Hey, hockey fans. This is the scribe of the Bucks with the ice and pucks on Eleven Warriors Columbus. I’ve got your (super) late night hockey update. Good news, No. 1 Ohio State swept Arizona State and improves to 2-0-0 on the year. Bad news, I’ve had enough caffeine now that I think I’m Wolfman Jack.
| Scoring by Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 Ohio State | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Arizona State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The Buckeyes and Sun Devils did battle for a second time on Saturday night/Sunday morning. When the game managed to achieve a decent flow it was pretty well-paced and included interesting chances for both teams. Unfortunately it was chock full of penalties and decent flow was scarce.
| Buckeye Goal Scorers (Assists) | Pd | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ronnie Hein (Tanner Laczynski, Matt Miller) | 2 | 18:56 |
| PS - Mason Jobst | 3 | 13:26 |
| EN - Ronnie Hein (Miguel Fidler, John Wiitala) | 3 | 19:40 |
The teams combined for seven fouls in the first period alone and 15 overall. Both penalty killing units handled their business and the goaltenders were sharp enough to keep the game scoreless for nearly two full periods. There were a couple of loud misses and a hit pipe or two but overall the mind numbing mix of many stoppages and no scoring almost overcame the insane amount of caffeine I consumed in order to stay awake for this game.
Just when it looked like the deadlock would extend into the second intermission, Ronnie Hein put the Bucks on the board.
Miller --> Laczynski --> Hein #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/TsjA41Xk0q
— Ohio State Men's Hockey (@OhioStateMHKY) October 14, 2018
The whistlefest continued in the third period. The refs chirped four penalties in the first six minutes of the frame. I wondered if I had somehow fallen asleep in spite of all that caffeine and was trapped in some kind of a nightmare of never ending, ugly early season hockey.
With a little over six minutes to play Mason Jobst got hauled down on a breakaway. He was awarded a penalty shot and promptly converted for a 2-0 Buckeye lead. This was far and the way the slickest play of the game.
Mason Jobst with the penalty shot snipe. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/90ACTt74ev
— Ohio State Men's Hockey (@OhioStateMHKY) October 14, 2018
Down two goals with mere minutes to play Arizona State refused to accept defeat and let me go to bed. The Sun Devils pulled their goalie for the extra attacker in a cruel attempt to tie the score and prolong this game. But Hein would have none of their shenanigans. He potted an empty netter to clinch the Buckeye win and an opening series sweep.
Hein seals the win at Arizona State with an empty net goal (his second tally of the night). Fidler and Wiitala with the assists. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/Lfw9I4rV9e
— Ohio State Men's Hockey (@OhioStateMHKY) October 14, 2018
Sophomore Tommy Nappier, starting his first game of the season in net, stopped 27 shots to collect his second career shutout. He is now 5-0-0 for his collegiate career. The big goalie was steady throughout the win and a deserving recipient of the game puck.
Much like the women’s game earlier today, this outing would not win any beauty contest but it's a victory nonetheless. The Buckeyes managed to get the job done on a difficult night. 2-0-0 is 2-0-0. There aren't any extra points for style.
We've got to close it out now. That's it for the Crazy Caffeinated Hockey Recap Show. Be back next week, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, for the home opener vs. UMass. Nighty night, puckheads.
- Ohio State outshot Arizona State 35-27 in the contest, led by Dakota Joshua and Matt Miller (five shots each).
- Both teams went 0-for-6 on the power play. Or both penalty kills were a perfect 6-for-6. However you want to look at it.
