No. 11/12 Buckeyes Fall at No. 2 Michigan, 5-3
Series finale Saturday closes the regular season for Ohio State
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 11/12 Ohio State men’s hockey team lost the series opener to No. 2 Michigan, 5-3, Friday in Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich. The Buckeyes led 1-0 after the first period but Michigan scored three times in the first 7:34 of the second to take a 3-1 lead. Ohio State rallied with a goal in the second and one in the third, but a late Wolverine power play tally stood as the gamewinner and the win was sealed with an empty net score.
Ohio State is now 21-10-2 on the year and 13-8-2-1-1-1 in Big Ten play. Michigan is 24-7-1 and 15-6-0-0-3-0 in league play. The teams will close the season series at 8:30 p.m. Saturday in the final regular season game for the Buckeyes. BTN will televise the contest, with the broadcast on the Fox Sports app and Ohio State Radio also on the call.
Quoting head coach Steve Rohlik
“This was a tough loss on the road. Basically another one-goal game. In games like that, it often comes down to the team that makes the least mistakes. We took too many penalties and they won special teams tonight.”
The Short Story
The Buckeyes scored the only goal of the first period, as Kamil Sadlocha put in the rebound of a Quinn Preston wraparound attempt at 19:40. Michigan scored at 2:01, 3:44 and 7:34 (on the power play) of the second for a 3-1 lead. Just 14 seconds later Gustaf Westlund completed a 2-on-1 with Tate Singleton for a one-goal game after 40 minutes. At 4:02 of the third Travis Treloar tied the game with a power play goal. The Wolverines notched a power play goal of their own at 13:19 to break the deadlock and sealed the win with an empty net goal with 31 seconds left.
Shots were 37-25 in favor of Michigan, which was 2-for-5 on the power play, with Ohio State 1-for-3.
How it Happened
• Late in the first, Quinn Preston took a pass from Jake Wise and went behind the Wolverine net. His shot was stopped, but Kamil Sadlocha pushed it over the line for his seventh goal of the year, which came at 19:40.
• Shots were 9-8 in favor of Michigan in the opening period. The Wolverines had the only power play chance of the stanza.
• Just 2:01 into the second Thomas Bordeleau tied the game and 1:43 later Luke Hughes put the Wolverines ahead. Just after the Buckeyes killed a penalty, they were assessed a too many men penalty for a second straight UM chance and Dylan Duke scored from in close at 7:34 for a 3-1 Michigan lead.
• On the next shift, Travis Treloar sent a rink-wide pass through the Michigan defense to Tate Singleton on the left wing, setting up a 2-on-1. Gustaf Westlund converted a Singleton pass at 7:48 to make it a one-goal game (3-2).
• The teams combined for 27 shots in the second, with Michigan ahead, 16-11.
• With the Buckeyes on the power play, a Treloar shot from the faceoff circle got through at 4:02 to tie the game at three. Grant Gabriele and Westlund assisted on the goal, Treloar’s seventh of the year.
• Michigan scored its second power play goal of the night at 13:19, as Nick Blankenburg put in a rebound for a 4-3 Wolverine advantage.
• Ohio State had another power play chance at 15:33 and did not convert. The Buckeyes skated with the net empty in the final minute and Hughes sealed the win with a goal.
• Shots were 12-6 Michigan in the third and each team had two power play chances.
• For the game, the Buckeyes were outshot, 37-25. Jakub Does had 32 saves in 59:28 for the Buckeyes. Oho State blocked 18 shots, led by Cole McWard and Ryan O’Connell with three each.
• Ohio State was 1-for-3 on the power play, with Michigan 2-for-5.
Buckeye This and That
• Treloar and Westlund both had two-point nights with a goal and an assist to lead the Buckeyes in scoring.
• The loss ended a seven-game unbeaten streak for the Buckeyes in road games and was their first regulation road loss since Dec. 4 at Notre Dame.
• With an assist, Gabriele hit the 20-point mark for the first time in his career. It was his 50th career point and he is the 14th Buckeye defenseman since 2003-04 to reach 50 points.
• Treloar’s goal was his team-best fourth power play tally.
• Dobes has a 2.22 goals-against average and .933 save percentage this season.
• Ohio State is averaging 3.58 goals per game on the year and had its 23rd game with three or more tallies.
• Wise is second on the team with 17 assists and third with 27 points.
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