Junior forward Darik Angeli advances the puck during a game against Michigan March 2 at Nationwide Arena. OSU lost, 4-3.
Credit: Ben Jackson / For The Lantern
Same score line, different victors.
The Ohio State men’s hockey team (16-13-5, 6-9-5) split a weekend series away at Penn State (7-25-2, 3-16-1), with each game ending 4-2, to end the regular season.
Saturday’s contest saw the Nittany Lions take an early two-goal lead with goals from redshirt-junior defenseman Nate Jensen and sophomore forward Curtis Loik.
OSU senior defenseman Curtis Gedig replied with his second goal of the year, but Penn State junior forward Tommy Olczyk restored his team’s two-goal advantage before the first intermission.
The Buckeyes looked like they were back in business when sophomore forward Anthony Greco cut the lead back down to one, 3:25 into the second period. But Penn State sophomore goalie Matthew Skoff made 20 saves over the final two periods, and his teammates added an insurance goal at 6:55 of the third to ensure they ended the regular season on a high.
Friday night was more fruitful for the Buckeye offense as two goals from junior forward Ryan Dzingel led them to victory.
Dzingel scored the team’s first two goals, one in the first period on the power play and another in second period. The Nittany Lions made it 2-1 less than three minutes later, but goals from junior forward Nick Oddo and freshman forward Nick Schilkey put the Buckeyes up 4-1 with one period left to play.
Penn State pulled its goalie late in the contest, and wound up registering a consolation marker with less than two minutes left. OSU freshman goalie Christian Frey made 40 saves, his second-highest total of the season.
Dzingel added an assist on his team’s fourth goal, which means he finishes the regular season as the Big Ten’s leader in points with 43, and tied for the lead in goals scored with 20.
With the season now wrapped up, the matchups are set for the first-ever Big Ten Tournament in St. Paul, Minn.
OSU, the No. 4 seed, is slated play No. 5 seed Michigan State for the right to faceoff against No. 1 Minnesota in the semifinals. The Buckeyes were 1-0-3 against the Spartans during the season, winning two of the three shootouts between the teams.
The game against MSU is set for Thursday.
