The hockey Bucks’ victory on Friday officially locked Ohio State and Michigan State into the fourth and fifth spots in Big Ten. When the teams met again in Saturday’s regular season finale there was nothing to play for except bragging rights. The Spartans claimed those by a slim margin.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | ot | final | so |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Michigan State | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Michigan State was strong out of the gate once again. At 3:45 of the first period Thomas Ebbing found himself alone in front of the Buckeye net. He corralled a hard pass and lifted the puck past goaltender Christian Frey.
The Buckeyes struggled to generate a response. Nick Schilkey managed to draw a roughing call against the Spartans, but the power play unit failed to convert. Even worse, as the penalty expired, Michigan State swarmed the OSU zone and appeared to score a second goal.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorer (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12:51 | Mason Jobst (unassisted) |
Ohio State caught a huge break when the officials reviewed the play and waved the goal off due to goalie interference. The Buckeyes’ good luck continued. Mason Jobst took advantage of a giant rebound off the end wall and Jake Hildebrand’s ill-advised decision to play the puck to fire a game tying tally into the empty net.
Back-to-back Buckeye penalties allowed Michigan State to control the start of the second period. The midpoint passed before the Bucks created a quality scoring chance. Unsurprisingly it was the trio of Nick Schilkey, Matt Weis, and Freddy Gerard just missing the connection on a back door attempt.
The teams traded mostly low grade chances over the remaining minutes. Michigan State had the best opportunity when the bouncy boards of Munn set up a big bomb from the slot but Frey smothered it to keep the score knotted, 1-1. The Spartans outshot the Bucks 13-4 in the middle frame.
The final stanza was a choppy one, played mostly by special teams. The penalty killers on both sides earned their hazard pay. Neither team found the back of the net. Overall Ohio State killed off 5-of-5 Spartan power plays in the game. Michigan State denied both of the Bucks’ attempts.
The stalemate continued through the overtime session and officially the game resulted in a tie. The Spartans picked up a moral victory and an extra Big Ten point with a shootout win. MSU’s Joe Cox was the lone scorer in the skills competition. Schilkey missed the net on his shootout try. Weis and Dave Gust were denied by Hildebrand.
OSU edged Sparty 30-29 in total shots, but quality scoring chances were hard to come by in this one. Christian Frey made 29 saves in the loss. The Buckeyes wrap up 2015-16 with an overall record of 13-17-4 and a Big Ten ledger of 8-8-4-1.
The next time these teams meet there will be a lot more than bragging rights on the line. The Buckeyes and Spartans square off next Thursday in a Big Ten quarterfinal. That game is scheduled for an 8:30 pm ET start and will air live on BTN.
- Other Big Ten results: Michigan steamrolled Penn State, 6-1, earning a series sweep. Minnesota’s special teams propelled the team to a 4-1 win over Wisconsin. With three conference points earned in the victory, the Gophers are your 2015-16 regular season Big Ten champs.
- Final Big Ten standings: Minnesota, 42 points; Michigan, 41; Penn State, 32; Ohio State, 29; Michigan State, 21; Wisconsin, 15.
