Eric Boggs
The No. 8/10 Ohio State men’s hockey team wrapped up its regular season with a hard-fought split against No. 11 Michigan in Value City Arena. The Buckeyes secured a thrilling 2-1 overtime victory on Thursday before falling 4-3 on Friday in a spirited contest. With these results, Ohio State concludes the season at 21-11-2 overall and a 14-9-1 3-2-0 Big Ten record, securing third place in the final conference standings and earning the No. 3 seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament. Michigan, meanwhile, finishes fourth with an 18-13-3 overall record.
Thursday night’s matchup was a defensive battle through the first period, with neither team able to break through. The Buckeyes took the lead in the second period when Davis Burnside capitalized on a power play opportunity, assisted by Riley Thompson and Gunnarwolfe Fontaine. Michigan responded later in the period, and despite both teams generating chances in the third, the game remained deadlocked. In overtime, Buckeye goaltender Logan Terness made a crucial breakaway save, setting up the game-winner. Just moments later, William Smith delivered the decisive goal at 1:22, capping off a 2-on-1 rush with Patrick Guzzo to seal the victory. Terness was outstanding, making 26 saves in the win.
Friday’s series finale saw Michigan take an early lead at 4:02 in the first period, but the Buckeyes answered as Brent Johnson fired a shot through a screen to tie the game at 13:38, with assists from Nathan McBrayer and Patrick Guzzo. The Wolverines, however, seized control in the second period, scoring three unanswered goals to take a commanding 4-1 lead. Ohio State fought back in the third, with Joe Dunlap cutting the deficit to two on a 4-on-4 goal at 12:32. A potential Buckeye goal rattled off both posts with under three minutes remaining, but Max Montes managed to bring Ohio State within one at 18:42 with the net empty, assisted by Damien Carfagna and Fontaine. Despite a strong push, the Buckeyes could not find the equalizer and fell just short.
Ohio State goaltender Kristoffer Eberly recorded 28 saves in Friday’s game, while Michigan’s Logan Stein stopped 21 shots. The Buckeyes were relentless on defense, blocking 15 Michigan shot attempts, with Johnson leading the way with three. Ohio State finished 0-for-4 on the power play while successfully killing six of Michigan’s seven opportunities.
With the regular season in the books, Ohio State now turns its attention to the Big Ten Tournament. As the No. 3 seed, the Buckeyes will host No. 6 seed Wisconsin in a best-of-three quarterfinal series at Nationwide Arena, with games set for March 7, 8, and, if necessary, 9. Ticket information will be announced in the coming days.
Throughout the season, Fontaine has led the Buckeyes with 34 points (13 goals, 21 assists), while Hansen-Bukata has been the team’s top playmaker with 22 assists. Burnside and Thompson each have 30 points, and Montes and Dunlap continue to provide key contributions. Defensively, the Buckeyes have allowed just 2.39 goals per game, and their penalty kill has been a major factor in close contests.
As Ohio State prepares for postseason play, the Buckeyes will look to build on their strong performances at home, where they have posted a stellar 13-3-1 record this season. With a balanced offensive attack and solid defensive play, the team aims to make a deep run in the Big Ten Tournament and beyond.
