BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Up 3-0 midway through the second period, it looked like a new chapter of Ohio State hockey would officially would be authored for the record books. But Bowling Green scored four unanswered goals in the final 32 minutes to deny Ohio State head coach Steve Rohlik his first win at the helm of the Buckeyes.
The succession of goals made 2,752 brown-and-orange-clad fans inside the BGSU Ice Arena sound like a runway at Port Columbus International Airport.
And Ohio State didn’t just lose the game, it also lost arguably its top player in center Tanner Fritz to an upper-body injury. Fritz left early in the first period and never returned. Rohlik has no timetable for Fritz’s return.
The Buckeyes’ next game is Oct. 25 against Robert Morris in Columbus.
For Ohio State, it’s time to regroup once again. They’ve been outscored 16-8 in the season’s first three games. A high number of goals haven’t just been scored against the Buckeyes, it has allowed them in bunches in a short amount of time. It’s a troubling trend for 0-3 Ohio State.
For much of the night Wednesday, Rohlik appeared poised to collect win No. 1 of his head-coaching career.
Nick Schilkey scored the first goal of his career to start the scoring, putting the Buckeyes in front 1-0 as the first period neared its end. Anthony Greco assisted on the power-play goal, as Schilkey collected the puck after the Bowling Green goalie made an ill-advised attempt at clearing it off the boards. It led to a wide-open net.
Two even-strength goals followed in the first 10 minutes of the second period, one on a 4-on-4 scoring strike. The first came via Justin DaSilva, who found the net for the first time in the young season. Eight minutes later, Darik Angeli scored with the assist from Drew Brevig, his first career point.
It was 3-0 Ohio State when the Bowling Green onslaught commenced.
The first Falcon goal came 23 seconds after an off-setting penalty. Bryce Williamson scored unassisted from the slot to finally put Bowling Green on the board. It was just one score and the Buckeyes still led 3-1, but it stole changed momentum and brought a boisterous crowd into the game. Angeli then cancelled out his goal by contributing to a power play goal with an interference penalty.
Down 3-2, a supercharged BGSU Ice Arena was just waiting to erupt.
It needed just four minutes to do so in the final period. The Falcons scored 23 seconds a part, the first by Connor Kucera on an even strength goal, before Ben Murphy gave Bowling Green the lead for good after a power-play score. Ohio State’s Al McLean tripped a Falcon in the open ice.
The Buckeyes had three power-play scoring opportunities in the final period but never converted. They played with an empty net the final 1:19. Ohio State had two looks at the net in the final 20 seconds, failing both times to get a stick on the puck.
The teams combined for 24 penalties. Ohio State goalie Tommy Burke finished with 25 saves, while Bowling Green's Matt Tomkins had 24.
