The men’s hockey Bucks kicked off the 2016-17 season with a bang last night, toppling No. 3/4 Denver right out of the gate. The win moved Ohio State into the Ice Breaker Tournament’s championship game where Air Force waited. The title match was a titanic struggle. Regulation was not enough time to decide a winner.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | ot | 2ot | final | so |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Air Force | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
In the opening period OSU unleashed an offensive onslaught on Air Force. The Buckeyes recorded 19 shots on goal but none got past goaltender Shane Starrett. Phil Boje was the only player to find the back of the net. His even strength marker staked AFA to a 1-0 lead, but the Buckeyes kept working. Freshman Ronnie Hein leveled the score early in the second period.
This game had a nasty edge to it throughout. Eighteen penalties were assessed during the contest including two sets of coincidental minors for roughing. Air Force turned the special teams battle to its advantage in the middle frame, jumping ahead again on a power play tally from Ben Kucera. Jordan Himley added another goal late in the period.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorers (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 3:44 | Ronnie Hein (Miguel Fidler, Josh Healey) |
| 3 | 2:44 | John Wiitala (Ronnie Hein, Tanner Laczynski) |
| 3 | 14:43 | Nick Schilkey (Dave Gust, Matt Joyaux) |
Ohio State began the final stanza on the power play. Nick Schilkey seemed to capitalize almost immediately. The score was waved off but it was only matter of time until the Bucks struck again. A few minutes later John Wiitala potted his second goal of the season.
Schilkey was not to be denied, however. The Buckeye captain fired home an equalizer with a little over five minutes remaining on the clock. The goal was not officially a man-advantage one. However the power play was a contributing factor. The puck crossed the goal line mere seconds after Air Force’s penalty expired.
OSU poured 17 shots on goal in the third period but the teams were still knotted at 3-3 when the horn sounded. In the first overtime session Air Force peppered Matt Tomkins with shots but the Buckeye goalie thwarted each attempt. The teams skated a second overtime. Still no winner was decided so they squared off in a shootout where AFA claimed the skills competition and the Ice Breaker tournament with a 1-0 shootout victory.
Ohio State outshot Air Force 52-30 in the game. Christian Frey (39:43, 15/18 saves) and Matt Tomkins (30:00, 12/12 saves) split the Buckeyes’ net duties. Neither team was terribly successful on the power play despite many opportunities. OSU went 0-for-7 with the advantage while Air Force was 1-for-7.
Although this shootout stings, overall the tournament proved that the preseason optimism regarding this Ohio State team isn't undeserved. The shootout is not recognized nationally so the Bucks' record is officially 1-0-1 after their opening weekend. That's not too shabby.
The Buckeyes continue their road warrior tour next week with a Saturday tilt at in-state rival Miami. (This is actually the first half of a home-and-home series. It’s just that OSU doesn’t host its half until New Year’s Eve.)
Buckeye Women Tie No. 1 Wisconsin
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | ot | final | sO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| No. 1 Wisconsin | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Big ups to the Ohio State women’s team which very nearly knocked off No. 1 Wisconsin today. The Buckeyes were heavily outshot in the game but held a 1-0 lead with two minutes to play thanks to a Julianna Iafallo tally and superb goaltending by Kassidy Sauve. The Badgers evened the score with a late game power play goal. Though they lost the shootout and the bonus point, the underdog Bucks held on for a regulation tie and earned their first WCHA point of the season. Next up for OSU is a road trip to Bemidji State.
