For the third time this season, MSU and Ohio State would need more than 65 minutes of regulation and overtime combined to determine the winner, and for the second straight night, MSU fell in a shootout.
MSU (8-13-6 overall, 2-5-5-3 Big Ten) and Ohio State (14-9-3, 4-5-3-2) played to a 2-2 tie Saturday afternoon at Munn Ice Arena, with Ohio State winning the shootout to earn the additional point. Freshman forward Nick Schilkey had the lone shootout goal.
It was the fifth time the additional point was determined by a shootout for MSU. The Spartans now are 3-2 in shootouts, after dropping two this weekend.
In all four games between MSU and Ohio State, the Spartans carried a one-goal lead into the third period and in each came out without a victory.
MSU was lead in scoring by Wolfe’s two power play goals, giving him three in the two-game series. Ohio State junior forward Matt Johnson also had two goals in the game on the other side.
MSU finished the weekend earnings two points, with ties and shootout losses on both nights. Despite earning points both nights, the locker room had the feeling of two losses.
“We’re disappointed, we had them down going into the third period both nights,” senior forward and captain Greg Wolfe said. “Obviously not a great feeling losing two shootouts, but we’ve had our fair share this year, it’s kind of a coin flip and came up short.”
Wolfe also said the ties were frustrating, but there were positives the team can take away from the series to move forward.
Ohio State took the early lead on an odd-man rush created off a blocked shot.
Buckeye senior forward Alex Lippincott blocked MSU redshirt freshman Brock Krygier’s shot from the point, then won the race to the puck.
Lippincott made a pretty spin move around Spartan sophomore forward Justin Hoomaian, and found a streaking Johnson, who walked around sophomore goaltender Jake Hildebrand to give the Buckeyes the early 1-0 lead.
The goal came only 3:29 into the game, after MSU held Ohio State scoreless through the first 58 minutes the night before.
Johnson’s goal was the lone goal of the first period.
Wolfe would get MSU on the board within the first minute of the second period. Only 41 seconds into the period, Wolfe buried a slap shot into the left upper corner tying the game at one all.
Senior forward Lee Reimer carried the puck into the zone before passing it to Wolfe. Junior forward Matt Berry also had an assist on the play.
The goal was on power play, after Ohio State junior forward Nick Oddo was called for goaltender interference 23 seconds before.
MSU would take advantage of another power play, with Wolfe scoring his second of the game giving MSU the 2-1 lead. Wolfe used the slapshot again, this time ringing it off the crossbar before going in with 1:34 left in the period. The shot came from just inside the zone from the middle of the ice.
Senior defenseman Jake Chelios passed the puck to Wolfe, with Berry also recording another assist.
Ohio State finished the period with four penalties, with MSU cashing in on two.
Head coach Tom Anastos said before the game he talked to Wolfe and Chelios about looking for a one-timer opportunity while on the power play, just like the second goal.
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“We talked before the game, I talked to (Wolfe) and Jake (Chelios), I thought that one-time option was available to them if they recognize it during the course of time,” Anastos said. “It’s funny how some things work and some things don’t, and that one seemed to.”
Ohio State tied the game at 2-2 off another Johnson goal with 8:59 left in the third.
Sophomore defenseman John Draeger turned the puck over in the neutral zone creating an offensive opportunity for Ohio State.
Lippincott tipped the puck to Johnson after the Draeger turnover, with Johnson going in and putting on a similar move as his first goal, this time sliding it between Hildebrand’s legs.
Ohio State would secure the momentum and dominate the remainder of the game and
overtime, but MSU was given an opportunity to win late in overtime.
Sophomore forward Michael Ferrantino had a one-timer opportunity in front of the net in with 1:36 left in overtime, but Ohio State freshman goaltender Christian Frey made a spectacular glove save.
Afterward, Ferrantino said MSU executed the drawn up play perfectly, he just needed to finish.
“I thought it was in to be honest with you, and it wasn’t,” Ferrantino said. “That’s got to go in the net, there’s really no excuse for that at all, but credit their goalie —(he) made a good save.”
Hildebrand finished with 48 saves, matching his career high set earlier this year against Penn State on Jan. 17. Hildebrand saved 88 of 92 shots in the weekend series.
MSU will now be on the road for the rest of the month, starting next weekend in a two-game series at Penn State. MSU swept Penn State when the Nittany Lions came to Munn Ice Arena in January.
