Ohio State
22-12-2
Penn State (B1G Tournament Quarterfinals, Game 2) **
16-19-1
No. 12 Buckeyes Fall to Nittany Lions, 3-2
3/5/2022 10:33:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 12 Ohio State men's hockey team will take on Penn State Sunday evening for a spot in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, after the Nittany Lions won 3-2 Saturday in game two, tying the series at a game apiece. In game two, Ohio State came from a goal down twice, but Penn State took the lead with less than three minutes remaining and Ohio State was unable find the equalizer.
The Buckeyes, the No. 4 seed, and No. 5 seed Nittany Lions will face off at 8 p.m. Sunday in Value City Arena in the Schottenstein Center. No. 1 Minnesota and No. 2 Michigan will host the semifinals next Saturday, taking on the lowest and highest remaining seed, respectively.
Ohio State is now 22-12-2 on the year, with Penn State 16-19-1. The loss was the Buckeyes' first to the Nittany Lions this season (4-1-1). The Buckeyes are now 11-8 all-time in the Big Ten Tournament, with a 6-2 record at home and 9-2 mark in the quarterfinals. The loss was the Buckeyes' first in a best-of-three quarterfinal series.
The Short Story
Penn State scored with just 29 seconds left in the first period for a 1-0 lead and had the shot advantage, 19-8, in the opening 20 minutes. Michael Gildon tied the game with a power play goal at 13:55 of the second but the Nittany Lions answered at 17:12 for a 2-1 lead through 40 minutes. In the third, Cole McWard deadlocked the score at 9:33; Penn State went ahead at 17:19, just 11 seconds after an Ohio State power play had expired.
Shots were 46-35 in favor of Penn State, with Jakub Dobeš making 43 saves for Ohio State. The Buckeyes blocked 21 PSU shots, led by McWard with three. Ohio State was 1-for-3 on the power play and held Penn State scoreless on two chances.
Quoting head coach Steve Rohlik
"Playoff hockey, that's all I can say. It's two teams battling to the end. They didn't want their season to end and they played like it. I thought we got better as the game went on and thought we played hard in the third to tie it up. Unfortunately they got one more than we did."
After the game two loss, Coach Rohlik and Gustaf Westlund talked about the game. pic.twitter.com/OwslZzi2SM
— Ohio State Men's Hockey (@OhioStateMHKY) March 6, 2022
How it Happened
- The Buckeyes killed two Penn State power plays in the first period and were outshot 19-8 in the opening 20 minutes.
- The Nittany Lions took a 1-0 lead with 29 seconds left in the stanza on a goal from Dylan Lugris.
- In the second, Michael Gildon tied the game with a power play goal on Ohio State's first chance of the game. A Travis Treloar shot went off the post, but the rebound went to Gildon and he converted for his third goal of the year. Will Riedell also assisted on the tally, which came at 13:55.
- Kevin Wall put Penn State back ahead with a tally at 17:12 of the second. Ohio State had a power play chance shortly after the Wall score, but put just one shot on net.
- In the third, Cole McWard's shot from the point went off the goalie and in at 9:33 to tie the game, assisted by Kamil Sadlocha and Ryan O'Connell.
- Ohio State had its third power play chance of the game at 15:08 but was unable to score and just 11 seconds later Ryan Kirwan put Penn State ahead 3-2, scoring from in close.
- Ohio State skated with the net empty for the final 1:15, but was unable to tie the game.
- The teams combined for 27 shots in both the second and third periods. Ohio State was ahead 15-12 in the second and Penn State led in the third by the same count.
- Ohio State was outshot, 46-35, in the game. Jakub Dobeš had 43 saves in 58:45 for Ohio State. He now has 1,053 saves this year, ranking third in school history for a single season. He passed Mike Bales, who had 1,041 in 1992.
- McWard led the Buckeyes with three blocks, with Cam Thiesing, O'Connell and Grant Gabriele each blocking two. Ohio State combined for 21 shot blocks.
- The Buckeyes were 2-for-2 on the penalty kill, with both in the first period, and 1-for-3 on the power play.
A power play goal from @MichaelGildon put the Buckeyes on the board in the second. Assists to Treloar (@travistre19) and Riedell (@willydilly13).
The goal was Gildon's third of the year. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/K70pDdkIv2
— Ohio State Men's Hockey (@OhioStateMHKY) March 6, 2022
