Ohio State
3-7-1
Michigan State
4-6-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Ohio State | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Ohio State Loses B1G Opener to Michigan State, 3-1 – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/20/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 20, 2014
COLUMBUS, Ohio – In the first Big Ten Conference game of the season, the Ohio State men’s hockey team lost to Michigan State, 3-1, Thursday in Value City Arena. The Spartans scored once in each period, with Ohio State getting an extra attacker goal late, in the contest.
The Buckeyes (3-7-1, 0-1-0-0 B1G) and Spartans (4-6-0, 1-0-0-0 B1G) will close the two-game series at 7 p.m. Friday in Columbus. Friday is Youth Hockey Night; children (8th grade and under) who wear their youth hockey jerseys will receive a free popcorn and are invited to the Buckeye locker room postgame for a tour and meet and greet. Select Buckeyes will also be on the concourse for a meet and greet postgame.
Ohio State controlled play the early part of the game but it was the Spartans who struck first, when Villiam Haag scored off the rebound of a shot from Carson Gatt, who kept the puck in the Buckeye zone. Shots were 8-6 in favor of the Spartans in the period and neither team was assessed a penalty.
In the second period, the Spartans converted the first power play of the game (and only penalty through the first 40 minutes), as Matt Berry tallied from just outside the faceoff circle. Ohio State outshot the Spartans, 13-8, in the period.
In the third, Michigan State’s Brent Darnell scored just after a Buckeye power play expired to make it a three-goal lead for the Spartans, tallying from a sharp angle. Ohio State pulled its goalie for the extra attacker with more than three minutes remaining and was able to get on the board when Buckeye junior Tyler Lundey forced a turnover and scored into the top corner at 17:27, netting his second goal of the season. A Michigan State penalty at 18:04 gave the Buckeyes a 6-on-4 advantage with the net empty down two goals (3-1), but the squad was unable to convert. Ohio State had three power play chances in the period, putting seven shots on net with the man advantage. The Spartans had one power play in the stanza. Ohio State had 16 shots in the 20 minutes, holding the Spartans to four.
The Buckeyes outshot Michigan State, 35-20, in the game. Sophomore Matt Tomkins played 56:54 for Ohio State and made 17 saves. MSU’s Jake Hildebrand had 34 saves in all 60 minutes. The Buckeyes blocked 13 Spartan shots, led by senior Al McLean with three.
Ohio State was 0-for-3 on the power play in the game, its third game in a row without a power play goal. The Spartans were 1-for-2, marking just the fourth game this season Ohio State has allowed a power play marker. The Buckeyes had two penalties for four minutes for the second time in the last three games.
The game was the first in five meetings between the Buckeyes and Spartans that did not go to overtime. The loss ended the Buckeyes’ seven-game unbeaten streak (4-0-3) vs. Michigan State.
