COLUMBUS, Ohio — The University of Notre Dame hockey team closed out its 2024 slate with a battle at No. 16/15 Ohio State, ultimately falling 3-1 to the Buckeyes Saturday night.
Ohio State came out firing at the Irish net early but Owen Say stood tall in the crease, turning aside the Buckeyes’ first eight shots as the Irish looked for their first shot on goal.
The Irish starters eventually got the offense rolling with Ryan Helliwell sending the first official shot on goal at the Buckeye net but his chance was padded to the side and play continued in a scoreless battle.
The Irish were whistled for the first penalty of the night and were forced to skate shorthanded just over halfway through the opening frame. Notre Dame was successful in killing off the infraction, holding the Buckeyes to only three shots during their man-advantage.
The two teams looked to be headed to a knotted break through 20 minutes played but a late goal by the Buckeyes, at 19:31 of the frame, had the Irish trailing at the first intermission.
Danny Nelson tied things up at 4:55 of the second period when he corralled a rebound off the glass and fired it top shelf into the back of the net.
The Irish continued to press the Buckeye end but a shot by Justin Janicke trickled just wide of the net and the game remained tied.
OSU would eventually get the edge with 3:58 to play in the second after the initial save by Say bounced back onto the stick of a Buckeye who buried the rebound to make it 2-1.
The score would hold through the end of the second period despite a late push from the Irish offense which included chances from Carter Slaggert and Hunter Strand.
The Buckeyes were called for their first penalty of the night at 4:55 of the third frame when Ian Murphy went awkwardly into the boards. The interference call gave the Irish their first powerplay opportunity of the night, still trailing by a goal.
Strand nearly had the equalizer as he was alone out front but the pass from Murphy tapped the toe of his stick and soared high into the netting.
Shortly after the expiration of the Buckeye penalty, Notre Dame was called for cross-checking at 8:52 and the Irish were tasked with killing off their second infraction of the night.
The Irish opted for the extra attacker with 2:19 to play after the Buckeyes iced the puck and thought they had the tying goal as Cole Knuble’s one-timer went through the legs of Eberly in the OSU net but a net front scramble resulted in the puck behind the net and play continued.
Notre Dame was then called for a penalty in the final two minutes after a race to the puck got a Buckeye tripped up and OSU would convert on the man-advantage to take the two-goal lead with just 1:10 to play in regulation.
A series of extracurriculars after Owen Say was taken out in the crease resulted in the Irish being assessed two minors to OSU’s one as the final 30 seconds wound off the clock and the 3-1 score went final.
GOALS
- Sophomore center Danny Nelson got the Irish on the board for the second consecutive night with a goal at 4:55 of the second period Saturday. Linemate Brennan Ali fired a shot high from the slot that bounced off the glass behind the net and back in front of the crease. Nelson fought off a defender as the two scrambled to the loose puck before firing his shot over the glove of Kristoffer Eberly in the OSU net. Axel Kumlin also picked up an assist on the goal.
KEY STATS
- With his team-leading eighth goal of the season, Danny Nelson extended his point streak to eight games, a career best for the sophomore. In his last eight outings, he boasts five goals and four assists for nine points.
UP NEXT
The Irish head into the winter break following the weekend series at Ohio State. The team will report back to campus after the Christmas holiday before celebrating the New Year in Chicago as they prepare for the 2025 Frozen Confines: A Big Ten Series at Wrigley Field on January 3, 2025.