Heading into tonight’s contest against No. 14 Penn State, there were questions about the ability of the men’s hockey Buckeyes to finish out a game. A few of those questions were answered tonight. Ohio State scored goals in every period and turned in a superb special teams effort as the team cruised to victory over the Nittany Lions.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 14 Penn State | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Ohio State | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
Ohio State was hopping early in this one. Smart passing and gaps in the Penn State defense brought the Bucks right to the doorstep of goaltender Eamon McAdam. Craig Dalrymple took advantage of one of these scoring opportunities. With traffic swirling in front of the net, the Buckeye captain sighted a clear line and fired past the ear of McAdam.
The Nittany Lions’ offense built slowly but by the midpoint of the frame they tipped the ice in their favor. All the scoring chances were coming from Penn State sticks. OSU goalie Christian Frey stood tall, stopping every one of the 16 shots he saw in the opening twenty minutes.
PSU’s push continued in the second period. Scoring chances were scarce but the better quality ones went the way of the Nits. Frey kept the net clear. Eventually his teammates rallied to provide him some breathing room.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorers (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3:30 | Craig Dalrymple (Brendon Kearney, Tyler Lundey) |
| 2 | 11:33 | SH - Nick Schilkey (unassisted) |
| 2 | 16:33 | Miguel Fidler (Tyler Lundey, Drew Brevig) |
| 3 | 13:10 | PP - Mason Jobst (Carig Dalrymple) |
| 3 | 15:23 | EN - Dakota Joshua (unassisted) |
The visitors headed to the power play at the 9:55 mark. As the Nittany Lions regrouped in their own end and started back up the ice, pressure from Anthony Greco forced the puck carrier into a hasty pass. Nick Schilkey intercepted it, took it to the net, and scored shorthanded.
The Buckeyes extended their lead further yet. After a long shot in from the blue line, the Scarlet and Gray descended on McAdam en masse. The goalie kicked out a rebound that freshman Miguel Fidler swatted right back. The goal was the first collegiate tally for the Florida Panthers’ prospect.
Ohio State headed to the third period with a 3-0 advantage. Penn State threatened in the final frame. This time, though, the Buckeyes mustered the killer instinct needed to secure victory.
The game was in the balance as Eric Scheid rattled a goal in off the post early in the third period. Then a big Josh Healey hit gave the Nittany Lions a five minute power play. However OSU’s penalty killers did a masterful job of denying Penn State not only a second goal but any momentum whatsoever.
Mason Jobst ran the Buckeye lead to 4-1 by converting the team’s only power play chance of the night. The freshman juked Kevin Kerr out of his shorts at the blue line. He also left McAdam sans pantalones as he scored his sixth goal of the season.
Penn State made a last ditch effort to climb back into the game, pulling McAdam for the extra attacker with five minutes to play. Ohio State had victory in sight, though. Dakota Joshua nailed an empty netter to cement the win and three big Big Ten points for the Scarlet and Gray.
Special teams were fantastic tonight. The penalty killers were a perfect 2-for-2 including the major and Schilkey’s shorthanded goal. The power play was also flawless at 1-for-1. Frey picked up his fourth W of the season with 33 saves on 34 shots.
The Bucks look to build on this excellent outing next week when they welcome the struggling Spartans to the Schott. Games are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday and 7:00 p.m. Saturday. Friday’s game will air live on Big Ten Network.
