Eric Boggs
The No. 11 Ohio State men’s hockey team battled hard against No. 2 Michigan State in a thrilling two-game series at Value City Arena, splitting the matchups with a decisive 4-2 win on Thursday before falling 4-1 in Friday’s finale.
Thursday night’s victory showcased the Buckeyes’ resilience and offensive prowess. After Michigan State struck first just over three minutes into the game, Ohio State responded with a commanding performance. Riley Thompson provided the equalizer late in the first period and wasted no time in the second, netting his second goal at 3:39 to put the Buckeyes ahead. Although the Spartans managed to tie it up with a power-play goal, Ohio State took control in the third. Gunnarwolfe Fontaine capitalized on a cycle play just after a Buckeye power play expired, giving Ohio State a 3-2 lead at 7:40. Thomas Weis sealed the victory with an insurance goal at 13:33, securing a crucial win against the highly ranked Spartans. Goaltender Logan Terness stood tall in net with 35 saves, while the Buckeye defense delivered a gritty performance, blocking 25 shot attempts to stymie the Michigan State offense.
Unfortunately, Friday’s rematch did not yield the same result for Ohio State. After a scoreless first period, Michigan State broke through early in the second, but the Buckeyes quickly responded as freshman James Hong found the back of the net off a pass from Max Montes at 4:36 to even the score. However, the Spartans regained control with two quick goals midway through the period, establishing a 3-1 lead heading into the third. Despite an aggressive push from the Buckeyes, including pulling the goalie late in the game, Michigan State sealed the contest with an empty-net goal in the final minutes for a 4-1 win. Ohio State goaltender Kristoffer Eberly recorded 25 saves in the effort, and the team showed its trademark defensive grit with 19 blocked shots, led by Brent Johnson’s four.
The Buckeyes now stand at 16-8-2 overall and 9-6-1 in Big Ten play, while the Spartans improve to 21-4-3 with a 12-3-3 conference record. Despite the split, Ohio State continues to demonstrate its ability to compete at the highest level, particularly at home, where the team boasts an impressive 10-2-1 record this season.
Several Buckeyes have been key contributors to the team’s success. Montes remains on a six-game point streak, tallying nine points (one goal, eight assists) in that stretch, while Hong leads all Buckeye freshmen with four goals and 11 points. Fontaine has been a force on offense, leading the team with 27 points, including 15 assists, while sharing the team lead in goals (12) with Thompson. Thompson has been equally instrumental, recording 24 points (12 goals, 12 assists) this season, including multiple standout performances with multi-goal and multi-point games.
Ohio State now turns its attention to a crucial road series against Notre Dame on Feb. 7-8, with game one set for 7:05 p.m. and game two at 6:05 p.m., both streaming on Peacock. The Buckeyes will then return to Value City Arena for a two-game homestand against Wisconsin on Feb. 14-15, looking to continue their strong play on home ice. As the season progresses, Ohio State remains firmly in the hunt for Big Ten success, ready to take on every challenge with the relentless energy that defines Buckeye hockey.
