No. 11 Buckeyes Down No. 3 Golden Gophers, 5-1

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 11-ranked Ohio State men's hockey team defeated No. 3 Minnesota, 5-1, Friday in Value City Arena in Columbus. The Buckeyes led 1-0 after the first period and 2-0 after the second. Two power play goals on a major stretched the lead to 4-0 in the third. The Gophers broke up the shutout midway through the third but a final Buckeye goal sealed the victory.

The Buckeyes are now 15-5-1, with an 8-3-0 2-1-0 Big Ten ledger. The Gophers are 17-4-2 and 8-2-1 1-0-0 in league play.

Ohio State and Minnesota will wrap up the weekend series at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Columbus on Alumni Night, with players from throughout the program's history in attendance and recognized pregame. There will be a postgame skate with the team (fans must bring own skates and fill out a waiver HERE) and the first 2,000 fans will receive a scarlet glow wand. Popcorn will be $2 throughout the game Saturday.

The Short Story
At 11:36 of the first, Max Montes put the Buckeyes on the board and at 5:19 of the second Jake Rozzi doubled the lead. Ohio State killed off a five-minute major power play for the Gophers later in the stanza and then took advantage of a major opportunity of its own early in the third, tallying twice on the chance for a 4-0 lead. Gunnarwolfe Fontaine and Nathan McBrayer scored a minute apart on the major. The Gophers broke up the shutout at 9:01. With more than seven minutes remaining Minnesota pulled its goalie and Davis Burnside scored from the Buckeye zone at 13:21.

Each team had 30 shots in the game, with Kristoffer Eberly making 29 saves for Ohio State. Montes and Rozzi both had a goal and an assist in the win.

Quoting Buckeye head coach Steve Rohlik
"It was important to get off to a good start and play with the lead. Special teams was the key to tonight's win."

How it Happened

In the first period, Thomas Weis picked off a Gopher pass in the Buckeye zone and started the rush up ice. He fed Max Montes coming up the right wing and his shot beat the goalie far side at 11:36 to open the scoring.
The Gophers had the only power play chance in the first period and each team put seven shots on net.
Jake Rozzi extended the Buckeye lead to 2-0 at 5:19 of the second, gathering a loose puck at the side of the net and scoring, assisted by Joe Dunlap.
At 12:59 a Buckeye was assessed a major penalty and Ohio State killed off the chance, allowing just three shots on goal. A Minnesota penalty during the major put the teams 4x4 for two minutes.
Just 45 seconds into the third a Gopher was sent off with a major and Ohio State scored twice on the man advantage to push the lead to 4-0.
At 1:31 a shot from Montes got through the Gopher goalie and Gunnarwolfe Fontaine was there to knock it in from the crease. Damien Carfagna also assisted on the goal, Fontaine's team-high 10th of the season.
A minute later Nathan McBrayer's wrist shot from the point got through traffic for his second goal this season. Brent Johnson and Rozzi assisted on the score.
Minnesota got on the board with a Sam Rinzel goal at 9:01.
Following an Ohio State timeout with 7:37 left after an icing, Minnesota pulled its goalie. Davis Burnside's clearing attempt from the boards in the Buckeye zone went all the way down the ice and in for a 5-1 Ohio State advantage at 13:21.
Each team had 13 shots in the second period and 10 in the third and ended the game with 30 shots on goal.
Kristoffer Eberly made 29 saves for the Buckeyes in all 60 minutes. Minnesota starter Nathan Airey had 19 stops, allowing four goals, in 42:23 and Liam Souliere stopped the six shots he faced in 16:31.
The Buckeyes blocked 10 Gopher shot attempts, led by Carfagna with four. Minnesota had 11 shot blocks.
Ohio State was 2-for-3 on the power play and 2-for-2 on the penalty kill in the win.

Noting the Buckeyes

Fontaine leads the Buckeyes with 23 points and 10 goals and is on a seven-game scoring streak (6g, 5a, 11p). He has a team-best five power play goals as well.
Burnside is on a seven-game point streak (2g, 5a) and is tied for second on the team with 19 points.
The Buckeyes have a power play goal in each of the last eight games and are 16-for-75 (.213) on the year.
Eberly is 11-1-0, with a 1.46 goals-against average and .940 save percentage.
All three of Rozzi's goals this season have been gamewinners. He had his second career two-point game and first since Nov. 2 vs. Lake Superior State.
Montes is second on the team with nine goals and had his sixth career two-point outing.
The win was the Buckeyes' first over a team ranked in the USCHO Top 3 since defeating No. 1 Minnesota Oct. 28, 2022.

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