Hardly anyone expected it, but the Ohio State men’s hockey team dominated No. 2 seed Harvard, 8-1, in a Bridgeport regional on Friday afternoon for a first-round upset in the NCAA Tournament.
The Buckeyes started from the drop of the puck, outshooting Harvard 17-3 in the first period and notching two goals after several high-quality chances throughout the first 20 minutes. Cam Thiesing got OSU on the board first with a nifty roof shot heading towards the goal just 3:22 into the contest.
Following an onslaught from the bigger and more physical Buckeye squad, and after several narrow misses, Ohio State made it 2-0 with just 1:36 left in the period when Cole McWard’s shot hit the skate of a Crimson defender and richocheted into the back of the net.
OSU would enter the break up by a couple of goals and seeminly in control of all aspects of the game.
🚨 Cam Thiesing put the Buckeyes on the board less than four minutes into the game!
Assists to Westlund and Wise.
📺 ESPNU#GoBucks #NCAAHockey @CamdenThiesing @GustafWestlund @wisey871 pic.twitter.com/F1qfiO5Mh4
— Ohio State Men's Hockey (@OhioStateMHKY) March 24, 2023
Sometimes a reset at the break is all a team needs to regain itself, but that never happened for Harvard. Ohio State came out in the second period, and if anything, looked even better, scoring five goals in the period by creating turnovers in the neutral zone and punishing the smaller Harvard squad the entire distance of the ice.
Gustaf Westland, Cam Thiesing, Mason Lohrei, Joe Dunlap, and Cole McWard all lit the lamp in the period to put the game out of reach and the result no longer in doubt. The Buckeyes finished entered the second intermission with a commanding 7-0 lead.
🥹 In his first game since October because of injury, captain Gustaf Westlund with a goal for the Buckeyes!
Co-captain Jake Wise with the assist.
📺 ESPNU#GoBucks #NCAAHockey @GustafWestlund
@wisey871 pic.twitter.com/Uo4l6xTg2Y— Ohio State Men's Hockey (@OhioStateMHKY) March 24, 2023
Patrick Guzzo would give Ohio State one more goal in the third period, and Harvard finally got one into the back of the net on a power play with 3:10 remaining to cap the scoring.
With the win, the Buckeyes advance to the regional final against the winner of No. 1 seed Quinnipiac and No. 4 seed Merrimack. That game is set for Sunday.
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