Mistakes cost No. 11 Buckeyes chance to sweep No. 1 Minnesota in 4-2 loss

The No. 11 Ohio State men’s ice hockey team fell short to No. 1 Minnesota in the series finale by 4-2 at Value City Arena Saturday behind a sloppy special teams performance.

The Buckeyes were led by freshman forward Davis Burnside, who scored the team’s pair of goals for the game, both of which were short-handed. Burnside said the Buckeyes need to be better offensively and capitalize on their chances to find success.

“You’re not going to win too many games when you score all of your goals short-handed,” Burnside said. “5-on-5, we just need to bear down on our chances, especially on a team like that.”

Less than one minute into the game, Ohio State found itself in a power play. Unable to capitalize, Golden Gophers senior defenseman Jackson Lacombe put Minnesota ahead 1-0 with 8:20 left in the first period.

Shortly after, sophomore forward Cam Thiesing was whistled for a high stick, the first of nine penalties for the Buckeyes. During Minnesota’s first power play, the Buckeyes tied the game up at one with a short-handed goal by Burnside.

Head coach Steve Rohlik said Ohio State’s penalty stats were “disappointing” and the key contributor to the loss.

“The whole game was determined by the penalties,” Rohlik said. “You can’t win playing Minnesota or anybody else in the country when you’re in the box that much.”

The Golden Gophers tacked on two more goals in the second period while shutting down the Buckeyes offense. The Buckeyes were whistled for three penalties in the period but managed to kill all three of the Minnesota power plays.

“Our penalty kill has been very good all year,” Rohlik said. “We just worked on it a little too much tonight.”

In the third period, Ohio State committed four more penalties and allowed Minnesota to add to its lead during one of the team’s eight power plays of the game. This was the only goal the Buckeyes allowed on an opposing power play all series. 

Then, with 1:37 to go in regulation, Burnside scored his second goal of the game while Ohio State was short-handed to cut Minnesota’s lead to 4-2 for his fourth of the season. However, it was too little too late for a Buckeyes comeback, and the Golden Gophers split the series with a win.

Ohio State heads to East Lansing, Michigan, to take on the Spartans in a two-game series starting Nov. 10. BTN+ will…