EAST LANSING, Mich. – “Obviously a gut punch.”
Truer words were never spoken by Ohio State coach Steve Rohlik after the Buckeyes suffered another heartbreaking loss in the Big Ten tournament championship game when top-ranked Michigan State prevailed 4-3 in double overtime on Saturday before a raucous sellout crowd of 6,555 at Munn Ice Arena.
After the No. 9 Buckeyes (24-13-2) overcame an early 2-0 deficit and a late 3-1 hole to send the game beyond regulation, Big Ten Player of the Year Isaac Howard scored the winner at 15:09 to end the longest game in conference history.
“Heck of a hockey game,” Rohlik said. “My guys gave me everything I could ask for, proud of my group, and we just came up a little short.”
OSU is the lone school not to win a Big Ten tournament. The Buckeyes lost the inaugural conference tourney final in 2014 in overtime to Wisconsin and in OT to Notre Dame in 2018. The third try was not a charm.
Michigan State won its first tourney last season and became the first to capture the regular-season and tournament titles in consecutive seasons.
The Buckeyes played their third OT of this postseason after beating Wisconsin in Game 2 of the best-of-three quarterfinal series to avoid being swept, then downed Penn State in the semifinal on March 15.
Still Alive
Fortunately for the Buckeyes, the loss wasn’t a death knell for the season.
The Buckeyes had already secured a place in the 16-team NCAA tournament before the game and on Sunday afternoon received an at-large bid as the No. 3 seed in the Toledo Regional and will play No. 2 Boston University (21-13-2) of Hockey East on Thursday (2 p.m., ESPNU) in the Huntington Center.
“It’s just exciting to get going here,” junior forward Davis Burnside said. “Obviously, we kind of had a good idea of who we were playing and where, but to make it official is pretty exciting and after last night, I know we’re hungry to get back after it.”
No. 1 seed Michigan State (26-6-4) faces No. 4 Cornell (18-10-6) of ECAC Hockey on Thursday, (5:30 p.m., ESPN+) in the other semifinal.
The regional winner advances to the Frozen Four in St. Louis on April 10 and 12.
There could be a rematch with the Spartans just there was in 1998 when Michigan State defeated the Buckeyes 3-2 in double overtime in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association title game at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
A week later, OSU downed the Spartans 4-3 in overtime in the West Regional final to advance to the Frozen Four for the first time. The Buckeyes also played in the 2018 Frozen Four.
They have made the NCAAs for the second time in three seasons.
This was the second straight season Michigan State and Ohio State met in the playoffs. The Spartans won 2-1 in the conference semifinal a year and a day earlier.
Ohio State won two conference tournaments – the inaugural Central Collegiate Hockey Association title in 1972 and again in 2024.
Quick Recap
The Spartans took an early lead by scoring on two of four power plays. Joe Dunlap made it 2-1 late in the first period.
After MSU extended the lead to 3-1 just 42 seconds into the third period, the Buckeyes staged a comeback with goals by Damien Carfagna at 12:46 and Gunnarwolfe Fontaine at 17:39.
Dunlap and Carfagna each had a goal and an assist, defenseman Aiden Hansen-Bukata had three assists and Logan Terness made a career-high 47 saves.
Fontaine and Carfagna were named to the all-tournament team.
“I thought both teams were really good,” Michigan State coach Adam Nightengale said. “We obviously earned a few power plays in the first period and capitalized, which was huge.
“(Ohio State) is a really good team, and I think it spoke to their character to keep pushing. I think we were up with nine minutes left by two. And again, that’s why they’re having the season they’re having, is the character in the room and the coaching, and so then to tie it up, that says a lot about them.”
Bad Start, Frenetic Finish
Michigan State took advantage of Ohio State’s uncharacteristic lack of discipline for two power-play goals.
In the previous four postseason games totaling about 13 periods if the overtimes are added, the Buckeyes were called for eight penalties.
They took four within the first 13 minutes. The second, a bench minor for too many men, resulted in the first goal by Karsen Dorwart at 7:39. Howard made it 2-0 with another man-up score at 11:41.
“Ike’s fingerprints are all over this game,” Nightengale said. “I have a hard time believing there’s a better player in the country.
“Those are critical moments. This time of the year it’s hard to score five-on-five. When you get a chance on the power play, you’ve got to make it count.”
Carfagna set up Dunlap in the slot to cut it 2-1 at 17:51 of the first.
Tanner Kelly converted a pass from Howard to make it 3-1 early in the third period and the Spartans appeared to be cruising but the Buckeyes rallied just as they did from a 2-0 deficit in Game 2 vs. Wisconsin.
Carfagna was behind the net when he banked a shot off goalie Trey Augustine for a 3-2 score.
Fontaine tied it 3-3 by gathering a loose puck and scoring from low in the left circle.
“When your backs are against the wall, you have no choice,” Rohlik said. “Our guys we’re going to keep going forward. To get that second one was huge and then we just felt it. I wish that period was a little longer, like we were kind of on a roll there.
“It’s this group. They’re relentless. Never give up. They believe in one another. It’s been such a blessing to coach a group like this.”
Each team had 10 shots in the first 20-minute overtime and Terness made a great save on a Howard breakaway but the Spartans outshot OSU 12-4 in the second OT.
Still, Rohlik loved his team’s resilience.
“Character, culture, relentlessness. Everything we have done all year and this group has never doubted themselves,” Rohlik said. “They’re there to fight for one another.”
Said Nightengale after the 3 hour, 45-minute marathon: “I thought it was a really good hockey game. Both teams were physical but within the rules, and that’s what you want. I think if you’re a fan coming to watch hockey, it’s a physical game and it’s a competitive game and I thought both teams did a great job of that tonight.”
