Ohio State didn’t skate away with a victory against No. 6 Nebraska-Omaha tonight. However the team did display a number of positives which bode well for the start of the Big Ten schedule next week. The Buckeyes are becoming a dangerous team.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| No. 6 Nebraska-Omaha | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Both sides began the game with energy. The first period ticked off at a fast pace, up and down the ice. Special teams didn’t even slow things down much. There were as many shorthanded chances as decent power play shots. Goaltenders Christian Frey and UNO’s Evan Weninger stood tall and turned aside every shot they faced.
The Mavericks broke through early in the second period. Just over a minute in Luc Snuggerud snuck a puck through traffic and past Frey. David Pope increased Omaha’s lead at the 6:43 mark, finishing a feed from Austin Ortega.
In both cases, Ohio State responded immediately with a furious charge to the Mavs’ net. Weninger managed to fend off the Bucks (with a few assists from the UNO defenders). OSU continued its assault through the frame, outshooting Nebraska-Omaha 16-13, but was unsuccessful in solving the Maverick goaltender.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorer (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 12:53 | PP - Craig Dalrymple (Anthony Greco, Dakota Joshua) |
The Buckeyes’ hard work was finally rewarded midway through the third period. Craig Dalrymple followed up an Anthony Greco shot, potting the rebound and drawing Ohio State within a goal of Omaha. The Scarlet and Gray pulled Frey for the extra attacker as time wound down, but the rally would fall a bit short. Ortega sealed the Mavericks’ tenth win of the season with an empty net tally.
Though it is another tick in the loss column, tonight’s game was no black mark on OSU’s record. The Bucks were on pace early in the game and sustained that energy throughout the contest. They consistently created scoring chances and were fairly disciplined to boot, taking three penalties to Nebraska-Omaha’s seven.
The Buckeyes outshot the Mavericks 35-33 in the game. The only real unpleasant stat is that the Buckeyes were just 1-for-7 with the man advantage. While you would like to see the team rewarded with a better result, if Ohio State continues to on this path the results are going to come. They might even come tomorrow night when OSU and UNO conclude their series.
