Just 52 seconds into overtime, No. 5 Maryland freshman attack Braden Erksa sent a soul-crushing goal to the back of the net, winning the Terrapins the game 12-11 but closing the No. 19 Buckeyes’ home season with a second-straight Big Ten loss Friday. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor
The Buckeyes had it until they didn’t.
Just 52 seconds into overtime, No. 5 Maryland freshman attack Braden Erksa sent a soul-crushing goal to the back of the net, winning the Terrapins the game 12-11 but closing the No. 19 Buckeyes’ (5-6, 1-2 Big Ten) home season with a second-straight Big Ten loss Friday.
“We need to score one more goal,” head coach Nick Myers said.
The Terrapins (7-3, 2-1 Big Ten) trailed all of regulation, yet their Big Ten Freshman of the Week, Erksa, needed under a minute in overtime to win them the battle.
“It’s tough,” graduate midfielder Kyle Borda said. “You put a lot of work in the week, the game plan, and then overtime? It stings.”
For 60 minutes, though, it seemed like the Buckeyes would be victorious.
Freshman midfielder Dillon Magee got Ohio State off to a quick lead with a ball to the back of the net 25 seconds into the matchup, assisted by freshman defenseman Jonny Cool.
Senior attack Colby Smith followed up Magee’s goal with his 11th of the season.
Terrapins junior attack Daniel Kelly responded by tying the game with back-to-back scores.
Sophomore attack Ed Shean, who entered as Ohio State’s goal leader with 19, found his first of the night after three-consecutive scoreless games. Shean had five on the night and now has 24 goals this season.
“He’s super tough,” Myers said. “He’s a guy that’s able to get shots on goal and was able to get the good spots on the field tonight.”
The Buckeyes’ momentum kept going through the second quarter with five goals from three different players, three of which belonged to Shean and two from Borda.
The Terrapins trailed 9-5 heading into halftime despite a pair of goals in the final two minutes by a duo of attackmen, junior Owen Murphy and senior Ryan Siracusa.
In the third quarter, Maryland dominated the midfield with six faceoff wins to the Buckeyes’ zero.
Three goals went in for the Terrapins as a result, though Ohio State’s standout player of the night, Shean, finished the quarter scoring with his fifth.
“We lost a little bit of our momentum, maybe, to a degree,” Myers said. “The guys were holding on but weren’t able to get the quality shots on goal they were able to get early.”
Kelly reached a hat trick in the fourth quarter, scoring the first of three Maryland goals. The Buckeyes were shut out 3-0 in the final 15 minutes of regulation.
With 2:09 left in the quarter, Kelly notched his fourth goal of the night sending the game into overtime.
Maryland senior faceoff Luke Wierman won the faceoff and a ground ball pickup by Terrapins graduate midfielder John Geppert followed. The sequence was complete once Erksa got a good look and let the ball fly past Buckeyes senior goalkeeper Skylar Wahlund and into the back of the net.
“It felt like the game was ours,” Myers said. “We led the entire time.”
Borda said this loss gives Ohio State something to build off as it continues conference play.
“You’ve got to think of the positives and move on, week to week,” Borda said. “It’s a competitive league and you can’t really hang on any losses in the Big Ten.”
The Buckeyes get back to work and meet another top-10 opponent, No. 6 Johns Hopkins, April 15 at Homewood Field.
The game will be televised on ESPNU and is set to begin at 2 p.m.
