Ohio State
11-17-2, 6-10-0-0
Penn State
16-12-4, 8-7-1-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Ohio State | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
Ohio State Comes From Behind to Down Penn State, 5-3 – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Feb. 28, 2015
Box Score | Photo Gallery | Ohio State press conference/highlights | PSU press conference
COLUMBUS, Ohio- With points from 10 players, including three from senior captain Tanner Fritz, the Ohio State men’s hockey team completed a series sweep of Penn State with a 5-3 win Saturday in Value City Arena. The Buckeyes (11-17-2, 6-10-0-0 B1G) trailed the Nittany Lions (16-12-4, 8-7-1-0-0 B1G) 3-2 after the second period but outscored PSU 3-0 in the third for the win. Ohio State also posted a 5-3 win over Penn State Friday.
Ohio State closes its home schedule with two games vs. Minnesota next weekend. The teams will meet at 5 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday in Value City Arena, with Senior Night Saturday.
Penn State led 2-0 in the first period before Buckeye senior Justin DaSilva cut the lead in half, sending the teams to intermission with PSU ahead 2-1. Junior Sam Jardine tied the game at two early in the second period but the Nittany Lions responded just over two minutes later to regain the one-goal lead (3-2). Ohio State then scored three times in a 4:17 span in the third period to tie the game and take the lead. Sophomore Nick Schilkey tied the game at 9:18, Fritz followed at 10:19 to put Ohio State in the lead for the first time and freshman Nicholas Jones tallied at 13:35 for a two-goal advantage. The Buckeyes outshot Penn State, 44-27, in the game including 16-5 in the third period.
Penn State scored the game’s first two goals. At 11:45 Casey Bailey tallied, followed by a goal from Taylor Holstrom at 16:32. The Buckeyes answered less than a minute later as DaSilva’s shot from the point went through traffic for his first goal of the season. Assists on the goal, which came at 17:15, were from freshman Luke Stork and junior Anthony Greco. Shots were 15-10 in favor Ohio State in the period.
The Buckeyes got a second goal from a defenseman when junior Sam Jardine scored from up high on a 4-on-3 power play, set up by Fritz and senior Matt Johnson, with Johnson winning the faceoff to start the play. A Penn State goal soon after was waived off because it was ruled it was kicked in, but on the next shift, Mike Williamson scored on a point shot to put Penn State back ahead, 3-2. The teams again combined for 25 shots in the period, with Ohio State ahead, 13-12.
At 9:18 of the third Schilkey took a pass from freshman Matthew Weis and scored on the fly to tie the game at three. Josh Healey had the second assist on the goal, Schilkey’s eighth of the year. Just 1:01 later a shot from Healey went wide and came out to Fritz, who was able to score for a 4-3 Buckeye lead at 10:19. Jones then took a pass from Fritz and beat PSU defenders before notching his first collegiate goal, scoring at 13:35 to give Ohio State a 5-3 advantage. Ohio State outshot Penn State 16-5 in the stanza and limited the Nittany Lions to just nine shot attempts.
Ohio State outshot Penn State, 44-27, in the game, holding Penn State, which came into the series averaging 40.7 shots a night, to its lowest total of the season. The 44 shots were a Buckeye season high. Sophomore goalie Christian Frey made 24 saves in 59:53 and Matthew Skoff had 39 stops in 58:27 for Penn State.
The teams were whistled for just three penalties, all in a 1:06 span in the second period. Ohio State had the only two power play chances, scoring once.
Postgame Notes
• Fritz now leads Ohio State with 13 assists and 23 points this season. He had four points in the series with two goals and two assists and is on a four-game point streak (4g, 4a, 8p).
• The game was Alumni Night for the hockey program. Members of the 2004 CCHA Tournament championship team dropped the ceremonial puck pregame.
• Three defensemen notched goals for Ohio State in the series, with DaSilva and Jardine scoring Saturday and Healey tallying Friday.
• Ohio State picked up a power play goal in each game, going 2-for-5 in the series vs. PSU.
• Healey had his second two-assist game of the season (Nov. 1 at Canisius).
