Ohio State’s first foray into Big Ten play was certainly an eventful one. A furious comeback by the Golden Gophers wiped out an excellent start by the Scarlet and Gray. Minnesota prevailed in overtime.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Minnesota | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
The Buckeyes were ready to go right from the opening faceoff, using their speed and the big ice at Mariucci Arena to their advantage. The excellent early groove paid off in the first goal of the game. Josh Healey, floating along the blue line, received the puck from Dakota Joshua. The defender timed his shot perfectly to navigate a mass of humanity in front of Minnesota rookie goalie Eric Schierhorn.
The Gophers responded with increased intensity. For the most part Ohio State kept pace with the home team. Minnesota got a few clean looks at Christian Frey but the netminder, making his fourth start of the 2015-16 campaign, stood tall.
The tempo remained high in the middle frame and the Buckeyes added to their lead. Matt Weis forced an early turnover. His breakaway attempt was foiled but the momentum generated by the chance drew a Minnesota penalty. The OSU power play unit made quick work of the advantage. A fortunate bounce and a gaping net resulted in Nick Schilkey’s eighth marker of the season.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorers (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8:53 | Josh Healey (Dakota Joshua, Freddy Gerard) |
| 2 | 3:06 | PP - Nick Schilkey (Matt Weis, Dave Gust) |
Ohio State had numerous scoring chances over the remaining minutes of the second period. Weis created another breakaway chance. The Bucks earned two more power play opportunities. Several times a third goal seemed imminent for the Scarlet and Gray, but every shot was thwarted by Schierhorn’s Herculean effort in the Minnesota net.
The rookie netminder clearly inspired the Gopher comeback. His teammates ratcheted up the pressure as the third period began. Frey took heavy fire throughout the final twenty minutes. He and the Bucks managed to hold off Minnesota at equal strength but a pair of penalties (and lackluster kills) doomed the team. Tyler Sheehy and Tommy Novak each scored with the advantage, knotting the score at two all.
Minnesota’s momentum carried into the extra time. Ohio State got off one decent rush. Then the Gophers turned the play back up the ice, skated around the increasingly stationary Buckeye defenders, and set up Hudson Fasching for the game winning goal.
The home team finished with a 40-28 edge in shots, including a whopping 15-6 mark in the third period. OSU went 1-for-3 on the power play. The Gophers were 2-for-3 with the advantage.
It’s tempting to throw the baby out with the crappy third period bathwater. However, it is worth remembering that the Buckeyes’ first forty minutes were pretty good ones. Ohio State was one Schierhorn slip up and/or a penalty kill from victory.
Be honest. At the end of October, if someone said this team would take the Gophers to overtime you’d have called them crazy. Chin up, buttercup. The Big Ten isn't lost yet. The Bucks look to bounce back tomorrow night when the teams wrap up their series. The puck drops at 8pm ET and the game is set to air live on ESPNews.
- Other Big Ten opening night results: Penn State defeats Michigan State 4-2 and Michigan downs Wisconsin 6-4.
