Ohio State
11-6-0
Bowling Green
8-6-3
No. 17 Ohio State Rallies to Defeat Bowling Green, 4-3
12/16/2021 11:18:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
COLUMBUS, Ohio –Down 3-0 after 40 minutes, the Ohio State men's hockey team came from behind and defeated Bowling Green in overtime, 4-3, Thursday in Value City Arena in the Schottenstein Center. The Buckeyes scored twice in the first four minutes of the third and tallied with less than three minutes remaining to tie the game before senior Gustaf Westlund netted the gamewinner 1:55 into the 3×3 overtime period.
Ohio State improves to 11-6 this season, with an 8-3 record at home, while the Falcons are now 8-6-3.
The teams will close the nonconference series at 7:07 p.m. Friday in Slater Family Ice Arena in Bowling Green, Ohio. The game will be streamed through FloHockey.tv. The series with the Falcons closes out the first half of the schedule for the Buckeyes, who will return to action when they host LIU at 5 p.m. Dec. 31 and 3 p.m. Jan. 1.
The Short Story
Bowling Green scored twice in the final 5:59 of the first period and extended the lead to 3-0 at 10:25 of the second, outshooting the Buckeyes through 40 minutes, 25-13. Graduate student Will Riedell tallied on the power play at 2:39 of the third and senior Jake Wise followed 1:10 later for a one-goal game. At 17:42 freshman Georgii Merkulov deadlocked the score at three. Senior Gustaf Westlund notched the gamewinner at 1:55 of overtime.
Freshman goalie Jakub Dobeš made 30 saves in the victory. Senior Quinn Preston had two assists in the game, while Wise and Westlund both had two-point nights with a goal and an assist.
Quoting head coach Steve Rohlik
On what was said entering the third …
"At that point, I almost just said 'we gotta hit reset.' Let's go win a hockey game. Take it one shift at a time. Have to try to get the first one before you can get the second. We have to start playing the right way. Give credit to our guys. A big win. Maybe we didn't deserve to win, but we found a way."
Hear from Coach Rohilk and goalie Jakub Dobeš (who had 30 saves) after tonight's OT win over Bowling Green.#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/rkyIG0V7Zk
— Ohio State Men's Hockey (@OhioStateMHKY) December 17, 2021
How it Happened
- The Buckeyes had seven of the first nine shots on goal in the game, but Bowling Green swung momentum in its favor and outshot Ohio State 11-7 in the first period and 14-6 in the second, outscoring the Buckeyes 3-0 through 40 minutes.
- Nathan Burke opened the scoring at 14:01 and Seth Fyten had a tally at 17:46 of the first period.
- In the second, Alex Barber tallied at 10:25 for a three-goal lead for the Falcons.
- Ohio State scored twice in the first four minutes of the third to make it a one-goal game.
- At 2:39 Will Riedell converted on the power play, putting in the rebound of a shot from Grant Gabriele that went off the back wall to Riedell in the faceoff circle. Gustaf Westlund had the second assist on the tally, Riedell's third of the year.
- Just 1:10 later Jake Wise cut the Falcon lead to one, scoring from near the faceoff circle, assisted by Cole McWard and Quinn Preston.
- Georgii Merkulov tied the game at 17:42. Wise took a pass from Preston and put a shot on net and Merkulov was right outside the crease to score.
- Shots were 11-7 in favor of the Buckeyes in the third.
- In 3-on-3 overtime, Westlund took a pass from Dominic Vidoli and drove to the net, where the puck went up and over the goalie at 1:55.
- For the game, the Falcons had the shot advantage, 33-26. Jakub Dobeš had 30 saves in the Buckeye net.
- Ohio State was 1-for-3 on the power play and 2-for-2 on the penalty kill in the win.
Goal one of the third …
Riedell from Gabriele on the power play. pic.twitter.com/JoVD4iMti8
— Ohio State Men's Hockey (@OhioStateMHKY) December 17, 2021
Goal two of the third …
Jake Wise from Cole McWard. pic.twitter.com/Pdcbo4z4NK
— Ohio State Men's Hockey (@OhioStateMHKY) December 17, 2021
The tying goal pic.twitter.com/x3s9MG8i0q
— Ohio State Men's Hockey (@OhioStateMHKY) December 17, 2021
OT GAMEWINNER.#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/jkKuempWKR
— Ohio State Men's Hockey (@OhioStateMHKY) December 17, 2021
.@GustafWestlund came in in sudden death. @OhioStateMHKY pic.twitter.com/O5DFaQ8TcV
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) December 17, 2021
Buckeye This and That
- The game was the second time this season Ohio State scored the last four goals of the game to win in overtime, as it defeated UConn in the same fashion Oct. 15. Against the Huskies, the Buckeyes trailed 3-2 entering the third.
- Ohio State has gone on runs of three or more goals in 10 of 17 games this season.
- The Buckeyes are outscoring opponents 29-12 in the third period and 31-12 in the third period and overtime combined this season.
- Merkulov shares the team goal (6) and point (14) scoring leads.
- Preston had the fifth two-assist game of his Buckeye career and Wise now has three two-point outings in the Scarlet and Gray. Westlund, who notched his seventh career gamewinner, has 14 multiple point outings at Ohio State, with 11 two-point nights.
- Wise has two straight two-point games and five points in his last three games combined. He is third on the team with 13 points and second with nine assists.
- Ohio State is 4-6 when trailing after two periods this year.
