Buckeyes Post 4-2 Win at Bowling Green for Series Sweep

Saturday, January 6

Bowling Green, Ohio

7:07 PM

Ohio State

8-8-4

Bowling Green

7-16-0

Ohio St.

Bowling Green

Buckeyes Post 4-2 Win at Bowling Green for Series Sweep

1/6/2024 10:31:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Joe Dunlap's third-period goal stood as the gamewinner as the Ohio State men's hockey team posted a 4-2 win at Bowling Green Saturday in Bowling Green, Ohio. The teams were tied at one after the first and at two after the second. Dunlap, in his first game of the season after missing the first half-plus because of injury, broke the tie less than six minutes into the third and Patrick Guzzo sealed the win with an empty-net score.

The Buckeyes (8-8-4) finished the weekend with a sweep of the Falcons (7-15-0) after a 6-2 win Friday to open the home-and-home series. The game wrapped up Ohio State's nonconference schedule, with the Buckeyes undefeated in non-league play (8-0-2).

Quoting Head Coach Steve Rohlik
"This was a great way to finish out the weekend. I thought we hung in there, battled some adversity and through some penalties. We did enough to win. We'll enjoy it tonight and then it's back to work on Monday."

?? Welcome back Joe!

In his first game of the season, senior Joe Dunlap scored the third-period gamewinner for the Buckeyes!! #GoBucks @JoeDunlap21 pic.twitter.com/cj6vaQGPL0
— Ohio State Men's Hockey (@OhioStateMHKY) January 7, 2024

The Short Story
The teams traded power play goals in the first period for a 1-1 game after one. The Falcons opened the scoring at 3:51 and Cam Thiesing tied the game with a 5x3 score at 7:03. Thiesing has a goal in each of the last five games. Bowling Green outshot the Buckeyes 14-4 in the opening period. Scooter Brickey gave the Buckeyes the lead late in the second, answered by the Falcons with their second power play goal of the night, this one on a 5x3 chance. Shots were 16-10 in favor of BG in the stanza.

In the third, Joe Dunlap, in his first game of the season because of an injury, put the Buckeyes ahead at 5:30. Buckeye goalie Logan Terness stopped all 12 shots he faced in the period to maintain the lead and Patrick Guzzo sealed the win with an empty net score in the final minute.

The Buckeyes were outshot, 42-29, with Terness making 40 saves and the Buckeyes blocking an additional 16 shot attempts. Ohio State was 1-for-5 on the power play and 6-for-8 on the penalty kill.

Up Next
The Buckeyes will be back in Big Ten play next weekend when they host Notre Dame. The teams will meet at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Value City Arena. It is Military Appreciation weekend and military members can each receive two free tickets to each game. Tickets for the series vs. the Irish, and all home games, can be purchased online HERE. Saturday the program will welcome back men's hockey alums for Alumni Night, with a pregame recognition.

How it Happened

Spencer Kersten took advantage of an early power play and put the Falcons up 1-0 at 3:51.
Cam Thiesing tied the game when his one-timer beat the goalie short side with the Buckeyes on a 5-on-3 power play. Stephen Halliday and Theo Wallberg set up the goal, which came at 7:03.
Bowling Green had the shot advantage in the opening period, 14-4. Each team had three power play chances in the stanza.
In the second, Scooter Brickey's shot got through the goalie, off a pass from Davis Burnside, for a 2-1 Buckeye lead at 15:55. Riley Hughes also assisted on the tally, Brickey's team-best eighth of the year.
The Falcons responded with a 5-on-3 goal from Dalton Norris at 17:58.
BG again outshot the Buckeyes, 16-10. Ohio State had one power play chance, Bowling Green three in the period.
Joe Dunlap broke the tie 5:30 into the third. Sam Deckhut won the faceoff in the Falcon zone and Dunlap got to the puck in the high slot. He dragged the goalie out of position and scored on a backhand.
Ohio State killed two power play chances in the final period, including one with less than six minutes remaining. The Buckeyes had one chance with the man advantage.
The Falcons pulled their goalie with about 90 seconds left and Ohio State maintained the lead, helped by two saves from Logan Terness and blocks from Thomas Weis and Scooter Brickey.
Patrick Guzzo sealed the win with a long empty net goal, off a pass from Thiesing.
Ohio State had the shot advantage in the third, 15-12, but was outshot in the game, 42-29. Terness played 59:53 for the Buckeyes and had 40 saves to pick up the win.
The Buckeyes had 16 shot blocks vs. BG. Brickey and Damien Carfagna were first with three each and Brent Johnson, Weis and Michael Gildon each had two.
On the power play, Ohio State was 1-for-5 and the penalty kill was 6-for-8.

Buckeye This and That

Halliday has a team-best 14 assists and 19 points and had five assists and points in the sweep.
Thiesing has a goal in five straight games and in seven of the last nine outings. He is second on the team with seven goals. He had four points in the series.
Brickey had three goals in the series and leads this year's Buckeyes with eight goals.
Burnside, who has already set a career best in assists, has a helper in seven of the last nine games and is third on the team with 11 total.
Brickey and Burnside are tied for second in scoring with 15 points each.
Wallberg had three assists in the series vs. Bowling Green and is second on the team with 12 helpers this year.
Ohio State has four-plus goals in four of the last five games.
The squad was 4-for-13 (.308) on the power play vs. Bowling Green.