Ohio State rolled into Bowling Green on Friday night for the first half of a home-an-home series against their old CCHA foes. The game swiftly devolved into a special teams battle. The power plays tipped the momentum one way and then the other, but at the end of the night the Scarlet and Gray preserved its undefeated record.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 19 Ohio State | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Bowling Green | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
The Falcons outshot the Buckeyes 13-5 in an opening period that featured three OSU penalties. However, by the first intermission Ohio State was the team on top. Freshman Ronnie Hein led off with an almost immediate Buckeye goal. Kevin Miller chipped in his first score of the season and the penalty killers held Bowling Green to a single conversion.
Ohio State was quick out the gate in the second period as well. Mason Jobst potted a power play goal to give the Buckeyes a 3-1 lead. This time, though, OSU’s penalty killers couldn’t fend off the Falcons. Matt Pohlkamp and Sean Walker drew Bowling Green even with man-advantage tallies. BGSU’s surge continued with Frederic Letourneau’s even strength goal at the 16:10 mark.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorers (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1:10 | Ronnie Hein (Matt Joyaux, Mason Jobst) |
| 1 | 10:37 | Kevin Miller (Brendon Kearney, Dakota Joshua) |
| 2 | 4:02 | PP - Mason Jobst (Tanner Laczynski, Josh Healey) |
| 3 | 0:34 | PP - Nick Schilkey (Matt Joyaux, Matt Weis) |
| 3 | 9:38 | PP - Tanner Laczynski (Mason Jobst, Dakota Joshua) |
The Falcons began the third period with a 4-3 edge, but once again the Buckeyes stormed out of the locker room and onto the scoreboard. Captain Nick Schilkey made short work of a power play chance and netted the equalizer less than a minute in. The Buckeyes kept the pedal to the floor. Before long the pressure paid off in another Bowling Green penalty.
And Tanner Laczynski made the Falcons pay. The power play goal was the Buckeye freshman's first collegiate tally and the game winning score. Deciding factor in a back-and-forth nail biter against an in-state rival which preserves your team's unblemished record? He's going to have a hard time topping goal No. 1.
Special teams were obviously a major story in tonight's game. Ohio State finished with three power play goals in five opportunities. Bowling Green scored three times in seven chances.
It wasn't the prettiest of wins, but it was still a win. The Buckeyes keep getting the job done. They're now 2-0-2 on the season.
Ohio State and Bowling Green conclude their series tomorrow in the Bucks' home opener. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 7pm ET at the Schott. Fans not attending in person can follow the game via 1460 AM The Fan’s radio broadcast or with a subscription to Buckeye Vision’s online streaming video service.
- Other Big Ten finals: No. 6 Denver downed Michigan State 2-1. Penn State and No. 3/4 Notre Dame skated to an official 3-3 draw. No. 11/12 Michigan rallied to defeat Michigan Tech 4-3.
Potomak’s Hat Trick Helps No. 2 Gophers Edge Women’s Hockey Bucks
So, so close! Ohio State put up one heck of a fight in its home opener against Minnesota. The Buckeyes rallied and tied the game in the third period. However a Gopher goal with less than five minutes remaining sealed victory for the visitors.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 2 Minnesota | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Ohio State | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
The Buckeyes led at the first intermission break. Freshman Jacyn Reeves drew first blood for OSU in the waning seconds of the opening frame. It was the Wisconsinite’s first goal for the Scarlet and Gray. Minnesota’s Sarah Potomak struck twice in the second period, swinging the advantage to the Gophers.
OSU’s Maddy Field leveled the score with her third goal of the season early in the third period. The score remained knotted at 2-2 until the 15:23 mark when Potomak potted a third tally. That would turn out to be the game winning goal.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorers (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19:53 | Jacyn Reeves (Rebecca Freiberger) |
| 3 | 2:53 | Maddy Field (Lauren Boyle, Lauren Spring) |
Minnesota outshot Ohio State 27-17 in the contest. The Buckeyes were 0-for-2 on their power play opportunities and kept clear of the penalty box themselves. The Gophers did not have any man advantages during the game.
This was a tough loss but a great battle by the Bucks. They have another shot at upending the Gophers tomorrow afternoon at 3pm ET. Admission and parking are free for those attending the game. Fans following from afar can stream the game live online with a Buckeye Vision subscription.
