For the second night in a row, Ohio State got the better of Penn State by a score of 5-3. It was the Buckeyes’ first sweep of the year, and they outshot the visiting team 44-27 for the win.

Goals were scored by Penn State’s Casey Bailey, Taylor Holstrom, and Mike Williamson, and Ohio State’s Justin Dasilva, Sam Jardine, Nick Schilkey, Tanner Fritz, and Nicholas Jones. Matt Skoff was credited with the loss, while Christian Frey picked up another win.

How It Happened

On Friday, Penn State opened the scoring 30 seconds into the game, but Saturday was a different story. Ohio State outshot Penn State substantially for most of the first period, but the latter found the back of the net first.

Taylor Holstrom, from along the boards, found Casey Bailey who had no problem beating Ohio State goalie Christian Frey. Shortly thereafter, the players switched positions, and Holstrom buried the puck off of a quick feed from Bailey.

With the score at 2-0 and things starting to click, Ohio State announced its presence when Justin Dasilva sent the puck through traffic and past Skoff. The period came to a close with the away team leading 2-1.

After a first period free of penalties, the calls started coming rapid-fire in the second. Ohio State tied the game at two on a 4-on-3 powerplay when defenseman Sam Jardine fired one in from the point.

Soon after, sophomore defenseman Mike Williamson scored his first goal as a Nittany Lion to give his team the 3-2 lead. The period came to an end with no more scoring and set up a furious finish.

Unfortunately, the last stanza was all Ohio State. Early in the frame, Holstrom went down awkwardly on one leg and had to leave the ice. With Penn State’s top center out of the game, the team was visibly shaken and surrendered three straight goals in the blink of an eye. Despite pulling Skoff with a minute and half to go, Penn State couldn’t muster any more offense and fell 5-3 for the second night in a row.

Player of the Game

Taylor Holstrom. He quickly amassed three points before leaving the game due to injury, and once he was gone, his presence was felt even more. Without its top-line center, Penn State looked out-of-sync and couldn’t get any offense going.

Tweet of the Game

Looking good @OSUKnucklebucks pic.twitter.com/8lODXHf4x0

— Roar Zone (@TheRoarZone) February 28, 2015

Yiiiiiikes. If a team earns its first sweep of the season but no one was there to see it, did it really happen?

Takeaways

• P.J. Musico was the go-to guy for Penn State for the last few weeks, but after giving up five goals yesterday, Gadowsky gave the reins to Matt Skoff for this one. He gave up some soft goals en route to five goals against and a .886 save percentage.
• With the regular season winding down, the last thing Penn State needed was a sweep at the hands of a team lower in the Big Ten standings. With a series against Michigan and Minnesota remaining, Penn State has a lot on its plate if it wants to clinch a first-round bye in the Big Ten Tournament.
• Speaking of the last thing Penn State needed: Gadowsky’s plan all season has been to simply ride the hot goalie, and once he falters, let someone else step in and shine. With Musico and Skoff having let in five goals apiece on consecutive nights, it may be Eamon McAdam’s turn. However, the last time he faced Michigan, Penn State’s next opponent, he let in eight goals.
• Another one of the last things Penn State needs: an injury to a key player. The Nittany Lions have gone how their top line has, and it was clear without Taylor Holstrom that the team’s offense was in trouble. Hopefully he won’t miss too much time, and the offense won’t clunk out at the worst possible time.

What’s Next?

Next Friday, March 6, Penn State will be at home taking on the Michigan Wolverines.