Ohio State sophomore forward Tanner Laczynski controls the puck during a 4-0 loss to Penn State on Dec. 2. Credit: Nick Hudak | For the Lantern
No. 9 Ohio State (12-4-4, 5-4-1-0 Big Ten) swept Niagara (9-9-1, 8-4-1 Atlantic) in a two-game home stand that featured a 3-2 victory that went down to the final seconds, and a 4-1 win that was in hand from start to finish.
Game One
After a hot two-goal start, the Buckeyes looked to be in control of the game, but Niagara never gave in, and the Purple Eagles erased the deficit with just over five minutes left in the third period.
Sophomore forward Tanner Lacyznski buried the game-winner for the Buckeyes with just 6.3 seconds remaining to secure the 3-2 Ohio State victory, and keep the winning streak going.
Laczynski found the puck on a rebound off a shot by junior forward Freddy Gerard, and Laczynski buried the chance past freshman goalie Brian Wilson to seal the win.
The Buckeyes scored two goals in 31 seconds in the first period to take a quick 2-0 lead over Niagara. Sophomore defenseman Matt Miller opened the scoring, followed quickly by sophomore forward Sam McCormick, who tipped a shot from redshirt senior defenseman Matt Joyaux on the way to the net for his first goal of the season.
The Purple Eagles cut the deficit to one in the second period on a 4-on-3 power play opportunity that led to a goal by junior forward Johnny Curran.
Niagara kept the pressure up, outshooting Ohio State 22-17 after being badly outshot in the first period. The pressure paid off when senior defenseman James Roll tied the game late in the third period.
The 2-2 tie held until Laczynski’s goal.
Game Two
The second matchup in the series ended in a much more decisive fashion, with the Buckeyes putting four in the back of the net on the way to a 4-1 victory.
Ohio State used two power play goals to lift themselves to its fourth straight victory, all of which have been on home ice.
Freshman goalie Tommy Nappier made his second career start for Ohio State in the game and made 27 saves to secure his second career victory.
Miller scored for the third straight game, this time just a minute into the first period, to open the scoring up for Ohio State. Senior forward Matthew Weis made it 2-0 seven minutes later.
Weis scored two of the Ohio State goals, the second of which came from a series of passes on the man advantage that left Weis wide open in the slot. Junior forward Mason Jobst and sophomore forward Ronnie Hein earned the assists on the play.
Junior forward Nick Farmer scored the lone goal for Niagara in the second to make it 2-1, but Weis scored his second of the game to give Ohio State a secure 3-1 lead heading into the third.
The Buckeyes added some insurance in the third on a goal by redshirt junior forward John Wiitala, and Ohio State didn’t give up a goal the rest of the way.
