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Ohio State then-freshman forward Stephen Halliday (19) looks to make a play during the then-No.10-then-No.4 Michigan game Jan. 14, 2023. Ohio State won 4-2. Credit: Lantern File Photo

Follow-up shots may have prevented the Buckeyes from sweeping their weekend series against Notre Dame Saturday night. 

Ohio State (9-9-4, 1-9-2 Big Ten) fell to Notre Dame (11-11-2, 5-7-2 Big Ten) 5-2 in Value City Arena at the Schottenstein Center due to a common trend that persisted throughout the game.

Lifted by the second period, which saw the Fighting Irish outscore the Buckeyes 2-0, Notre Dame’s senior captain Landon Slaggert made all the difference. The Chicago Blackhawks prospect scored two goals in two separate periods, propelling Notre Dame over the Buckeyes.

Ohio State head coach Steve Rohlik gave the start to freshman goalie Kristoffer Eberly, who is in a tight goaltender competition. Despite the loss, Rohlik said he believes Eberly performed well but the team has to do a better job of helping him.

“I think both our goalies have been really good in practice, and I think Ebs played great tonight,” Rohlik said. “We just did not support him.” 

The first period was one for the fans as it featured four goals and a two-goal comeback from the Buckeyes.

Notre Dame’s senior forward Grant Silianoff started the goal fest, grabbing his goal off of an offensive zone faceoff. The Fighting Irish have made the faceoff dot a specialty of theirs, as they came into Saturday’s contest ranked ninth in collegiate hockey with a 54.1% win rate. 

It did not take long for the Fighting Irish to double their lead. Eighty-five seconds after the Silianoff goal, Slaggert scored what would be his first of two goals of the evening.

The Buckeyes managed to cut Notre Dame’s lead in half as a neutral zone turnover led to a two-men breakaway for freshman forward Max Montes, who tucked away a cross-crease pass from senior forward Joe Dunlap. 

The common theme of the game was immediate follow-up goals as the Buckeyes evened the score with a slot wrist shot by sophomore forward and leading Ohio State point-getter Stephen Halliday. 

Notre Dame continued its scoring in the second period when it broke the tie off of a tic-tac-toe goal scored by graduate forward and New Jersey Devils prospect Patrick Moynihan 13 minutes into the second period.

As the Fighting Irish continued scoring, they also continued the common theme of the game. 

Less than two minutes after the Moynihan goal, Ohio State went down a man due to a hooking penalty on Montes. Notre Dame took advantage of the power play with Slaggert earning his second goal of the night, bringing his season tally to 15. 

Slaggert’s goal was assisted by Moynihan, making it his third point of the game and fourth point of the weekend. 

Notre Dame continued to push its lead even further with a mid-third-period goal by graduate senior Trevor Janicke, who, after a defensive zone turnover by the Buckeyes, found himself all alone in the slot and was able to put the puck behind Eberly. 

The night was wrapped up by a fight that brewed from a collision along the boards in Ohio State’s defensive zone as the time expired. 

“I was playing until the last whistle, got punched in the head and had a teammate stand up for me,” fifth-year defenseman Scooter Brickey said.

Notre Dame outshot the Buckeyes 43-32 on Saturday, however, Rohlik said that isn’t the biggest area of concern right now.  

“I am not concerned with the shots on net as much as I am concerned by the ones that end up going in the net,” Rohlik said.

The Buckeyes face off against No. 12 Minnesota in Minneapolis Friday night. 

Ohio State split the series in Columbus back in early December. The puck drop begins at 8  p.m.