Buckeyes Win Back and Forth Game vs Minnesota in OT, 6-5

Friday, December 5

Columbus, Ohio

6 p.m.

Ohio State

6-10-0, 2-6-0

Minnesota

8-10-1, 4-4-0

OT 1

Minnesota

Ohio State

Buckeyes Win Back and Forth Game vs Minnesota in OT, 6-5

12/5/2025 10:13:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

Box Score

Freshman Jake Karabela notched three points, including OT winner

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State men's hockey closed out the 2025 portion of its schedule with a 6-5 overtime win against Minnesota Friday in Value City Arena. The Buckeyes (6-10, 2-6 B1G) trailed 2-1 after the first and were ahead 4-3 entering the third. The Gophers (8-10-1, 4-4-0 B1G) took a 5-4 lead in the third but Adam Eisele tied the game and Jake Karabela notched the overtime winner for the Buckeyes.

The Short Story
Buckeye Felix Caron opened the scoring with a power play goal 9:38 into the first but two Gopher goals in just over a minute late in the period gave Minnesota a 2-1 lead through 20 minutes. In the second, Ohio State tied the game twice. James Hong deadlocked the score at 2:06. The teams traded power play goals at 10:02 and 13:22, with Davis Burnside scoring for the Buckeyes, for a 3-3 game. Nathan McBrayer then put the Buckeyes in the lead at 17:01 and they carried the 4-3 lead into intermission. Back-to-back Gopher goals in less than three minutes lifted Minnesota to a 5-4 edge at 7:38 of the third. At 9:23 Buckeye forward Adam Eisele again tied the score. In overtime, Burnside set up Jake Karabela for the winner at 1:11.

Shots were 36-19 in favor of the Buckeyes in the game. Ohio State was 2-for-3 on the power play and Minnesota was 1-for-1. Karabela had a career-high three points, with a goal and two assists, while Caron and Burnside both had a goal and a helper for two points and Max Montes and Broten Sabo both picked up two assists.

The Schedule Ahead

The Buckeyes will return to action Jan. 2-3 with a home-and-home nonconference series against Bowling Green. The teams will meet in Columbus for game one, with puck drop at 6:30 p.m., and in Bowling Green for game two at 6:07 p.m. The home game is Ohio State's Our Honor Defend Military Appreciation night.
Ohio State will be back in Big Ten play the following weekend, hosting No. 3 Michigan State Jan. 9-10.
Following a road trip to Notre Dame Jan. 23-24, the Buckeyes will host No. 1 Michigan Jan. 30-31.

How it Happened

Felix Caron opened the scoring at 9:38 on the Buckeyes' first power play chance, as his shot from above the right faceoff circle went off a Gopher and in, assisted by Jake Karabela and Max Montes.
The Gophers scored the next two goals, from Tate Pritchard at 17:34 and Mason Moe at 18:46, and led 2-1 through the first period.
The Buckeyes had the first 10 shots of the game and outshot the Gophers in the first, 13-8.
Just 2:06 into the second Buckeye sophomore James Hong tallied on a wraparound to tie the game at two. Max Montes and Ethan Straky assisted on the score, Hong's second of the year.
Minnesota converted its lone power play chance of the game at 10:02 on a Brodie Ziemer goal.
Ohio State responded with its own power play tally for a 3-3 game. Up high, Broten Sabo passed behind his back to Caron, who found Burnside inside the faceoff circle for a one-timer at 13:22.
Nathan McBrayer put the Buckeyes in the lead at 17:01, as his shot toward the net deflected in, assisted by Nathan Lewis and Ryan Gordon.
Shots were 10-6 in favor of Minnesota in the second and each team had one power play chance.
In the third, Minnesota's Jimmy Clark tied the game at 4:41 and Ziemer put the Gophers ahead 5-4 at 7:38.
Adam Eisele tied the game at five-all at 9:23. Thomas Weis carried in and his shot went behind the net to Karabela. He gathered it and set up Eisle just inside the faceoff circle.
Neither team scored through the rest of regulation. Ohio State had 12 shots in the third, with Minnesota putting five on net. The Buckeyes had the only power play chance, coming at 14:30.
In overtime, Sabo left the puck for Burnside, who carried into the Gopher zone. On the rush, he passed to Karabela, whose shot went far side, off the post and in at 1:11 for the Buckeye win. It was the only shot on goal in overtime.
For the game, the Buckeyes were ahead in shots, 36-19. Kristoffer Eberly had 14 saves in 61:11 for Ohio State and Minnesota's Nathan Airey made 30 stops in 61:11. Minnesota blocked 27 Ohio State shot attempts, while the Buckeyes had four shot blocks.
The Buckeyes were 2-for-3 on the power play and Minnesota converted its one chance.

Buckeye This and That

Karabela had a career-high three points, marking his third career two-assist game. He has a 3-11-14 line on the year to share the team point lead and is first on the squad in assists.
Caron now has three multiple point outings this season, with two two-point nights. He had 14 points on the year, with seven goals and seven assists.
Eisele leads the Buckeyes with eight goals, tying for third with 12 points.
Montes has a 7-5-12 line on the year and had his fourth career two-assist night (the first since Jan. 30 vs. Michigan State).
Burnside has 18 two-point games as a Buckeye and now has 43 goals and 48 assists for 91 points in 134 games. This year he has 11 points, on six goals and five assists.
Gordon is second on the team with nine assists this season.
The win was the Buckeyes' first in overtime this season after falling in each of the first four overtime contests. The squad is 1-7 in one-goal games this year.
The Buckeyes are 12-for-50 (.240) on the power play this season.
The six goals were a season high for Ohio State.