Ohio State
18-13-3, 11-11-2
Minnesota
25-8-1, 19-4-1
No. 8/7 Buckeyes Close Regular Season with Loss to No. 1 Minnesota
2/25/2023 11:03:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
COLUMBUS, Ohio – In the final game of the regular season, the No. 8/7 Ohio State men's hockey team fell to No. 1 Minnesota, 5-2, Saturday at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis. The Buckeyes scored 5-on-3 power play goals late in the first and early in the second, but two Gopher goals in a 13 seconds span near the midpoint of the second tied the game at two and Minnesota took the lead with 31 seconds left in the middle period. The Gophers added two goals late in the third, with the second an empty net tally, for the final.
Ohio State closes the regular season 18-13-3 on the year and was 11-11-2-0-0-1 in the Big Ten to finish third. The Gophers, who won the B1G regular season title, are 25-8-1, with a 19-4-1-2-1-0 B1G ledger.
Postseason Up Next
As the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, Ohio State will host No. 6 Penn State in a quarterfinal best-of-three series next weekend in Value City Arena in Columbus. The series is set for Friday, Saturday and Sunday if necessary. Ticket information will be released in the coming days.
This is the fifth time in the last seven years the Buckeyes have clinched at least the No. 3 spot in the final Big Ten standings.
How it Happened
After review, Minnesota was assessed two majors (along with a Buckeye minor) at 16:07 of the first period. With less than three seconds left in the first Cole McWard converted on the 5-on-3 chance, scoring from the slot off a pass from Jake Wise. Mason Lohrei also had a helper on the goal, McWard's fifth of the season. Shots were 12-9 in favor of Ohio State in the first.
The Buckeyes tallied again on the majors 1:06 into the second, as a shot from Mason Lohrei from near the blue line went through, assisted by Stephen Halliday and Travis Treloar. At 8:13 Minnesota got on the board and the Gophers scored on the rush after winning the next faceoff, with the goal coming at 8:26, to tie the game. Minnesota broke the deadlock with just 31 seconds left in the second. The Gophers outshot the Buckeyes 12-10 in the middle period.
At 14:43 Bryce Brodzinski forced a turnover and scored on a breakaway for a 4-2 Minnesota lead. The Gophers closed out the win with a long empty net goal at 17:31. The Gophers again put 12 shots on net, with Ohio State getting eight through.
Minnesota ended the game ahead in shots, 33-30, and had 21 recorded blocked shots. Ohio State blocked 12 shots, led by Scooter Brickey and Tyler Duke with three each. McWard and Patrick Guzzo each had two blocks.
The Buckeyes were 2-for-4 on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill. Ohio State is 126-for-141 (.894) on the penalty kill this year, among the NCAA leaders.
Lohrei led the Buckeyes with two points and now has 26 points on the year, with three goals and 23 assists. Wise is second on the squad with 29 points, including 18 assists. McWard has a 5-11-16 line and Treloar has 19 points, including 12 helpers.
