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BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – Ohio State, seeking a third appearance in the NCAA Frozen Four, fell just short with a 4-1 loss to overall No. 2 seed Quinnipiac Sunday afternoon in the East Regional Final at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Conn.
Ohio State closes its season with a 21-16-3 record while Quinnipiac, 32-4-3, moves on to the Frozen Four in Tampa, Fla., April 6/8.
Fifth-year senior forward Jake Wise and sophomore defenseman Mason Lohrei were named to the Bridgeport Regional All-Tournament team following Sunday’s game.
The Short Story
Ohio State scored first – a breakaway goal by Joe Dunlap in the first two minutes of the game – and outshot the Bobcats by a healthy, 18-shot margin (35-17) for the game. The Bobcats scored twice in a 15 second span in the first period and the game stayed, 2-1, until late in the third when Quinnipiac scored the all-important goal to gain a two-goal advantage, and then later added an empty-netter.
Ohio State was 0-for-4 on the power play while Quinnipiac was 1-on-4 with its goal the decisive, third-period score that gave it a 3-1 lead.
Game Notes & Narrative
- The first period was one of fast skating and heavy hits and ended with Quinnipiac ahead, 2-1.
- Ohio State scored just 1:27 into the first period to take a 1-0 lead.
- Joe Dunlap, who had a goal and an assist Friday in the opening round win over Harvard, intercepted a pass at his own blue line and outskated two Quinnipiac defenders while charging in on goalie Yaniv Perets. Dunlap went to his backhand for a flick that Perez stopped with his right pad, but he was sliding into the net and the puck followed ever so slightly across the goal line for the early Buckeye lead.
- Quinnipiac tied the score and then took the lead in a span of 15 seconds.
- Christophe Fillion banged home a rebound from in front of the net at 6:40, and then Skyler Brind’Amour scored at 6:25 off a shot that rebounded off the back dasher board and deflected to the front of the net where he was lurking.
- Less than a minute later, the Bobcats went on the power play as Stephen Halliday was called for slashing.
- The Buckeyes held, though, limiting the Bobcats to just one shot on goal that Jakub Dobes smothered.
- Ohio State started the second period strong, stringing together multiple strong shifts and firing a handful of shots early but none were able to get behind Perets.
- The Buckeyes went on the power play just over six minutes into the period and had two shots on goal.
- Four minutes later the Bobcats had the man advantage; Jaedon Leslie was called for interference. Ohio State killed it off again.
- Dobes was strong in the net in the period, making a big pad save with just over five minutes to play to keep the score at 2-1.
- Aggressive pressure by the Buckeyes late in the period caused another Quinnipiac penalty with 2:07 to play. Lohrei had a couple of shots on goal and Singleton had one but none were able to beat Perets.
- The period ended with Cam Thiesing getting a 2 minute minor at the buzzer for boarding, and so the Buckeyes started out the third a man down.
- Ohio State outshot Quinnipiac, 15-3, in the second period.
- The best scoring chance of the Quinnipiac power play to start the third was Buckeye Patrick Guzzo bearing down on Perets, who came out of the net aggressively to thwart the opportunity.
- Ohio State went back on the power play with 10:38 to play; Bobcat Sam Lipkin was called for cross checking a downed Buckeye at the side of the net. Ohio State did not get a shot on goal.
- Quinnipiac went to work on the power play at 6:28 as Gustaf Westlund was called for boarding.
- The Buckeyes immediately charged down the ice with Tate Singleton getting a backhand on goal that Perets saved.
- But the Bobcats finally broke through with the man advantage. Tellier scored Quinnipiac’s third goal and his second of the game on a play late on the power play despite a near miraculous glove save by Dobes.
- The Bobcats then added an empty netter with two minutes remaining as Ohio State pulled Dobes with 3:51 left to play.
Buckeye This and That
- After each team had five shots on goal in the first period, Ohio State held a 26 to 8 advantage in shots on goal the rest of the game.
- Ohio State was 16-3-1 coming into this game when scoring first.
- This was the 10th game between Ohio State and Quinnipiac, with the Bobcats leading the series 6-3-1. The teams last played in October of 2012.
- Both teams were playing to reach their third Frozen Four.
- Ohio State’s season record included an 8-9-1 mark in games against 2023 NCAA Tournament teams.
- This marks Ohio State’s 10th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The squad reached the Frozen Four in 2018, under Steve Rohlik, and 1998, and also earned NCAA invites in 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2017 and 2019.
