No. 8/10 Buckeyes End Regular Season with Loss to No. 11 Wolverines, 4-3

Friday, February 28

Columbus, Ohio

6 pm

Ohio State

21-11-2, 14-9-1

Michigan

18-13-3, 12-10-2

Michigan

Ohio State

No. 8/10 Buckeyes End Regular Season with Loss to No. 11 Wolverines, 4-3

2/28/2025 10:47:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey

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Ohio State rally falls short

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 8/10 Ohio State men's hockey team closed out the regular season with a 4-3 loss to No. 11 Michigan Friday in Value City Arena in Columbus.

Michigan opened the scoring but Ohio State tied the game before the end of the first. A three-goal second period for the Wolverines pushed the lead to 4-1. Ohio State tallied at 12:33 and 18:42 of the third to move within one but could draw no closer.

The Buckeyes are 21-11-2 overall and have a 14-9-1 3-2-0 Big Ten record (42 points), good for third place in the final standings and the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. Michigan is 18-13-3 with a 12-10-2 5-1-2 B1G mark in fourth place (36 points). Each team had a regulation and an overtime win in the series this season.

The Ohio State Class of 2025 – Caden Brown, Joe Dunlap, Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, Patrick Guzzo, Aiden Hansen-Bukata, Brent Johnson, Reilly Herbst and Logan Terness – was recognized pregame.

B1G Tournament Up Next

Ohio State will be the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and will host a quarterfinal best-of-three series next weekend in Nationwide Arena against No. 6 seed Wisconsin. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. March 7, 8 and 9 (if necessary).
Ticket information will be announced early next week.
The No. 1 seed will earn a quarterfinal bye and host a semifinal game March 15. The highest remaining seed will host the other semifinal matchup March 15. The highest remaining seed will host the championship game March 22.

How it Happened

A shot from the point got through at 4:02 of the first for a 1-0 Michigan lead.
The Buckeyes tied the game with their own goal through a screen, with Brent Johnson converting at 13:38. Nathan McBrayer and Patrick Guzzo had the assists on the goal.
Shots were 9-7 in favor of Michigan in the first and each team had one power play chance in the stanza.
The Wolverines scored three times in the middle period. Tyler Duke broke the tie at 2:01, T.J. Hughes converted on a 4x3 power play at 6:49 and William Whitelaw scored at 11:42.
Michigan had the shot advantage in the second, 15-7, and was 1-for-2 on the power play, with Ohio State 0-for-1.
The Buckeyes rallied but were unable to complete the comeback in the third.
Joe Dunlap tallied 4x4 at 12:32, picking up the puck in the Buckeye zone and racing down the wing, scoring on the fly. Aiden Hansen-Bukata assisted on the tally.
An Ohio State potential goal went off both posts and out with 2:59 remaining.
With the Buckeye net empty and the teams 4x4 for a 5x4 Ohio State advantage, Max Montes tallied at 18:42 for a one-goal game (4-3). Damien Carfagna and Gunnarwolfe Fontaine posted the helpers on the goal.
The Buckeyes had the shot advantage in the third, 10-8, but were outshot in the game, 32-24.
Ohio State goalie Kristoffer Eberly had 28 saves in 58:35. Michigan's Logan Stein made 21 stops in 59:43.
The Buckeyes blocked 15 Wolverine shot attempts, led by Johnson with three.
Ohio State was 0-for-4 on the power play and the penalty kill was 6-for-7.

Noting the Buckeyes

Fontaine has a team-best 34 points (13g, 21a).
Hansen-Bukata leads the Buckeyes with 22 assists and is fourth with 24 points.
Ohio State is 13-3-1 at home this year.
Montes tallied his 12th goal and now has 23 points. Dunlap has five goals and 17 points.
Johnson marked his fourth goal – and 12th point – this season.
The Buckeyes are 6-3 in one-goal games this season.