Ohio State
3-9-0, 0-0-0B1G
Nebraska-Omaha
11-2-1, 3-2-1-0NCHC
Ohio State Rally Falls Short at No. 6 Omaha – Ohio State Buckeyes
11/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Nov. 28, 2015
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State men’s hockey team rallied with three goals in a row, but was unable to get the equalizer and fell on the road at No. 6 Omaha, 6-4, Saturday in Baxter Arena. Goals from captains Anthony Greco and Nick Schilkey at 12:02 and 15:15 of the third pulled Ohio State within one (5-4), but the Mavericks scored an empty netter in the final minute to seal the win.
The Mavericks (11-2-1) scored just 30 seconds into the game before Buckeye freshman Mike Gillespie tied the score at 4:57. Just 18 seconds later the Mavericks scored on a major power play to take the lead, carrying a 2-1 advantage into the first intermission. Omaha scored three times in a 6:20 span in the second period, including two power play goals, to pull ahead, 5-1. Freshman blueliner Sasha Larocque scored his first goal as a Buckeye at 17:28 of the second, making it a 5-2 game after 40 minutes. Ohio State (3-9-0) outshot the Mavericks, 24-8, in the third, with Greco and Schilkey both scoring, but could not complete the comeback. In all, 12 Buckeyes had a point in the game.
Next up, Ohio State travels to Minnesota to open its Big Ten schedule. The Buckeyes and Gophers will meet at 8 p.m. ET Friday and Saturday, with the Friday game on FS North and BTN2Go and the Saturday contest on ESPNews and WatchESPN.
The first period included three goals, 30 combined shots and six power play opportunities. The Mavericks opened the scoring just 30 seconds into the game when Austin Ortega scored on a rebound. At 4:57 Gillespie netted his first career goal to tie the game at one. On a rush started by junior Josh Healey, sophomore Matthew Weis passed across to Gillespie and he redirected the puck past the UNO goalie. On the next shift, a Buckeye was assessed a major and game misconduct for checking from behind, putting Omaha on the power play. The Mavericks took just six seconds into the advantage to regain the lead when Jake Guentzel scored from the faceoff circle. Another Buckeye penalty gave UNO a 5-on-3 for a full two minutes, but Ohio State was able to hold the Mavericks off the board. Omaha took two penalties during the major, giving Ohio State a brief power play, but the Buckeyes did not convert. The power play goal scored by Omaha was the first allowed by Ohio State in six games, ending a streak of 16 consecutive power plays stopped by the Buckeyes. Omaha had 16 shots in the period, with Ohio State putting 14 on net.
Omaha led 5-2 after the second period on the strength of two power play goals. At 9:17 Ortega scored on a man advantage for a 3-1 UNO lead, at 11:08 David Pope tallied and Fredrik Olofsson scored at 15:37 to make it 5-1. At 17:28 Larocque tallied his first career goal, scoring from the point off assists from sophomore Christian Lampasso and freshman Dakota Joshua. Shots were 10-8 in favor of Omaha in the period and the Mavericks scored on the only two power play opportunities.
The Buckeyes’ rally in the third fell short. At 12:02 Greco scored off assists from junior David Gust and sophomore Kevin Miller. The helper was Gust’s team-high 10th of the year. At 15:15, Schilkey made it a one-goal game, backhanding in a rebound. Freshman Mason Jobst and junior Drew Brevig assists on the goal, Schilkey’s team-best seventh of the year and his team-high 13th point. With time winding down, Ohio State pulled its goalie for the extra attacker but Omaha sealed the win with an empty net goal with 44 seconds left in regulation. Ohio State outshot the Mavericks, 24-8, in the period and no penalties were called in the stanza.
Ohio State outshot Omaha, 46-34, in the game. Junior Matt Tomkins started for the Buckeyes and had 18 saves, allowing five goals, in 35:37. Junior Christian Frey stopped all 10 shots he faced. The game was the Buckeyes’ fifth with 40 or more shots in the last six games. Each team blocked 21 shots in the contest, with Brevig blocking a game-high eight Maverick attempts.
Ohio State was 0-for-2 on the power play in the game, while Omaha converted 3-of-6 chances. It was just the third time this season Ohio State allowed a power play goal in a game.
