Prior to tonight’s contest head coach Steve Rohlik stated his belief that special teams would be the key to victory. He was right.
| goals by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska-Omaha | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Ohio State | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Nebraska-Omaha killed off all five of Ohio State’s power play chances tonight while capitalizing on two of their own man advantages. Those two goals would be the difference as the Mavs took the first half of the series by a final score of 4-1.
Senior Matt Johnson was the only Buckeye to solve UNO netminder Ryan Massa, tucking a rebound by the Mavs tender 6:32 into the third period. Matt Tomkins started in goal for the Buckeyes. He made 15 saves on the night.
The score isn’t really indicative of how Ohio State played. The Bucks dominated the shot count and faceoff wins. They hit a couple posts. With a little puck luck it could have been a completely different outcome. The Buckeyes aren’t quite there yet, but they’re definitely headed in the right direction.
Ohio State will keep pushing for progress as these teams complete the series tomorrow night at 7pm at the Schott.
The Buckeyes celebrated Military Appreciation Night at the Schott by wearing special camouflage jerseys for the game. These jerseys are now being auctioned off to benefit Defending the Blue Line. If you’re interested in bidding you can do so here.
Lady Bucks Roll in Mankato
The Ohio State women took an early lead against Minnesota State tonight and cruised to a 3-1 win.
| goals by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Minnesota State | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Sophomore defenseman Breanne Grant kicked off the scoring for the Buckeyes. Fellow sophomore Haley Studler added another goal at the 5:47 mark of the first period. The tallies were the first of the season for Grant and Studler.
Junior Julia McKinnon tickled the twine early in the third period, cementing the OSU victory. The team’s leading scorer, McKinnon now boasts five goals in the 2014-15 campaign.
Freshman goaltender Kassidy Sauve wasn’t particularly busy between the pipes. The Buckeyes outshot the Mavericks 39-17 in the game. A win is a win, though, and Sauve picks up her sixth W of the season.
Ohio State and Minnesota State square off in the series finale tomorrow afternoon.
