Penn State got two 3rd-period goals from Taylor Holmstrom to beat Ohio 2-1 in front of a capacity crowd at Bird Arena Friday night.
The win improves the number-one ranked Icers’ record to 20-3-1 on the season while the fifth-ranked Bobcats drop to 21-10-1. The loss also drops Ohio’s record to the four teams ranked above them in the American Collegiate Hockey Association standings to 0-8-0.
Ohio got on the board first just 13:04 in Friday thanks to defenseman Zack Barbis. Just after an Ohio penalty had ended forward Michael Schultz brought the puck up the ice and threw a shot on PSU goalie P.J. Musico. The rebound popped to Barbis, who slipped it by Musico for his eighth of the season and a 1-0 lead.
The Bobcats held on to the slim advantage into the third, largely thanks to net minder Teddy Dushkin, who stopped all 16 shots the Icers put on him in the first two frames.
But Ohio’s legs looked heavy starting the third, and it came back to bite them 7:51 in when Holmstrom slipped by OU defensemen Ross Pilmore and Duncan Green for a breakaway, coolly finishing with a backhander past Dushkin to level things.
Eight minutes later Holmstrom had the winner when he flew down the left side of the ice and flipped the puck over Dushkin’s left shoulder. Ohio threw all they had left in the tank in the last five minutes but were able to get very little in the way of chances on Musico and frustratingly fell 2-1.
Penn State outshot Ohio 28-19 in the game to hand the Bobcat’s their first home defeat of the season. Schultz was named the third star of the game, while Dushkin and Barbis took home first and second, respectively.
The two rivals will be back at it one last time at Bird Arena on Saturday night, the final game Penn State will play in Athens before moving up to the NCAA. The doors open at 6:45, and puck drops at 7:30.
cd211209@ohiou.edu
