Before the season began the Big Ten opener between Ohio State and Notre Dame promised to be a top-5 barnburner of a rematch between two of the conference’s best squads. In reality, it turned out to be a quiet, cautious affair as the struggling teams needed to rebound after winless series last week.

Mason Jobst staked OSU to a 1-0 lead midway through the first period. The senior captain rang up a power play goal for his fourth tally of the season. Wyatt Ege and Gustaf Westlund assisted on the play. Besides starring on the scoreboard, Jobst shone in the faceoff circle. He won 15 of his 20 draws on the nights.

Buckeye goaltender Sean Romeo recorded his third career shutout in the win. It was by far the best result of the season for the embattled goalie who has had precious little help in his starts so far. He stopped all 23 shots in an uneventful victory. 

This wasn't a particularly exciting tilt, but it was a step in the right direction for the Bucks. They turned in one of their most consistent efforts of the season and didn't make any big, stupid mistakes. That's as important as the win.

Buckeye associate coach Steve Miller was upbeat about the team's performance. "This was our most consistent effort of the season. The guys played with heart and with a purpose. We were determined tonight and we played determined. It’s fun to get rewarded. We cleaned up our penalties and the power play came through for us. Sean played great and we played great in front of him."

For what it’s worth, Ohio State now reigns supreme atop the Big Ten standings with a 1-0-0-0 conference record. The Bucks are 4-2-1 overall. They take another shot at the Irish tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. ET. That game will be televised live on NBC Sports. 

• Shots for the game were even at 23-23.
• Collin Peters (6), Gordi Myer (3), and Gustaf Westlund (3) led Ohio State.
• The Bucks went 1-for-3 on the power play and 1-for-1 on the penalty kill.
• Ronnie Hein returned to the Buckeye lineup. Tanner Laczynski remains out.