Men’s Hockey Eliminated from CCHA Playoffs with 3-2 Loss to Northern Michigan – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/4/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
March 4, 2007
Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State men’s hockey team was defeated by Northern Michigan, 3-2, in Game 3 of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association first-round, best-of-three series Sunday in a sold-out OSU Ice Rink. The win gives the Wildcats the series victory, 2-1 .The Buckeyes won the opener, 6-2, before Northern Michigan won 3-2 in overtime Saturday to tie the series.
The No. 7-seed Buckeyes end the year 15-17-5 (12-12-4 CCHA). The No. 10-seed Wildcats improve to 15-22-2 and will face No. 2-seed Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., in the CCHA quarterfinals.
Ohio State opened the scoring at 13:48 when Tyson Strachan’s (Sr., Melfort, Saskatchewan) wrist shot from the point got through for his sixth goal of the year. Sam Campbell (Jr., Hamilton, Ontario) and Corey Elkins (So., West Bloomfield, Mich.) assisted on the power-play tally. The Buckeyes outshot the Wildcats in the period, 9-6. The Wildcats had a power-play goal waived off in the period after review showed the net was dislodged before the goal was scored.
Northern Michigan scored twice in the second period to take a 2-1 lead. The Wildcats tied the game with a shorthanded goal by Zach Tarkir, completing a 2-on-1 break with Nick Sirota at 6:15. Sirota then put the Wildcats ahead with a goal at 14:18, stuffing the puck in from the right post. The play was reviewed after it was initially called a no-goal, but the call was overturned and the goal stood. Northern had 12 shots in the period, Ohio State nine.
The Wildcats went up 3-1 with their second shorthanded goal of the game, as Darin Olver scored at 9:59 of the third. The Buckeyes pulled goalie Joseph Palmer (Yorkville, N.Y.) with 2:12 remaining for the extra attacker. Strachan’s shot from the side went in with 13 seconds remaining to pull the Buckeyes within one, but the squad could not get the equalizer. Tom Fritsche (Jr., Parma, Ohio) and Matt McIlvane (Jr., Naperville, Ill.) assisted on the goal. The Buckeyes put 18 shots on net in the period and Palmer stopped all six Wildcat attempts. The Buckeyes outshot the Wildcats, 36-24. Palmer ended the game with 21 saves in 57:48. NMU goalie Brian Stewart had 34 saves in all 60 minutes.
The Buckeyes converted 1-of-4 power-play chances and stopped the Wildcats on all four chances.
Game Notes
The game ended the career of the eight members of the 2007 Ohio State senior class – Bryce Anderson (Waterloo, Iowa), Dave Barton (Calgary, Alberta), Mathieu Beaudoin (Sherbrooke, Quebec), Kenny Bernard (Sarnia, Ontario), Sean Collins (Troy, Mich.), Andrew Schembri (Mississauga, Ontario), Tyson Strachan (Melfort, Saskatchewan) and Matt Waddell (Armstrong, British Columbia). The group has been a part of 82 wins, two NCAA tournament appearances and the 2004 CCHA Super Six Championship.
Collins and Waddell played in their 157th career games as Buckeyes, tying for eighth all-time in the Ohio State record books.
Collins ended the year as the Buckeyes’ leading scorer with 28 points. Jason DeSantis had a team-best 20 assists and Beaudoin had a team-high 14 goals.
Strachan’s two goals were a career best. It was the fourth two-point game of his Buckeye career. He ended the season with a career-high seven goals, 11 assists and 18 points.
Elkins had assists in each of the last two games of the series.
It was the first time the Buckeyes allowed two shorthanded goals in a game since Nov. 4, 2005 at Miami.
Postgame Quotes
John Markell, Ohio State head coach
On the game
“Anytime you get shorthanded goals scored on you it takes the wind out of you. I want to compliment Northern Michigan for doing what they had to do to win. The tough part of today was saying goodbye to our eight seniors. We are very proud of them. It just didn’t happen for us this year.”
Sean Collins, Ohio State senior defenseman
On the game
“Northern Michigan’s goalie had a great weekend and I give them credit for bouncing back after the first game. They had a good game plan going in and they stuck to it.”
Mathieu Beaudoin, Ohio State senior forward
On the game
“It was a weird game but both teams worked hard. Three games in three nights is tiring but we competed hard all night.”
Walt Kyle, Northern Michigan head coach
On the change following Friday’s game
“We changed goalies and the kid was unbelievable. His save against (Mathieu) Beaudion was pure athleticism.”
Hockey Game Box Score (Final) The Automated ScoreBook Northern Michigan vs Ohio State (Mar 04, 2007 at Columbus, Ohio)
Northern Michigan (15-22-2) vs. Ohio State (15-17-5) Date: Mar 04, 2007 Location: Columbus, Ohio Arena: OSU Ice Rink Attendance:800 Start time:7:05 pm End time:9:28 pm Total time:2:23
Goals by Period 1 2 3 Tot ———————————- Northern Michigan… 0 2 1 – 3 Ohio State………. 1 0 1 – 2
1st period – 1, OSU, Tyson Strachan/6 (Sam Campbell/6, Corey Elkins/7) 13:48 (pp). Penalties – Matt McIlvane, OSU (cross-checking) 6:34; Bobby Selden, NMU (o-holding) 13:27; Johann Kroll, OSU (holding) 14:22; Bryce Anderson, OSU (cth high-sticking) 19:53.
2nd period – 2, NMU, Zach Tarkir/7 (Nick Sirota/10, Rob Lehtinen/13) 6:15 (sh). 3, NMU, Nick Sirota/9 (Tim Hartung/8) 14:18. Penalties – Sean Collins, OSU (holding) 1:57; Matt Maunu, NMU (interference) 2:37; Tyson Strachan, OSU (roughing atw) 3:48; Bobby Selden, NMU (roughing atw) 3:48; Andrew Sarauer, NMU (interference) 5:44.
3rd period – 4, NMU, Darin Olver/14 9:59 (sh). 5, OSU, Tyson Strachan/7 (Tom Fritsche/8, Matt McIlvane/11) 19:47. Penalties – Zach Tarkir, NMU (slashing) 8:43.
Shots on goal – NMU 6-12-6 24; OSU 9-9-18 36.
Power plays – NMU 0 of 4; OSU 1 of 4.
Penalties – NMU 5 (10 min); OSU 5 (10 min).
Goalies – NMU, Brian Stewart 3-2 (60:00 minutes, 36 shots-34 saves); OSU, Joseph Palmer 15-15-4 (57:48, 24-21) , EMPTY NET (02:12, 0-0).
Penalty shots – None.
A-800 T-2:23 Three stars: 1. None 2. None 3. None Referee:Kevin Hall Assistant Referee:Brent Gawlik; Neil Stafford Win-Brian Stewart (3-2). Loss-Joseph Palmer (15-15-4). NMU advances to CCHA Second Round CCHA First Round Series, Game Three Attendance of 800 is a sellout Timeout Ohio State at 17:55 of third
