY takes advantage of the power play!
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 24, 2018
Mason Jobst lights the lamp to make it 1-0 Buckeyes.#NCAAHockey pic.twitter.com/k59ORGdypk
In less time than it's taking for you to read about it, Ohio State doubled its advantage. Ronnie Hein spied Kevin Miller driving to the net. Hein fed the puck to the senior forward and he punched it in for a 2-0 edge, only 20 seconds after the last score.
...20 seconds later and Kevin Miller scores to give @OhioState_MHKY a 2-goal advantage!#NCAAHockey pic.twitter.com/ekfz1pvj9P
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 24, 2018
The game wouldn’t see its next goal for another 30:03. However, the action on the ice was intense. Special teams took center stage in the latter part of the first period and throughout the second. Dakota Joshua shone for the Scarlet and Gray on the penalty kill.
Joshua slipped behind the Tigers for a shorthanded breakaway nearly every time OSU’s PK unit took the ice. He also took a shot to the noggin as the frustrated Tiger power play tired of chasing him down. The illegal hit brought an end to Princeton defenseman Josh Teves’ day, but fortunately for the Bucks, Joshua was none the worse for wear.
The ensuing major power play passed in underwhelming fashion. Ohio State did not orchestrate one decent look in the five-minute advantage. This successful penalty kill briefly gave the Tigers some life. Sean Romeo was called upon several times to make tough saves. The Buckeye goalie handled them coolly and soon enough his teammates regained their momentum.
The Scarlet and Gray finished the second period on a strong note. Joshua made another drive to the net and Brendon Kearney kissed the crossbar with seconds left on the clock. Early in the third period, the Bucks increased their lead. Jobst led the top line’s charge into the offensive zone. Laczynski ended it by jamming in the Buckeyes’ third goal of the game.
It's 3-0 Ohio State!
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 24, 2018
After a scoreless second period, Tanner Laczynski puts it in the back of the net for @OhioState_MHKY.#NCAAHockey pic.twitter.com/envuo9u4i0
OSU’s new top trio didn’t stop there. Jobst liberated the puck from a Princeton player with a one-handed chop and started the rush back into the Tigers’ end. The puck rang around the end wall and came to Gerard. He quickly swiped it toward the net where it sailed past a surprised Ryan Ferland. Ohio State led 4-0 with 9:12 to play.
IT'S FOUR!
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) March 24, 2018
The floodgates are opening for @OhioState_MHKY in this third period as Freddy Gerard adds to the lead.#NCAAHockey pic.twitter.com/8yTy0AeUpX
This third period surge turned out to be crucial. Lax defense and a lack of focus on the part of the Buckeyes hung Romeo out to dry in the final minute of the game. Princeton potted two quick goals inside the last 30 seconds. Luckily for the Bucks, it was too little, too late.
Following the game, OSU head coach Steve Rohlik expressed his pleasure with the result but was candid about his team's performance. "Certainly, we are excited to be able to continue to move on. We got a few good bounces tonight and it was nice to get the lead. We are a better hockey team when we get the lead, and I thought our guys did just enough tonight to get the win.”
By a 4-2 margin, Ohio State advances to the Midwest regional final where the Buckeyes will face No. 2 Denver. The Pioneers crushed No. 3 Penn State, 5-1, in the other Midwest semifinal. The outcome was never in doubt as they led from the outset and outshot the Nittany Lions, 42-27. The line of Jarid Lukosevicius, Henrik Borgstrom, and Troy Terry combined to score four goals and three assists.
The regional final takes place Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET. It airs live on ESPNU and can be streamed in the United States via WatchESPN and in Canada with TSNGo.
Around the Regionals
West Regional: No. 4 Air Force defeated No. 1 St. Cloud State, 4-1. No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth downed No. 2 Minnesota State, 3-2, in overtime. UMD topped Air Force, 2-1, in the regional final. The Bulldogs advance to the Frozen Four.
East Regional: No. 1 Notre Dame squeaked by No. 4 Michigan Tech, 4-3, in overtime. No. 2 Providence defeated No. 3 Clarkson, 1-0. The Fighting Irish prevailed in the regional final. Dylan Malmquist netted the game winning goal with 27 seconds left in regulation, sending UND to the Frozen Four.
Northeast Regional: No. 4 Boston University took out No. 1 Cornell, 3-1. No. 2 Michigan topped No. 3 Northeastern, 3-2. The regional final is on Sunday.
- OSU outshot Princeton, 28-25, with Dakota Joshua (5) and Freddy Gerard (4) leading the Bucks.
- Joshua also led the Buckeyes on the faceoff dot. He was 16-8 on his draws.
- Ohio State went 1-for-6 on the power play. Princeton was 1-for-7.
- Check out the official boxscore here.
- Your Buckeye scorers were as follows. First period: Mason Jobst (Tanner Laczynski, Wyatt Ege) PPG at 13:32, Kevin Miller (Ronnie Hein, Matt Joyaux) at 13:52. Third period: Tanner Laczynski (Freddy Gerard) at 3:55, Freddy Gerard (Luke Stork) at 10:48.
