Ohio State graduate defenseman Aiden Hansen-Bukata (20) skates onto the ice prior to scoring his first goal as a Buckeye against Bowling Green State University on Friday. The Buckeyes won 3-1 against the Falcons. Credit: Danielle Hershenson | Lantern Reporter
Two early goals helped the No. 19 Buckeyes defeat their in-state rival Bowling Green in a gritty first-weekend series contest.
Ohio State (4-0-1, 2-0-0 Big Ten) defeated the Falcons (3-2-0) 3-1 to remain unbeaten through its first five games Friday at the Schottenstein Center.
The Buckeyes have now won each of their last seven meetings against Bowling Green – with the Falcons’ last win over Ohio State coming by way of an 8-2 final in Columbus on Oct. 26, 2018.
Ohio State head coach Steve Rohlik said Friday night’s win was hard-earned over a solid program led by head coach Dennis Williams.
“I thought we did a good job against a very good hockey team,” Rohlik said. “They’re a team that’s resilient, that works extremely hard.”
The Buckeyes opened up the night’s scoring as senior defenseman Brent Johnson slapped his first goal of the season past Bowling Green goalie Cole Moore, putting the Buckeyes ahead 1-0 with 7:23 remaining in the first period.
A Bowling Green penalty sent freshman forward Adam Zlnka into the penalty box and the Buckeyes quickly took advantage.
Graduate defenseman Aiden Hansen-Bukata knocked his first goal as a Buckeye just 11 seconds into the power play, putting Ohio State up 2-0 with 3:32 left in the opening frame.
The Buckeyes defense smothered the Bowling Green offensive attack in the first, allowing just three Falcon shots in the period, while logging 10 of their own.
“If you’re good in your d-zone, you can create a lot of things offensively,” Rohlik said. “Our goaltenders are playing really well right now, but guys like this [Damien Carfagna] are digging in and blocking a lot of shots – it’s kind of a team thing.”
The second frame was noticeably rougher and less disciplined in play. The teams combined for five penalties in the period, resulting in five separate power plays.
Despite this, both teams were held scoreless in the frame with each shorthanded, keeping the Buckeyes in front 2-0 heading into the second intermission.
Sophomore forward Ben Doran led a fastbreak down the ice before dishing the puck off to freshman forward Maxwell Martin, who backhanded his first goal of the season past Buckeye goalie Logan Terness to cut Ohio State’s lead to 2-1 with 17:52 remaining in regulation.
Just over five minutes into the third, Ohio State called an early timeout.
“They had the momentum there, and we had some guys who were pretty tired on the ice,” Rohlik said. “It [the timeout] was kind of a no-brainer at that point – it was like, let’s take a break, kill the momentum, and get some fresh guys on the ice.”
With six minutes left in the contest, freshman defenseman Chris Able found junior blueliner Damien Carfagna over the middle for an insurance slapshot goal, extending Ohio State’s lead back to two at 3-1.
“It was a great play by Chris Able,” Carfagna said. “Once I got it I was just trying to put it on the net as quick as I could, and it went in.”
The Falcons pulled their goalie and attempted 15 shots in the final six minutes of regulation, but were held out of the net as Terness logged seven saves as the final horn echoed throughout the Schottenstein Center.
Ohio State will now carry a four-game win streak into the Slater Family Ice Arena at Bowling Green on Saturday to complete its two-game weekend set with the Falcons.
