 Media Credit: David Heasley Sophomore forward Kyle Hood lines up for a shot on goal Friday against Bowling Green.
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Despite peppering Bowling Green with 43 shots on goal, the No. 2 Ohio State men's hockey team tied the Falcons 2-2 in the home opener Friday night at the Schottenstein Center.
The tie came a night after the Buckeyes (2-1-1, 1-0-1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association) hung a 7-2 drubbing on the Falcons in the BGSU Ice Arena. Friday, the scarlet and gray dominated play, but could not solve senior goaltender Jon Horrell. Searching for his first career win, he saved 41 shots while keeping the Falcons (0-3-1, 0-1-1 CCHA) in the game.
"We got some terrific saves out of Horrell," said Bowling Green coach Scott Paluch. "To rebound from the first power-play goal they got, that shows quite a bit. He did a great job with rebound control."
That first power-play goal put the Buckeyes up 1-0 less than three minutes into the game. Sophomore forward Kyle Hood sent a wrister from the blue line that Horrell got a piece of, but the puck trickled through his equipment and into the net for Hood's second goal of the season.
The Buckeyes continued pressuring the Falcons, notching 20 shots in the first period, but went into the locker room down 2-1 after a period despite holding Bowling Green to four shots on goal.
Sophomore forward Alex Foster found a loose puck behind the net and snuck it under OSU senior goalie Dave Caruso just 61 seconds after Hood's goal to equal the score. Then, with less than three minutes remaining in the period, Falcon senior forward Mike Falk cycled off the boards, took a pass from sophomore forward Jonathan Matsumoto and beat Caruso one-on-one.
OSU coach John Markell said he was surprised to see the Buckeyes down after a period despite their early play.
"It kind of puzzles you, but that's hockey," the 11th-year coach said.
After a penalty-marred second period, OSU sophomore forward John Dingle got the equalizer 4:03 into the third, skating into the zone and beat Horrell with a five-hole shot from 50 feet. The Buckeyes continued pressuring, but could not get a game-winner past Horrell.
"We were peppering him pretty good there, and he was making some pretty good saves," Dingle said. "Coaches were screaming at us to get the puck high and get it moving, and that's what we have to work on."
Spring Break
