No. 7/6 Buckeyes Fall at No. 5/4 Minnesota, 4-1

Friday, February 21

Minneapolis, Minn.

8 pm ET

Ohio State

20-9-2, 13-7-1

Minnesota

22-7-4, 13-5-3

Ohio St.

Minnesota

No. 7/6 Buckeyes Fall at No. 5/4 Minnesota, 4-1

2/21/2025 10:31:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

Box Score PDF Box Score

Teams close weekend series at 6 p.m. ET Saturday

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 7/6 Ohio State men's hockey team lost to No. 5/4 Minnesota, 4-1, Friday in game one of a Big Ten series in Minneapolis. The teams were tied at one after 20 minutes and the Gophers notched the only goal of the second period. Two late goals in the third clinched the win for the home team.

The Buckeyes, who had a four-game winning streak end in the loss, are now 21-8-2 overall, with a 13-7-1 2-2-0 Big Ten ledger. Minnesota is 21-7-4 and 13-5-3 1-2-0 in league play. The Gophers moved three points ahead of the Buckeyes in the Big Ten standings and one point back of first-place Michigan State. Ohio State is now in third. All three teams have clinched a Top 3 finish and home ice for the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.

The Buckeyes and Gophers will wrap up the weekend and regular season series at 6 p.m. ET Saturday, with the game on B1G+ and Ohio State Radio.

The Short Story
Minnesota got on the board at 12:15 of the first, answered by the Buckeyes' Davis Burnside with a minute left in the stanza for a 1-1 game through 20 minutes. The Gophers notched the go-ahead goal at 7:25 of the second. Tallies at 17:34 and 18:39 (empty net) of the third closed out the win for Minnesota. The Buckeyes had the edge in shots, 26-25. Three penalties were called in the game; Minnesota was 0-for-2 with the man advantage, Ohio State 0-for-1.

Quoting head coach Steve Rohlik
"This felt like a playoff game in a great environment. It was a one-goal game until late and we needed one or two more bounces. We need to bounce back tomorrow and be a little bit better than we were tonight."

How it Happened

Minnesota opened the scoring at 12:14 of the first period on a Brody Lamb score from in front.
With 59.1 seconds left in the period, Riley Thompson passed out to Davis Burnside in the high slot and he scored on a backhand. Gunnarwolfe Fontaine had the second assist on the goal, which tied the game at one.
The lone goal of the second was scored by Ryan Chesley at 7:25 for a 2-1 Gopher lead.
Ohio State had the shot advantage in the first, 8-6, and Minnesota was ahead in the second, 13-5.
Minnesota put the game out of reach with two goals in the final 2:26 of regulation. Lamb notched his second of the game at 17:34 and Oliver Moore scored into an empty net at 18:39.
The Buckeyes put 13 shots on net in the third, with Minnesota getting six through.
For the game, Ohio State outshot the Gophers, 26-25. Buckeye goalie Logan Terness played 59:02 and made 21 saves, allowing three goals. Minesota's Liam Souliere had 25 stops in all 60 minutes.
Damien Carfagna led the Buckeyes with three shot blocks and Nathan McBrayer and Fontaine each had two. The Buckeyes blocked 12 shots as a team, Minnesota 15.
Minnesota had two power plays – one in the first period and one in the second – and Ohio State had one opportunity in the opening stanza.

Noting the Buckeyes

Carfagna had a five-game point streak end. He is first on the team with 47 shot blocks, followed by Brent Johnson with 46.
The game was just the sixth time this season Ohio State allowed more than three goals. The Buckeyes are allowing 2.32 goals a game.
Ohio State was held to less than four goals for the first time in five games.
Fontaine leads the Buckeyes with 32 points and is second with 19 assists.
Thompson and Burnside are tied for second with 29 points each. Burnside has 12 goals and 17 assists and Thompson has 16 goals and 13 assists on the year.