The last time Dakota Joshua and Brendon Kearney were on the ice against Michigan they skated out the final disappointing seconds of an 8-6 loss. Then, as the bad rivalry blood boiled over, they were caught up in a postgame tussle which resulted in multiple suspensions.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| No. 6 Michigan | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
When the Bucks and Wolverines met again on Friday, Joshua and Kearney were once again a big part of the narrative. This time, though, instead of leaving the ice in frustration and headed for suspension, they skated off victoriously as the freshmen class powered the Scarlet and Gray to a 7-4 upset of No. 6 Michigan.
Michigan took the early lead with a J.T. Compher power play goal. Alex Kile extended the Wolverines’ advantage at the 8:21 mark. They would not enjoy that advantage for long.
A minute later, Dakota Joshua used his big frame to carve out a patch of ice in front of the net. Tommy Parran threw the puck on goal. Joshua was ready and waiting for the rebound. Brendon Kearney picked up the secondary assist on the goal, making it a wholly freshman-generated tally.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorers (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9:43 | Dakota Joshua (Tommy Parran, Brendon Kearney) |
| 1 | 14:01 | Josh Healey (Tommy Parran, Tyler Lundey) |
| 1 | 19:43 | PP - John Wiitala (Mason Jobst, Matt Weis) |
| 2 | 8:35 | Kevin Miller (Sasha Larocque) |
| 2 | 8:57 | Brendon Kearney (Kevin Miller) |
| 2 | 19:09 | PP - Drew Brevig (Matt Weis, Nick Schilkey) |
| 3 | 18:48 | EN - Freddy Gerard (unassisted) |
With six minutes to play in the opening period Josh Healey potted the equalizer. Tyler Lundey won a faceoff cleanly back to the defense. The big Albertan ripped his fifth goal of the season, tying the game at 2-2.
Ohio State wasn’t finished. A Mason Jobst breakaway resulted in a Michigan penalty. The Buckeyes went to the power play with 69 seconds remaining in the period. They only needed 53 for excellent puck movement to end with a John Wiitala tap-in.
The second period started with a spectacular save by Christian Frey. As Alex Kile skated in uncontested, he fired a shot which seemed to get by Frey’s outstretched glove. Not giving up on the play, the Buckeye goalie flung his body around in some kind of whirling ninja tornado move and managed to swat the puck away before it entered the net.
That was the best look Michigan would have in the frame as Ohio State dominated the second period. The Bucks outshot the Wolverines 15-5. They also padded their lead with an additional three scores.
Kevin Miller let loose a sharp angle shot from along the wall. Perhaps distracted by Joshua’s presence in front of the net, Wolverine goalie Steve Racine failed to stop it. Rookie defenseman Sasha Larocque started the play with a neutral zone take away, making the goal the second all-freshman score of the night for the Buckeyes.
The frosh class contributed another tally 22 seconds later. A scramble ensued around the Michigan net. As Racine and the Wolverine defenders stood, looking for the puck, Kearney deposited his second goal of the season. Zach Nagelvoort relieved Racine in net.
The Bucks converted an extended power play opportunity in the final minute of the period. Another display of crisp puck movement opened a lane for Drew Brevig. The blue liner blasted Ohio State’s sixth goal of the game.
Michigan threatened early in the third period. Tony Calderone scored in opening minutes. The tally made the score 6-3. The Wolverines appeared to draw even closer at the 7:21 mark, but Frey successfully argued that he was interfered with and the officials waved the potential goal off.
Calderone would make the 6-4 score stick later with a power play goal midway through a five minute man-advantage. However the Buckeyes killed off the rest of the major and did not allow Michigan another score. Freddy Gerard banked in an empty netter in the final minutes of the game to seal a 7-4 Ohio State victory.
The Buckeyes’ team-wide defensive effort was commendable in the win. Michigan’s scoring chances were few and far between. The Wolverine’s high-flying top line was effectively neutralized, scoring only one goal. The team’s composure was also noteworthy. The Bucks did not allow themselves to be riled and, with the exception of Larocque’s major, did not take a bad penalty.
The teams travel on Saturday. The series concludes on Sunday with a tilt at Nationwide. Opening faceoff is set for 3pm.
Highlights (of goals) | Highlight (of Frey's ninja tornado save)
- Ohio State outshot Michigan 31-28 in the contest.
- OSU’s freshmen accounted for five of the team’s seven goals. Eight rookies recorded a point.
- Christian Frey made 24 saves in his seventh victory of the year. Racine and Nagelvoort split 24 stops for the Wolverines.
- The Buckeyes were 2-for-3 on the power play and 2-for-4 on the penalty kill.
- Other Big Ten Hockey results: Penn State defeats Wisconsin by a final score of 2-1. Minnesota skates by Michigan State, 4-2.
