The Ohio State men’s hockey team huddles prior to their 6-3 loss to No. 5 Minnesota Saturday in Minneapolis, MN. Credit: Ohio State Athletics
It was a series sweep in Minneapolis, but it wasn’t the sweep that the Buckeyes had hoped for.
No. 7 Ohio State fell to No. 4 Minnesota 4-1 on Friday and 6-3 on Saturday in the Buckeyes’ final road series of the year.
Game 1
The Gophers got on the board 12 minutes into the game with a goal from forward Brody Lamb.
Seven minutes later Ohio State found the equalizer thanks to forward Davis Burnside.
It was all Gophers from there.
A second-period goal from defenseman Ryan Chelsey, followed by Lamb’s second goal of the night in the third that sealed the win for Minnesota.
Minnesota forward Oliver Moore’s late empty-net goal made the final score 4-1.
Game 2
Minnesota dominated the first two periods of game two.
Forwards Connor Kurth scored in the first and Matthew Wood tallied a goal 19 seconds into the second period. At 13:41, Moore picked up his second goal of the series — this one on a power play advantage — and gave the Gophers a 3-0 lead.
The Buckeyes responded and drew within one thanks to two goals from defenseman Aiden Hansen-Bukata and forward Max Montes.
But Kurth found the back of the net and extended the Gophers’ lead to 4-2.
Ohio State drew within one — again — at 13:22 but two empty-net goals at the end cost the Buckeyes a 6-3 loss.
Ohio State (20-10-2, 13-8-1 Big Ten) will face off against No. 10 Michigan (17-12-3, 11-9-2 Big Ten) at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus Thursday and Friday in its last regular season series before postseason play.
