Five Buckeyes netted goals as the No. 12 Ohio State men’s ice hockey team swept No. 14 Michigan State in Columbus Saturday.
Junior forward Joe Dunlap scored in the first and second periods as Ohio State (14-7-1, 7-5-0 Big Ten) prevailed 6-0 for its fifth-consecutive win.
Forwards senior Tate Singleton, junior Michael Gildon and freshman Davis Burnside all notched goals against the Spartans (12-11-1, 6-7-1 Big Ten), and sophomore goalie Jakub Dobeš made 32 saves, helping the Buckeyes go wire-to-wire for a third-straight game.
“It’s hard to win at this level and especially to have the opportunity to win two on a weekend against a really good hockey team that’s proved themselves day in and day out,” head coach Steve Rohlik said.
The 32 saves are the second-most of the season for Dobeš, and the reigning Big Ten Goaltender of the Year thought the team’s confidence while playing ahead provided a boost.
“The guys helped me a lot with just seeing pucks,” Dobeš said. “I didn’t really have trouble with the screens, and I had a lot of shots where I’d just see the puck and I’d save it. So the guys made it easy for me tonight.”
Ohio State started fast and recorded 16 shot attempts in the opening period.
Michigan State senior forward Erik Middendorf was called for tripping at 7:15, and Gildon took advantage of the power play opportunity nearly 30 seconds later.
Singleton and Dunlap had even-strength scores at 14:48 and 19:40, respectively, in the first period. Dunlap scored three goals in the series, bringing his total to a team-high-tying 10 this season.
Sophomore forward Cam Thiesing picked up a short-handed score for his 10th of the year less than two minutes into the second period after Dobeš had been called for a cross-checking penalty at the end of the first, and Dunlap moved the score to 5-0 nearly midway through the second frame.
Burnside also recorded his 10th goal of the season at 13:15 in the third period, and the Buckeyes held onto their 6-0 win, their first shutout victory of the season.
“I think this group understands that we’re going to win because of all 27 guys, and I think that’s really been our mantra,” Rohlik said. “I think that’s the way we got to keep fighting.”
Ohio State’s Big Ten-best penalty kill unit, which staves off over 90 percent of those opportunities on average per game this season, thwarted both the Spartans’ chances Saturday.
Rohlik credited freshman defenseman John Larkin among other Buckeyes who contributed to a complete victory on both ends of the ice.
“He’s playing D tonight, he’s playing forward, he’s blocked shots, I mean, we’re asking him to do everything,” Rohlik said. “You win with guys like that and a team.”
Michigan State shot 32 times, four more than it did Friday, including 12 each in the final two periods. Middendorf and Spartans freshman forward Tiernan Shoudy had a team-high four shots apiece.
Spartans head coach Adam Nightingale was pleased with the way they limited Ohio State to two scores in the final 38:38, keeping the Buckeyes to 22 shots after allowing 16 in the first period.
Nightingale said he thought the series was Michigan State’s toughest weekend to this point in the season.
“I thought the second half of the game we did a good job of sticking together, and when things go sideways, it’s easy to point fingers, and the reality is we need to get better,” Nightingale said. “We got a lot of room for growth, but I like that about our group is they believe in that, and we’re going to keep getting better.”
As Ohio State readies next to travel north to Ann Arbor, Michigan, in its first meeting of the season with its rival, Dobeš said the Buckeyes will need to work hard in their preparation.
Rohlik said the Wolverines are “one of the most talented teams in the country.”
“We got to have a great week of practice if we think we’re going to go up there and compete at our level to have success,” Rohlik said. “Anytime you go up there, you understand how they can get going and what their talent (is), and we just got to be prepared. And that’s my job this week, and I think our guys got to be focused.”
Ohio State heads to Ann Arbor and plays No. 7 Michigan in a two-game set next weekend at Yost Arena. Puck drop on Friday is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., and Big Ten Network Plus will broadcast.
