Notre Dame splits series at Ohio State

<img width="700" height="467" src="https://i1.wp.com/ndsmcobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1705449784-36f71d753acba5b.jpg?fit=700%2C467&ssl=1" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="" style="float:right;margin:0 0 10px 10px" data-attachment-id="281722" data-permalink="https://ndsmcobserver.com/2024/01/notre-dame-splits-series-at-ohio-state/20240106-hockey-meghan-lange-ohio-state-schottenstein-center-15/" data-orig-file="https://i1.wp.com/ndsmcobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1705449784-36f71d753acba5b.jpg?fit=3440%2C2293&ssl=1" data-orig-size="3440,2293" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"2.8","credit":"","camera":"NIKON D500","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1705181545","copyright":"","focal_length":"135","iso":"400","shutter_speed":"0.001","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="20240106, Hockey, Meghan Lange, Ohio State, Schottenstein Center-15" data-image-description="

Notre Dame celebrates a goal during its 5-2 victory over Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, on Jan. 11.

” data-medium-file=”https://i1.wp.com/ndsmcobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1705449784-36f71d753acba5b.jpg?fit=700%2C467&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i1.wp.com/ndsmcobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/1705449784-36f71d753acba5b.jpg?fit=700%2C467&ssl=1″ />

Notre Dame hockey split two games on the road at Ohio State this past weekend. After being swept at home by No. 4 Wisconsin, the Irish needed to bounce back against the Big Ten’s last-place team. They were unable to turn the tides Friday night, losing 3-2. Notre Dame broke even Saturday, though, with a 5-2 win.

Friday: Ohio State 3, Notre Dame 2

In Friday’s game one, the Buckeyes led 2-0 after two periods. Dalton Messina got Ohio State on board first with 3:44 remaining in the first period with his fourth of the season, cleaning up a rebound off Notre Dame graduate student goaltender Ryan Bischel’s pad. The Buckeyes then went ahead by two midway through the second, when Stephen Halliday split the Irish defense and beat Bischel on the backhand.

Notre Dame clawed their way back in the third, striking twice to tie the game. A point shot by senior defenseman Drew Bavaro sifted through traffic and into the net just one minute into the period, setting the tone. Then, just over eight minutes later, an excellent individual effort by freshman forward Danny Nelson tied the game at two. Nelson, returning to the Irish lineup after winning a gold medal overseas at the IIHF World Junior Championship, drove to the Buckeye cage from the right wing and deposited the puck past Logan Terness.

The Irish surrendered the game-winning goal just over two minutes later. While on the power play, Scooter Brickey snapped home a wrist shot for his team-leading ninth goal of the season. Notre Dame had an opportunity to tie the game with a power-play goal of their own late, but the Irish could not convert, even with Bischel pulled for an extra attacker.

Penalties played a strong role in the contest. Notre Dame was whistled for three penalties in the first period, disrupting the game’s momentum. The Irish were not penalized again until the third when Brickey scored the game-winner.

The regulation win was Ohio State’s first in Big Ten conference play. Graduate student netminder Bischel kicked out 34 of 37 Buckeye shots for the Irish. Terness stopped 26 of 28 between the pipes for Ohio State.

Saturday: Notre Dame 5, Ohio State 2

Notre Dame went back to Bischel on night two, as they have for every series this season. Ohio State freshman Kristoffer Eberly made his sixth start of the season for the Buckeyes. He was tested with more volume and high-danger shots than Terness.

The first period was a high-scoring affair. This time, Notre Dame jumped out to an early 2-0 lead behind goals by senior forwards Grant Silianoff and Landon Slaggert just 1:23 apart. Both players redirected points shots from a foot outside the blue paint. The Buckeyes countered quickly, scoring twice in the final three minutes of the frame to leave the score tied after one period. Max Montes finished off a 2-on-0 break with Joe Dunlap for the first Ohio State goal. From an offensive zone faceoff, the Irish had mishandled the puck at the blue line, resulting in the 2-on-0. Then with 50 seconds remaining, team points leader Halliday scored for the second straight night.

Halliday’s goal, though, finished the Ohio State scoring for the evening. The Irish added three more across the final two periods of play to put a bow on the 5-2 victory. Graduate student forward Patrick Moynihan slammed home a one-time feed from freshman forward Cole Knuble to give the Irish the lead for good with 6:52 remaining in the second. Then late in the frame, Slaggert struck for another, twisting off the post and tucking the puck past Eberly’s far pad. The power-play marker was Slaggert’s 15th of the season, tying him for fifth nationally in goals.

Graduate student forward Trevor Janicke iced the game for Notre Dame in the third. Freshman forward Brennan Ali forced a turnover in the Buckeye end and found Janicke for a one-timer in the slot. The three-goal lead all but put the game away. Bischel stopped 30 of 32 for the Irish, while Eberly made 38 saves on 43 shots for Ohio State.

Notre Dame will return to campus this weekend for a four-game homestand, separated by a bye next weekend. The Irish play host to Penn State this Friday and Saturday, and return with a series against No. 7 Michigan State on Feb. 2 and 3.

Sign up for our Observer Sports newsletter!
Have an Irish sports question? Ask it for our Observer Sports mailbag!

The post Notre Dame splits series at Ohio State appeared first on The Observer.