Buckeyes Down Alaska in Shootout

Buckeye Hockey v Alaska at the Schott

Last night the Ohio State Hockey Buckeyes took on the Alaska Nanooks in the first of back to back tilts at the Schott down on Campus in CCHA action.  After indulging in warm ups at the Varsity Club, we got a chance to finally watch some hockey in Columbus.

It was a very entertaining game, show casing stellar goal tending by Brady Hjelle, the 5-11, 185 lb Senior from International Falls, MN.  First period action saw the two teams end up tied a 0-0.  It really seemed as if the Buckeyes carried the play in the first period, but Alaska's goal tender John Keeney was up to the challenge.

At the start of the second period, it seemed that the ice really tilted in Alaska's favor as they came out in the second period carrying the play.  This forced the Buckeyes into a couple of unfortunate penalties at about the 3:30 mark of the second period, with Ryan Dzingel, the 6-0, 185 lb Sophomore taking a tripping penalty.  Shortly thereafter, he got some company in the sin bin when Sam Jardine, the 6-1, 193 lb Freshman Defenseman taking a high sticking penalty.  Alaska capitalized on the ensuing 5 on 3, scoring the first goal of the game when Colton Parayko scored his third goal of the season on a bang-bang play at the edge of the crease off the passes from Colton Beck and Michael Quinn.  Hjelle, the Buckeye goal tender had no chance at the play.

Following the goal, OSU seemed to settle down and played much better hockey, and the second period ended with Alaska on top 1-0.

This apparently upset the Buckeyes, who came out into the third period and scored in the first 15 seconds, with Max McCormick, the 5-11, 182 lb Sophomore potting his second goal of the season off the assist by Curtis Gedig, the 6-3, 200 lb Junior Defenseman to tie the game at 1 goal apiece.  The game settled down with both sides trading chances, until the 15:03 mark of the third period, when Chad Gehon of Alaska took a  5 minute major and a game misconduct for checking from behind.  Though the Buckeyes put some pressure on, the Alaska penalty kill was up to the task, and kept the Bucks off the board.  The third period ended with a 1-1 tie, and the teams moved to overtime.

The overtime period was pretty uneventful, with the teams once again trading opportunities.  The game ended in a tie, and we moved on into the skills competition.  Hjelle stoned the first Alaska shooter, and Riley Simpson, a 5-8, 165 lb Freshman potted his first chance for the Buckeyes, to take an early advantage in the shootout.  However, the next Alaska shooter, Tyler Morely solved Hjelle to tie the shoot out at 1.  The shootout went to the 6th Round, when Hjelle stopped the Alaska shooter, and Ryan Dzingel made his shot for the win, and the celebration started.

The two teams square off again tonight at the Schottenstein Center at 7:00, for what promises to be some entertaining hockey.

GO BUCKEYES!!