Ohio State
14-19-3 (8-11-1-1)
Minnesota
22-12-3 (12-5-3-0)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Minnesota | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Ohio State Falls to No. 13 Minnesota in B1G Tourney Semifinals – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
March 20, 2015
Box Score|B1G Notes/Quotes/Photos
DETROIT – In the semifinals of the 2015 Big Ten Tournament at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, the Ohio State men’s hockey team fell to No. 13-ranked and top seed Minnesota, 3-0. The No. 5 seed Buckeyes outshot the Gophers 39-23 in the game (including 22-8 in the third period) but were unable to get the puck past Minnesota goalie Adam Wilcox. Ohio State ends its season 14-19-3 (8-11-1-1 B1G) and was 7-4-1 in its last 12 games. The Gophers are now 22-12-3 (12-5-3-0 B1G) and will take on No. 3 seed Michigan in the tournament championship at 8 p.m. Saturday.
“Well, obviously I can’t ask for much more out of our team today,” Steve Rohlik, Ohio State head coach, said in the postgame press conference. “They only gave me everything they’ve got. Twenty-two shots in the third period, you know, this team is relentless. I’m proud of this team. We had a good run here toward the end, and I’m even prouder of our eight seniors. What they’ve done for our program and they’ve sent this program in the right direction. So, obviously, I thank them. The bounces, it is what it is. Minnesota did the job and got the job done tonight. But, again, I’m awfully proud of our team.”
Neither team scored in the first period, with Ohio State outshooting Minnesota, 11-9. The Buckeyes held the Gophers scoreless on two early power play chances, allowing just one shot on goal.
In the second, Minnesota took advantage of a turnover in the Buckeye zone as Travis Boyd passed to Sam Warning and he scored just under the crossbar for a 1-0 Gopher lead at 7:51. Each team had six shots in the period and Ohio State had the only power play.
In the third, Vinni Letteri was able to score from near the crease at 10:45, putting the Gophers up 2-0. With Ohio State on the power play with 4:45 left in regulation, Ohio State pulled its goalie for the extra skater but Minnesota was able to get a shot from their defensive end into the net for a 3-0 lead at 15:40. Ohio State had 22 shots in the period, with Minnesota putting eight on net. Ohio State had two power play chances in the stanza and Minnesota was scoreless on one shortened chance.
Buckeye sophomore goalie Christian Frey ended the game with 20 saves in 56:39. He had a 3.03 goals-against average and .989 save percentage in 24 games played this season. Wilcox stopped all 42 Buckeye attempts in 60 minutes as Ohio State was shut out for the second time this season (last Jan. 24 at Michigan State). Ohio State blocked 21 Minnesota shot attempts, led by five from sophomore defenseman Josh Healey and senior blueliner Al McLean and junior defenseman Craig Dalrymple with three each.
Neither team was able to score on three power play chances in the game. The Buckeyes allowed just one power play goal in the last eight games combined, stopping 15-of-16 (.938) opponent opportunities.
Senior captain Tanner Fritz ended the year with a team-best 16 assists and 27 points. He had 110 points in 142 games for the Scarlet and Gray, ranking 45th in program history in career points. Junior Anthony Greco had a team-high 15 goals on the year.
The game was the final contest in the Scarlet and Gray for eight Buckeye seniors – Darik Angeli, Clark Cristofoli, Justin DaSilva, Fritz, Matt Johnson, Al McLean, Chad Niddery and Nick Oddo – who all played in the game vs. the Gophers.
