COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State opened Big Ten play with its biggest win of the young season on Saturday, then came up just short of a sweep on Sunday, as the Buckeyes split their weekend series with No. 1-ranked Michigan at the Schottenstein Center.
Ohio State defeated the previously undefeated Wolverines 5-2 on Saturday, according to Ohio State Athletics. After a scoreless first period, Jake Karabela opened the scoring on a power play at 7:40 of the second period, and Evan Jardine doubled the lead just over three minutes later. Michigan scored late in the second, and the Buckeyes carried a 2-1 lead into the second intermission.
Sascha Boumedienne pushed the lead to 3-1 at 9:45 of the third period with his first goal as a Buckeye, Ohio State Athletics reported. Michigan pulled within one at 16:49 with an extra-attacker goal, but Sam Deckhut and James Hong scored into the empty net in the final 1:31 to close out the victory.
Ohio State led in shots, 32-28, and freshman goaltender Jakub Milota made 26 saves, Ohio State Athletics said. The Buckeyes were 1-for-3 on the power play, killed both Michigan power plays, and blocked 13 shots as a team. The win was Ohio State’s first over a No. 1-ranked team since a road victory over Michigan State on Feb. 27, and it improved the Buckeyes to 3-4 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play while Michigan fell to 7-1 and 0-1.
Michigan answered in Sunday night’s rematch, winning 5-4 in overtime to gain the series split, according to Yardbarker’s recap of the series. Yardbarker reported that Michael Spence tied the game late in the third period and Adam Valentini scored the winner with less than a minute left in the 3-on-3 overtime, with Michael Hage assisting on both the tying and winning goals.
The split leaves Ohio State with a statement result to build on: a win over the nation’s top-ranked team, which had won its first seven games and had beaten the Buckeyes in the rivals’ previous six meetings, according to Michigan Athletics’ recap of Saturday’s game, as reported in coverage of the series.
Ohio State and Michigan will meet again on Jan. 22-23 at Michigan to close out their regular-season series, according to Yardbarker. Before then, the Buckeyes continue Big Ten play looking to carry Saturday’s defensive effort — two penalty kills, 13 blocked shots and a 26-save night from Milota — into the rest of the conference schedule.
For Columbus hockey fans, the weekend offered an early-season measure of where Ohio State stands: good enough to hand the country’s No. 1 team its first loss, and close enough on Sunday that the rematch in Ann Arbor in January will carry real weight in the Big Ten standings.
Photo: JonRidinger, CC BY-SA