Ohio State didn’t start quite as quickly against Niagara on Saturday as it did in Friday’s ten goal blowout. But the Buckeyes revved the engines late in first period and still powered to a 6-2 win. They remain unbeaten at 5-0-2.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 14/15 Ohio State | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| Niagara | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Freshmen and special teams initially propelled Ohio State into the lead. Niagara got into serious penalty trouble late in the opening period. The Purple Eagles found themselves defending a major. Then the team was whistled for an additional foul. Standout Buckeye rookies Ronnie Hein and Tanner Laczynski cashed in on the advantages, each netting a power play goal.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorers (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13:18 | PP - Ronnie Hein (Tanner Laczynski) |
| 1 | 16:55 | PP - Tanner Laczynski (Matt Joyaux, Matt Weis) |
| 2 | 16:36 | Ronnie Hein (Tommy Parran) |
| 3 | 0:36 | Nick Schilkey (Josh Healey) |
| 3 | 4:00 | Matt Weis (Tanner Laczynski, Tommy Parran) |
| 3 | 4:39 | John Wiitala (Mason Jobst, Dave Gust) |
The teams traded tallies in the second period. Sean King put Niagara on the board with a power play conversion. Hein posted his second marker of the contest to restore the Buckeyes’ two goal edge. The multi-goal outing was the first of the freshman’s collegiate career.
Nick Schilkey neutralized any threat of a Purple Eagle rally with a quick strike in the third period. Less than a minute into the frame he picked up his seventh goal in the last four games. It was also career lamp lighter No. 50 for the senior captain.
Matt Weis and John Wiitala reeled off two more Buckeye scores in the final period of play. A second Niagara shot found its way past Matt Tomkins but the only damage it did was to the goalie’s stat line. Tomkins finished the night with 22 saves on 24 shots. Ohio State cruised to a series sweep.
- The Bucks host Robert Morris next week. Games are scheduled for Friday and Saturday at 7pm ET.
- Check out the game's full boxscore here.
- Around the Big Ten: Penn State completed its sweep of Canisius. Wisconsin held on for a win over Clarkson. Two final minute extra-attacker goals boosted Minnesota into a tie with St. Lawrence while a last ditch score from Dartmouth sank Michigan.
Women’s Rally Falls Short against No. 3 Duluth
Kassidy Sauve held Ohio State in the game with another gargantuan effort in net. Twice the Buckeyes drew within a goal of Minnesota-Duluth. Ultimately, however, the Bulldogs prevailed by a 3-2 score.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 3 Minnesota-Duluth | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Ohio State | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Sauve stopped 44 shots in the contest including 37 in the first two periods alone. The Bucks rallied out of the second intermission. They outshot UMD 17-8 in the final frame. Maddy Field and Samantha Bouley netted goals for the Scarlet and Gray. But try as they might, the Buckeyes couldn’t get the equalizer.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorers (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 6:35 | PP - Maddy Field (Lauren Spring, Jincy Dunne) |
| 3 | 17:57 | EA - Samantha Bouley (Jincy Dunne, Lauren Boyle) |
Though there have been moral victories along the way, Ohio State is now 3-6-1 on the year. On the bright side, the Bucks are about to see a little relief in their schedule. Their next three opponents are currently a collective 5-19-2. Their previous four opponents are a combined 28-8-4.
These next six games aren't gimmes but they aren't the towering challenges of October either. The first order of business for the Buckeyes is a home series against winless Lindenwood. Games are scheduled for Friday and Saturday.
