No. 14/rv Buckeyes Rally for 3-2 Win over No. 15 Irish
Ohio State scores three power play goals, with Preston tallying twice
COLUMBUS, Ohio –With three power play goals, the No. 14/rv Ohio State men’s hockey team rallied for a 3-2 victory at No. 15 Notre Dame in game two of a Big Ten series Sunday in Compton Family Ice Arena in Notre Dame, Ind. Quinn Preston had two goals for the Buckeyes, while Mark Cheremeta had a three-point game with a goal and two helpers and Travis Treloar picked up two assists.
The Buckeyes (3-5-0, 3-5-0-0-1-0 B1G) and Irish (4-4-0, 3-3-0-0-0-0 B1G) end the weekend with a split after a 3-0 ND win Saturday. Ohio State will close the first part of its season with home games against Arizona State Thursday and Friday in Value City Arena. Puck drop is set for 5:30 p.m. each night, with the games streamed through BTN Plus and on Ohio State radio.
Ohio State 3, Notre Dame 2 – The Short Story
The Irish controlled play in the first and led 1-0 at intermission, adding a goal at 13:48 of the second for a 2-0 lead. Buckeye Mark Cheremeta scored on the power play at 19:33 to make it a one-goal game entering the third. The Irish appeared to take a 3-1 lead but the Buckeyes challenged for a check from behind (that happened before the goal). After video review, a major was assessed to an Irish player at 3:47 and the Notre Dame goal was taken off the board to reset the game to 2-1. The Buckeyes scored twice in 45 seconds early in the major to tie the game and take the lead, with Quinn Preston scoring both. Ohio State was 3-for-8 on the power play and stopped all five Irish power play chances.
Quoting Buckeye head coach Steve Rohlik
“I’m proud of the guys for continuing to hang in there to get the split. After being behind 2-0, they found a way to rally and get a big win on the road.”
Quoting Buckeye junior Quinn Preston
“Coming into tonight we knew we had to play a lot stronger over pucks and win our 1-on-1 battles. This game was a huge step for us as a team about how we need to play in order to win games. Now we just need to carry what we did tonight into the rest of the year and we will have a lot of success.”
Ohio State vs. Notre Dame
In the First … The Irish held a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes. Alex Steeves scored for the Irish at 7:08, tipping a shot from the point off a faceoff win. Shots were 9-2 in favor of Notre Dame.
In the Second … The Irish moved the advantage to 2-0 at 13:48, with Nate Clurman scoring from the high slot. At 19:33 Mark Cheremeta redirected a Travis Treloar shot five-hole to put the Buckeyes on the board, with Grant Gabriele picking up the second assist. Ohio State ended the period ahead in shots, 13-6.
In the Third … The Irish put the puck in the net less than four minutes into the period. The Buckeyes challenged for a penalty prior to the goal and after video review the officials assessed an Irish player a major, taking the ND goal off the board and putting the Buckeyes on a major power play at 3:47. Twelve seconds into the major the puck went into the net off Quinn Preston’s skate. Originally called no goal on the ice, video review overturned the call, tying the game at two at 3:59. Assists on the goal were credited to Cheremeta and Gustaf Westlund. Just 45 seconds later Preston put the Buckeyes ahead. Cheremeta put the puck toward net and Preston was there to knock it in at 4:44. Treloar assisted on the tally, Preston’s team-best fourth of the year.
The Buckeyes killed two penalties in the final half of the period, including an Irish chance at 15:54. With more than two minutes remaining, the Irish pulled their goalie for the extra attacker (starting while still on the power play). After that, Ohio State held the Irish to just one shot on goal, along with blocking two shots, to close out the win.
Shots … The Buckeyes outshot the Irish, 21-19, in the game. Tommy Nappier played 59:37 for the Buckeyes and had 17 stops. Notre Dame’s Dylan St. Cyr made 18 saves in 57:24.
The Buckeyes blocked 20 Notre Dame shot attempts, with Ryan O’Connell, Gabriele and CJ Regula each blocking three.
Special Teams … The Buckeyes converted a season-high 3-of-8 power play chances, while the penalty kill was a perfect 5-for-5, allowing just two shots on goal.
Noting the Buckeyes … Ohio State has split its last three Big Ten series … Cheremeta had a career-best three points and his second two-assist night as a Buckeye; he leads the team with six assists and is second with seven points … Preston had his fourth career two-goal game and second two-point game of the season (his 10th career multiple-point outing); he is tied for second nationally with three power play goals … Treloar had his second two-assist and third two-point night of the season and leads the team with eight points.
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