The men’s hockey Buckeyes tied Robert Morris in the teams' series finale. Ohio State jumped out to its customary early lead and answered the Colonials’ second period rally, but ultimately special teams doomed the Bucks' chance for victory. The team moves to 5-1-3 on the season.
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | ot | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 11 Ohio State | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Robert Morris | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
OSU started on the right foot by posting its usual quick goal. This one came courtesy of Kevin Miller, the junior’s second marker of the season. Dakota Joshua followed up with his first tally of the year. With less than eight minutes gone in the opening stanza the Bucks had a two goal lead.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorers (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2:59 | Kevin Miller (Josh Healey, Brendon Kearney) |
| 1 | 7:26 | Dakota Joshua (Freddy Gerard, Brendon Kearney) |
| 2 | 5:47 | John Wiitala (Josh Healey, Dakota Joshua) |
| 2 | 10:52 | PP - John Wiitala (Dakota Joshua, Mason Jobst) |
Daniel Leavens answered for Robert Morris at the 15:21 mark of the first period. The Colonials took a page from the Buckeyes’ book in the middle frame. Matthew Graham began it with a swift equalizer.
But the Scarlet and Gray roared ahead again. John Wiitala netted a pair of goals, one on the power play and one at even strength. The scores were the sophomore forward’s fifth and sixth tallies of the season which rank him second on the team behind Nick Schilkey (8).
RMU narrowed the gap late in the period when Luke Lynch converted a penalty shot attempt. The teams dueled throughout the final stanza. With 6:30 to play Ohio State earned a power play and a golden opportunity to salt away the win. Instead Lynch struck again, tying the game with a shorthanded goal.
The contest moved to overtime where the Bucks were gifted a major power play which lasted nearly the entire session. They failed to capitalize on the opportunity and the game ended in a tie. (The tilt occurred in an Atlantic Hockey barn and that league does not employ shootouts.)
Coach Steve Rohlik has repeatedly stressed the importance of correct preparation for his team during the week leading up to the games. Following Friday’s loss he suggested a lack of proper prep led to the Buckeyes’ first defeat of the season. On Saturday he reiterated the sentiment:
“We are disappointed in the results of the weekend. We have to play better, and that starts in the week.”
On the bright side, the Buckeyes outshot the Colonials 42-27. On the negative side, they had their rears handed to them on special teams again. The power play unit went 1-for-6 and gave up the game-tying shorty. Robert Morris did not have a power play opportunity in the game though it did convert its lone penalty shot.
Ohio State now returns to Columbus for its final home series before the winter break. The Bucks welcome the Connecticut Huskies (3-2-4). Games are currently scheduled for Friday at 7pm ET and Saturday at 4pm ET.
Boyle’s Hat Trick Leads Bucks to Sweep of Lions
| scoring by period | 1 | 2 | 3 | final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lindenwood | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ohio State | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
Ohio State’s women’s hockey team completed its sweep of Lindenwood on Saturday. Kassidy Sauve and the Buckeye defense completely shutdown the Lions’ offense. Sauve stopped 25 shots and OSU skaters blocked nine shots. For the second straight game the Scarlet and Gray recorded a shutout.
| pd | time | buckeye goal scorer (assists) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14:27 | PP - Lauren Boyle (Maddy Field, Dani Sadek) |
| 1 | 18:09 | Lauren Boyle (Breanne Grant, Olivia Soares) |
| 3 | 19:54 | EN - Lauren Boyle (Lauren Spring, Julianna Iafallo) |
Lauren Boyle provided all the offense the Bucks needed. The blueliner struck twice in the first period. Her first goal came during the power play on a pass from OSU’s leading scorer Maddy Field. Boyle declined to take total credit for the score.
“I was the one who found the back of the net but it wasn’t all me. That power play unit has been brewing up a bit of a storm lately so to see it all come together was really nice.”
Minutes later Boyle pounced again, taking a feed from Olivia Soares and wiring a shot past Lindenwood starter Morgan Skinner. Then, as time ticked down in the third period, the hockey gods directed a bounce Boyle’s way. The sophomore put it in the empty net to record her first career hat trick.
With today’s victory Ohio State improves to 5-6-1 on the season. The double shutout sweep is the first such result for the Buckeyes since January of 2014 when goaltender Lisa Steffes blanked Penn State twice. OSU heads back into conference action next week with a trip to St. Cloud.
