Apparently sixty minutes just isn’t enough when it comes to Ohio State and Minnesota’s war on the ice. The teams battled to overtime in both games of December’s series. On Friday the first half of their rematch also needed bonus hockey.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | OT | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Ohio State | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
Midway through the first period, Tyler Lundey and Christian Lampasso hooked up to put the Buckeyes on the board. Lundey threaded a pass through traffic with a surgeon’s precision. Lampasso had only to direct it home, which he did.
Minnesota’s Justin Kloos knotted the score with an impressive solo effort. He skillfully maneuvered Janik Moser into position, used the Buckeye defenseman as a screen, and sniped the game tying tally.
The teams skated into the second period tied up at 1-1. The Gophers began to control the game and the pace picked up substantially. They surged ahead the 3:28 mark. Leon Bristedt took advantage of an Ohio State turnover to net a swift goal.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorers (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10:01 | Christian Lampasso (Tyler Lundey, Tommy Parran) |
| 3 | 1:15 | PP - Dave Gust (Matt Weis, Nick Schilkey) |
| 3 | 3:22 | PP - Dakota Joshua (Anthony Greco, Josh Healey) |
| 3 | 19:59 | EA - Matt Weis (Nick Schilkey, John Wiitala) |
Goaltenders Eric Schierhorn and Christian Frey stole the show (along with all the pucks) in the latter half of the frame. Frey’s best play came as he stoned Bristedt. Schierhorn made several highlight reel stops. His stick save on Anthony Greco’s one-timer should make the plays of the week.
The teams’ scorers reclaimed the stage in third period. They fired off five goals in the final twenty minutes. Matt Weis set up Dave Gust on an early power play chance. The Bucks’ leading scorer teed off like a boss, drawing OSU even with the Gophers.
Within minutes another man advantage and the swift mitts of Dakota Joshua put the home team ahead. Minnesota had an equally quick response. Tommy Novak capitalized on another Buckeye turnover deep in the defensive zone.
The goal triggered another Minnesota surge, which Frey weathered with a little help from the iron. Not to be outdone, Schierhorn added another flashy save to his portfolio, stacking the pads to thwart Greco again.
Ohio State’s defense attempted to slow the breakneck pace of the game by ramping up the physicality. That plan backfired. Big checks opened up unexpected gaps which Minnesota used to its advantage. Sheehy gave the visitors a 4-3 lead, shooting into an essentially empty net. Frey had little to no shot at a stop.
As the clock wound down the Buckeyes continued to trail, Steve Rohlik pulled Frey and sent the extra attacker out. Ohio State’s players swarmed the net, desperately trying for the game tying tally. Matt Weis delivered it with fractions of a second remaining on the clock.
The good vibes of the thrilling comeback were dampened by Minnesota’s overtime game winner. Late in the extra frame Frey kicked a rebound out directly to Kloos. The Gopher fired it right back and Frey wasn’t able to recover in time to deny it.
Ohio State and Minnesota have played three games this season. All three have gone to overtime. Will tomorrow’s tilt need the extra session as well? Opening faceoff is set for 7pm ET.
- The Buckeye women also fell a bit short tonight, losing to Bemidji State 3-1. Lauren Boyle scored Ohio State's lone goal. Goalie Alex LaMere stopped 42 shots.
- Other Big Ten results: Penn State defeated Michigan State by a final score of 6-1. Michigan downed Wisconsin, 4-1.
