The dictionary defines a nemesis as “the inescapable agent of someone of something’s downfall.” Ohio State men’s hockey is beginning to define it as “Penn State.” For the third time this season, and in spite of an all out assault on the PSU net, the Buckeyes failed to get the upper hand in a battle with the Nittany Lions.
| Scoring by Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 6/7 Ohio State | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| No. 13 Penn State | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
The first period was fairly even with action going back and forth and chances for both sides. Penn State got on the board first. Denis Smirnov finished off a fortuitous bounce at the 5:18 mark. The Nittany Lions increased their lead late in the frame on Nate Sucese’s eleventh goal of the season.
| Buckeye Goal Scorers (Assists) | Pd | Time |
|---|---|---|
| PP - Mason Jobst (Tanner Laczynski, Matt Weis) | 2 | 3:19 |
| PP - Mason Jobst (Wyatt Ege, Tanner Laczynski) | 2 | 10:10 |
The Buckeyes had already outshot Penn State 15-11 in the first period but now they ramped up the barrage. In the second period they blasted PSU goalie Peyton Jones with 22 shots on net. The Nittany Lions blocked another eight attempts. Jones did a remarkable job of withstanding the assault but he finally succumbed to the Buckeye power play.
Mason Jobst netted a pair of man advantage goals to keep the score within reach for the Scarlet and Gray. Tanner Laczynski and Matt Weis recorded assists on Jobst’s goals. The helpers extended personal streaks for both skaters. They now own points in each of the Bucks’ last seven games.
Junior Mason Jobst scored goals 10 and 11 on the season Friday vs. Penn State, with both on the power play. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/xrtET6DFSH
— Ohio State M Hockey (@OhioState_MHKY) January 13, 2018
Still, despite the OSU surge, Penn State carried a 3-2 advantage into the final frame. Evan Barratt potted a power play goal and claimed membership in the elite group of players who have defeated Ohio State’s top ranked penalty kill. In the third period Andrew Sturtz also joined that club. Alex Limoges potted an empty netter late for a 5-2 win.
Ultimately, PSU out-detailed the Bucks. The Nittany Lions recorded fewer shots attempts but they were more on target. Penn State's shot blockers were a veritable wall in front of Jones.
And Jones was stellar himself. Head coach Steve Rohlik noted the goaltender's performance in his postgame comments, saying "You just have to bear down and get traffic in front of a goalie when he's in a zone like that. We had plenty of grade A chances and lots of traffic in front, he was just better tonight."
Tonight’s loss drops Ohio State to 14-6-4 overall and 7-6-1-0 in the Big Ten. It snaps a six game winning streak for the Buckeyes. Penn State also leap frogs the Bucks and settles into second place in the B1G standings.
OSU has one more shot at the Nittany Lions tomorrow night. The game concludes the teams’ season series (which Penn State leads 2-0-1-1). It airs live on BTN at 7pm ET.
- Ohio State outshot Penn State 47-36 in the game. Tanner Laczynski topped the charts with eight.
- The Nittany Lions blocked something like 22 shots to the Buckeyes' four.
- OSU went 2-for-4 on the power play. The penalty kill was an uncharacteristically generous 1-for-3.
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League leading Notre Dame was off this week but remains at the top of the heap with 36 points, Penn State moves into second with 23 points, Ohio State is third with 22, Michigan jumps up to fourth with a big upset of the Gophers and a 15 point total, Minnesota and Wisconsin are tied for fifth with 14 points, Michigan State knocks off the Badgers and improves to 11 points.
