Ohio State is currently 9-3-1 for the season…

The No. 12 Ohio State men’s hockey team dropped the series opener at Princeton, 3-1, Friday at Hobey Baker Rink in Princeton, N.J. The Tigers led 1-0 after the first period and 2-0 after the second. Ohio State got on the board with 7:01 left but a late Princeton power play goal sealed the victory for the home team.

The Buckeyes, now 9-3-1 on the year, and Tigers (2-4-1) will close the weekend series at 4 p.m. Saturday.

The Short Story
Each team put nine shots on goal in the first period, but Princeton notched the only goal at 5:57. With just 7.7 seconds left in the second period, the Tigers doubled their lead with a power play goal. Ohio State’s Joe Dunlap scored at 12:59 of the third, just after a power play chance expired, to draw within one. Princeton took advantage of a late power play and regained its two-goal edge at 18:05 and Ohio State could draw no closer.

The loss ended a 13-game (11-0-2) unbeaten streak vs. nonconference opponents in the regular season for the Buckeyes, with the last loss Nov. 26, 2022 at LIU.

Quoting head coach Steve Rohlik
“We just weren’t good enough tonight. Princeton played with tons of energy all game. We also lost the special teams battle. We need to be better tomorrow.”

How it Happened

• Princeton’s Noah de la Duantaye tallied at 5:57 of the first to open the scoring, converting a pass right in front.
• With time winding down in the second, Jake Manfre redirected a shot at 19:53 for a 2-0 Tiger lead.
• Each team had nine shots on goal in the first and Ohio State had the advantage, 12-9, in the second.
• Seven seconds after a Buckeye power play expired, Damien Carfagna found Joe Dunlap at the far post and he scored his second goal of the year. Patrick Guzzo had the second helper on the tally, which came at 12:59 of the third period and made it a 2-1 game.
• The Tigers had two power play chances in the final six minutes and were able to regain the two-goal lead on Manfre’s second goal of the game, scored from the faceoff circle, at 18:05.
• Ohio State skated with its net empty for much of the remainder of the game but was unable to find the back of the net.
• The Buckeyes outshot the Tigers 9-5 in the third period and ended the game ahead 30-23.
• Kristoffer Eberly had 20 saves in 58:32 for the Buckeyes and Princeton’s Arthur Smith made 29 stops in 59:44.
• Ohio State blocked 17 Tiger shot attempts. Carfagna was first with three and four other Buckeyes had two shot blocks each. Princeton had 15 blocks on Buckeye attempts.
• The Buckeyes were 0-for-3 on the power play and Princeton was 2-for-4.