Eric Boggs
The Ohio State men’s hockey team’s journey in the NCAA Tournament came to an abrupt end Thursday afternoon in Toledo, as the No. 9 Buckeyes fell to No. 8 Boston University, 8-3, in the first game of the NCAA Toledo Regional at the Huntington Center. The loss closed out Ohio State’s season at 24-14-2, while BU advanced with a 23-13-2 record to face the winner of Michigan State vs. Cornell for a spot in the Frozen Four.
Ohio State entered the contest ready to make a statement, and early on, the Buckeyes did just that. Joe Dunlap opened the scoring at 9:06 of the first period, giving the Scarlet and Gray a 1-0 lead. The Buckeyes dominated the opening 20 minutes, outshooting BU 15-2 and controlling play in all three zones. The Terriers, however, managed to weather the storm, keeping the deficit to just one heading into the first intermission.
Boston University found its stride in the second period, evening the score at 8:07 on a goal from Cole Eiserman. Undeterred, Ohio State quickly responded when Dunlap struck again on the power play at 12:53, restoring the Buckeyes’ lead. But as the period wound down, the game took a frantic turn. At 17:19, BU converted on a power play to tie the game at two. Just 30 seconds later, Max Montes gave Ohio State the lead again with a 2-on-1 finish, only for BU to respond 12 seconds later and level the score at 3-3 heading into the third.
The final period proved to be the Buckeyes’ downfall. BU’s Aiden Celebrini broke the deadlock just 2:18 into the third, and a shorthanded goal from Jack Hughes at 5:25 gave the Terriers a 5-3 advantage. From there, BU continued to apply pressure, adding goals at 8:07, 14:16, and an empty-netter with 30 seconds left to seal the 8-3 final score. Despite outshooting BU 36-23 in the game, Ohio State could not capitalize on its chances, going just 1-for-8 on the power play compared to BU’s 1-for-2 efficiency.
Dunlap led the Buckeyes with two goals, while Aiden Hansen-Bukata recorded two assists. Logan Terness made 15 saves in net, while BU’s Mathieu Caron stopped 32 of Ohio State’s 36 shots.
The loss marks the end of the road for the Buckeyes’ senior class, including key contributors such as Dunlap, Hansen-Bukata, and captain Patrick Guzzo, who finishes his career as the program’s all-time leader in games played with 171. Despite the disappointing end, the Buckeyes had a strong campaign, finishing with a 24-14-2 record and making the 11th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. While the sting of Thursday’s loss will linger, Ohio State will look to build upon this season’s success and return stronger in 2025.
