Buckeye freshman Zac Dalpe (Penticton Vees/ BCHL) broke a 1-all tie in the third period and added an empty-netter as the Ohio State men’s hockey team completed a sweep of No. 11 Michigan State Saturday with a 3-1 win.
The game was scoreless until the teams each scored in 17 seconds. Sophomore Peter Boyd opened the scoring at 6:13 and MSU’s Matt Schepke responded on the next shift at 6:30. In front of the net, Dalpe took a cross-crease pass from junior Mathieu Picard and buried the puck at 11:44 to put Ohio State ahead. Dalpe sealed the win with an empty-net goal, taking a lead-out pass from sophomore Patrick Schafer. Buckeye goalie Dustin Carlson made 24 saves on 25 shots, including 11 saves in the third period.
Ohio State is now 4-5-1 on the year and 3-4-1-1 in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. Michigan State moves to 4-4-2 on the year and 2-2-2 in CCHA league play. The teams combined for just nine shots on goal in the first period, with Carlson making three saves and Michigan State’s Jeff Lerg making six stops.
The Spartans had two power-play chances in the period. Ohio State had one full power-play chance, with a second carrying into the second period. The scoreless game continued through the second stanza.
The teams generated 22 shots on goal, as Ohio State outshot the Spartans, 12-10. Michigan State was unable to score on one power-play chance and Ohio State was 0-for-2, including the carry-over advantage. Ohio State generated four shots on its second chance, but could not get the puck past Lerg.
Dalpe broke the tie at 11:44 of the third period after some hard work by sophomore Hunter Bishop (Vernon Vipers/BCHL) got the puck along the boards behind the net to Picard. He passed the puck out to a waiting Dalpe in front of the net, who one-timed it into the net before Lerg could get over. With the MSU net empty, Boyd took the puck in the Buckeye zone and passed to Schafer. He fed Dalpe, who scored from just inside the blueline. The Buckeyes were outshot in the period, 12-5. Michigan State had the only power play at 12:53, but the Buckeyes maintained their one-goal lead, as Carlson made two saves with OSU a man down.
Carlson ended the game with 24 saves in all 60 minutes in the Buckeye net. Lerg had 20 saves in 59:36.
Neither team was able to score on the power play for the second-consecutive game. OSU was 0-for-3 and MSU was 0-for-4.
Postgame Notes
- Freshmen defenseman Steve West and forward Taylor Stefishen played their first collegiate games in the win.
- Dalpe took the team scoring lead with nine points and now has a team-best six goals. Bishop is first on the team with six assists. Dalpe is on a three-game scoring streak, with three goals and four points.
