No. 12 Ohio State splits series, falls 1-0 to No. 20 Notre Dame

The No. 12 Ohio State men’s ice hockey team allowed a first period goal to No. 20 Notre Dame, and that’s all the Fighting Irish needed to split the series with the Buckeyes Saturday.

Fighting Irish graduate forward Jack Adams scored with assists from graduate defensemen Chase Blackmun and Nick Leivermann 2:37 into the game.

“It was one of those nights,” head coach Steve Rohlik said. “You come up short. We won in the shots department, but it wasn’t enough.”

Ohio State out-shot Notre Dame 37-18 and each team had three power-play opportunities, but neither capitalized and the Buckeyes (8-5-1, 4-4 Big Ten) ultimately fell 1-0.

The Fighting Irish (6-6-2, 3-4-1 Big Ten) only took seven shots on goal in the first period while the Buckeyes took 13.

The Buckeyes came out with more aggression in the second period, with forwards freshman Davis Burnside and junior Travis Treloar getting called for two-minute roughing penalties, enacting power plays for the Fighting Irish. However, the Irish were unable to capitalize on either, giving the Buckeyes the opportunity to regain their strength for the remainder of the period.

The Buckeyes obtained a power play with four minutes remaining in the second period, with Notre Dame sophomore defenseman Jake Boltmann obtaining a two-minute penalty for roughing. However, the Buckeyes were unable to capitalize on their own power play, ending the second period still down 1-0.

The Buckeyes capped off the second period with only five shots on goal, bested by Notre Dame’s eight.

The third period saw many Buckeye opportunities, as they took 19 shots — their most in any period — but failed to capitalize. Despite Ohio State limiting Notre Dame to just three shots in the final frame, the Fighting Irish held on defensively to seal the win.

The Buckeyes will face Long Island University in East Meadow, New York, in their next two-game series beginning Friday at 7:45 p.m.