No. 7/6 Buckeyes Drop Game Two at No. 5/4 Minnesota, 6-3

Saturday, February 22

Minneapolis, Minn.

6 pm ET

Ohio State

20-10-2, 13-8-1

Minnesota

23-7-4, 14-5-3

Ohio St.

Minnesota

No. 7/6 Buckeyes Drop Game Two at No. 5/4 Minnesota, 6-3

2/22/2025 10:25:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

Box Score PDF Box Score

Ohio State wraps up regular season at home vs. Michigan Thursday-Friday

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 7/6 Ohio State men's hockey team fell in game two at No. 5/4 Minnesota, 6-3, Saturday to wrap up the weekend and regular season series between the teams. The Gophers led 1-0 after the first and 3-0 in the second period. The Buckeyes closed the game to one twice, but two empty net goals helped seal the Gopher victory.

The Buckeyes are now 21-9-2 overall, with a 13-7-1 2-2-0 Big Ten ledger. Minnesota is 21-7-4 and 14-5-3 1-2-0 in league play. The Gophers moved ahead of Michigan State and into first place in the Big Ten with 46 points. The Spartans have 44 points and Ohio State is in third with 40. All three teams have clinched a Top 3 finish and home ice for the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, with the regular season wrapping up next week.

The Short Story
Minnesota led 1-0 after the first period and scored on the power play 19 seconds into the second for a 2-0 advantage. The Gophers went ahead 3-0 at 13:41 of the second before Aiden Hansen Bukata answered 36 seconds later for a 3-1 game. Max Montes tallied 3:35 into the third to draw the Buckeyes within one. The Gophers again pushed ahead by two at 10:35, with Ryan Gordon responding at 13:22 for a one-goal game (4-3). Minnesota tallied an empty net goal at 18:24 for a 5-3 lead; the Buckeyes appeared to draw within one again, but Minnesota challenged for offside and the goal was overturned. Minnesota sealed the win with an empty net goal in the final minute.

Ohio State was outshot, 40-19, with Logan Terness making 34 saves for the Buckeyes.

Quoting head coach Steve Rohlik
"We got off to a really poor start, which put us in a big hole. I give our guys a ton of credit for battling to the end."

The Schedule Ahead

The regular season wraps up with a home series vs. No. 10/11 Michigan next week. Puck drop is slated for 8 p.m. Thursday and 6 p.m. Friday in Value City Arena.
Game one vs. the Wolverines is a Wear Scarlet game and there will be a sweatshirt giveaway for the first 700 Ohio State students. Game two will be Senior Night, with a ceremony pregame. There will be a pom pom giveaway for fans and a Burger King crown giveaway for students.
Single game and group tickets are on sale now. Ticket information and purchasing options are online and fans can also contact the Ohio State Athletics Ticket Office at 1-800-GOBUCKS (select Option 2, then Option 2) or Athletic.tix@osu.edu. Customer service representatives are available via phone Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Parking is free for all men's hockey home games.

How it Happened

Minnesota controlled play in the first, outshooting the Buckeyes, 17-5. Connor Kurth opened the scoring at 12:41 and the Gophers led 1-0 through 20 minutes.
On a carryover power play, Oliver Moore doubled the Gopher lead 19 seconds into the second and at 13:41 Matthew Wood put the home team up 3-0.
An Aiden Hansen-Bukata slapshot off a Sam Deckhut pass at 14:17 put the Buckeyes on the board. Damien Carfagna had the second assist on the tally, Hansen-Bukata's second of the year.
Shots were 9-8 in favor of Minnesota in the second period.
Max Montes drew the Buckeyes within one at 3:35 of the third, scoring from the faceoff circle after a Gopher turnover.
Kurth notched his second of the game at 10:35 for a 4-2 Minnesota lead.
Ryan Gordon took a pass from Jake Rozzi and went through the Gopher defense for a goal at 13:22, cutting the Minnesota lead to one (4-3). Theo Wallberg also assisted on the tally.
With time running down, the Buckeyes pulled their goalie for the extra attacker. Minnesota's Brody Lamb tallied at 18:24 for a two-goal cushion.
With 1:13 remaining, the Buckeyes appeared to cut the lead to one, but Minnesota challenged for offside and the goal was overturned after review.
Jimmy Snuggerud closed the game with an empty net goal at 19:20.
Shots were 14-6 in favor of Minnesota in the third period and ended with Minnesota ahead 40-19 for the game.
Logan Terness made 34 saves for the Buckeyes in 58:53 and Liam Souliere had 16 stops in 59:46.
The Buckeyes blocked 14 shots, led by Riley Thompson and Carfagna with three each.
Minnesota had the game's only three power plays, with all three penalties called in the first period.

Noting the Buckeyes

The game was just the seventh time this season Ohio State allowed more than three goals. The Buckeyes are allowing 2.32 goals a game.
Ohio State has scored at least three goals in five of the last six games and is averaging 3.28 a game on the year.
It was the first time since Nov. 24, 2020 at Minnesota the Buckeyes did not have a power play chance.
Montes is fourth on the squad with 11 goals this season, adding 11 assists for 22 points.
Carfagna (6g, 17a) and Hansen-Bukata (2g, 21) are tied for fourth on the team with 23 points each and lead the Ohio State blueliners in scoring.