Ohio State concluded its series against Penn State with a 5-3 victory tonight, claiming a series sweep for the first time this season. The Nittany Lions built an early lead and held it going into the third period, but a superb final frame by the Buckeyes sealed the win for the Scarlet and Gray.
The Buckeyes began the game well. They held an early advantage in both possession and shots. However Penn State's stronger presence along the boards and behind the net turned the tide of momentum. Twice the Nittany Lions' top line worked the puck off the wall, out of Christian Frey’s reach, and into the back of the net.
| goals by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Ohio State | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
OSU narrowed the two-goal gap at the 17:15 mark. Luke Stork set up Justin DaSilva at the point. The big man showcased his sniper skills, snapping a laser by the Penn State goalie.
The Buckeye defense would continue to provide the offense. Sam Jardine banked a blue line bomb on an abbreviated power play. The goal tied the score up at 2-2. (Tip of the cap to the forwards, wrecking havoc on Skoff's sight lines during both OSU goals.)
The Nittany Lions were quick to regain their lead. Wave after wave of blue and white flooded the Buckeye net. Eventually the Penn State rush cashed in, working the puck back to Mike Williamson for a long range shot that evaded both Frey and the traffic in front of the net.
Ohio State found another gear during the second intermission. Over the final twenty minutes the Buckeyes applied relentless offensive pressure. Eventually Penn State cracked.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorer (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17:15 | Justin DaSilva (Luke Stork, Anthony Greco) |
| 2 | 4:23 | Sam Jardine - PP (Tanner Fritz, Matt Johnson) |
| 3 | 9:18 | Nick Schilkey (Matt Weis, Josh Healey) |
| 3 | 10:19 | Tanner Fritz (Josh Healey) |
| 3 | 13:35 | Nicholas Jones (Tanner Fritz) |
Nick Schilkey knotted the score with a nifty individual effort, freezing both the Penn State defender and Skoff before depositing his eighth tally of the season. Unlike previous scores there was no let up by the Bucks following this goal.
They smelled blood in the water and kept pouring on the shots. Tanner Fritz put Ohio State ahead a minute later. The senior captain collected a big bounce of the end wall and slammed it home for the game winner.
Buckeye freshman Nicholas Jones finished the feeding frenzy with his first collegiate goal, winding his way through the gassed PSU defense and beating Skoff on the blocker side. The Bucks outshot Penn State 16-5 in the third period. They also did a good job of preventing the Nittany Lions’ few shots from being high percentage ones.
With tonight’s victory Ohio State earns its first weekend sweep of 2014-15. The Bucks also win their season series against Penn State with a 3-1-0 record. Next week OSU wraps up its home schedule with a pair of games against Minnesota.
Friday’s game is set for a 5pm start. The Buckeyes will honor their outgoing seniors on Saturday. That contest is scheduled to begin at 6pm.
Lady Bucks Push UND to Three Overtimes
Ohio State women's hockey left it all on the ice this afternoon in a season-ending loss to No. 8 North Dakota. The Buckeyes went toe-to-tie with one of the hottest teams in the nation for more than 100 minutes. In the end they came up just a bit short.
| goals by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1OT | 2OT | 3OT | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| No. 8 North Dakota | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
The squads skated through nearly half of regulation before UND's Samantha Hanson solved Buckeye goalie Kassidy Sauve. Kayla Sullivan answered for Ohio State, beating the clock and NoDak netminder Shelby Amsley-Benzie in the second period. The two teams settled into a defensive battle over the final period of regulation.
Neither side budged so the teams headed for sudden death. They remained deadlocked for the next 43 minutes. The Buckeyes had the upper hand in the first overtime period, outshooting North Dakota 14-4. UND took control in the second overtime, outshooting the Bucks 14-8.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorer (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 19:22 | Kayla Sullivan (Danielle Gagne, Sara Schmitt) |
Just over three minutes into the third overtime session Amy Menke scored the game and series winner for NoDak. UND advances to the WCHA semi-finals while the Buckeyes return to Columbus disappointed, no doubt, but in no way disappointing. The lady Bucks laid it all on the line this afternoon and were simply topped by a very good opponent.
Ohio State concludes the season with a 17-16-3 record. Taylor Kuehl (10-14--24) and Claudia Kepler (7-17--24) split the team scoring title. The Buckeye netminders shared the team's net nearly straight down the middle. Kassidy Sauve finishes the season with a 1.98 GAA and .925 save percentage and Stacy Danczak boasts a 1.77 GAA and .918 save percentage.
