COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio State junior Sergio Somma's goal with 1:32 left in regulation capped a Buckeye comeback win over Northern Michigan Saturday in Value City Arena. The Buckeyes trailed 2-0 after the first period and were down by one twice in the third but scored the final two goals of the game for the 5-4 victory.
The Wildcats (2-5-1, 1-3-0-0 CCHA) scored in the first and last two minutes of the first period to take a 2-0 lead. Ohio State (3-6-1, 2-3-1-1 CCHA) scored the only goals of the second to knot the score, with John Albert tallying unassisted at 10:57 to put the Buckeyes on the board and Peter Boyd scoring at 17:11. Billy Smith put the Wildcats back on top just 1:25 into the third with a power-play goal but Cory Schneider got his first goal as a Buckeye at 5:52 to again tie the score (3-3). Andrew Cherniwchan added the Wildcats' third power-play goal of the game at 7:58 of the stanza, putting NMU ahead for the third time. Zac Dalpe responded less than four minutes later to tie the game (4-4). The winner came at 17:28, as Somma, who had the primary assist on Dalpe's goal, redirected a Shane Sims shot.
The Buckeyes are in the midst of a four-game homestand and will host Western Michigan Friday and Saturday in Value City Arena.
The Wildcats opened the scoring two minutes into the contest when Tyler Gron scored from the slot off an assist from Cherniwchan. Mark Olver added a power-play goal at 18:51, putting in the rebound of a Justin Florek shot that went wide and hit the back boards before bouncing near the post. Shots were 11-5 Buckeyes in the period, with NMU goalie Reid Ellingson shutting out the squad for the fourth-consecutive period.
Albert broke the Buckeyes' scoreless streak at 10:57. A Wildcat defender fumbled the puck just outside the NMU blueline and Albert picked it up and streaked in on a breakaway, beating Ellingson five-hole for his third goal of the season. Boyd tied the game at 17:11. His initial shot was saved but the rebound came to him in the high slot and he put it by Ellingson. Albert and Patrick Schafer had the assists on the goal, Boyd's second of the year. Northern Michigan had the edge in shots, 9-7, in the stanza.
In the third Smith scored at 1:25 when Erik Spady threaded a puck through and found Smith at the far post. Schneider's goal that tied the game at 3 came at 5:52 when he poked home the rebound of a Shane Sims shot that got through traffic. Senior Mathieu Picard had the second assist on the goal. Cherniwchan scored a goal of his own from the post at 7:58 to put the Wildcats ahead again. Dalpe scored at 11:31 from the post, set up by Somma and Boyd, to deadlock the score at 4-all. Somma scored the winner at 17:28 when he redirected Sims' shot past Ellingson from the faceoff circle. Boyd had the second assist on the tally, giving him three points on the night. Ohio State outshot Northern Michigan, 11-8, in the period.
The Buckeyes outshot the Wildcats, 29-22, in the game. Cal Heeter had 18 saves in the Buckeye net as he moves to 3-1-1 on the year. Ellingson had 24 stops in 58:23 between the pipes.
Ohio State was unable to score on two power-play chances. The Wildcats were 3-for-5.
Postgame Notes
Boyd had the sixth three-point game of his career with a goal and career-high tying two assists. It was a team season high for points.
Sims was a career-best +4 in the contest. Chris Reed and Peter Boyd matched their career highs with a +3 mark and Dalpe was a personal-best +3.
Albert and Dalpe share the team point lead with seven each and are tied with Somma for first with three goals apiece. Albert, Dalpe and Sims each have four assists to lead the squad.
The five goals were a season high for the Buckeyes.
Albert's goal in the second period ended the Buckeyes' scoreless streak, which dated to the third period at Notre Dame Oct. 31, at 105:15.
Postgame Quotes
John Albert, Ohio State junior forward
On finally coming through on offense
"We were down two goals and then came back-overcoming that adversity just gave us the energy to come out with the win. Friday was a wake-up call for us. Tonight we made the plays that needed to be made."
Zac Dalpe, Ohio State sophomore forward
On the winning goal
"It was a hard play. I call that kind of goal a greasy goal-they are not always pretty. I'm just happy it went in."
John Markell, Ohio State head coach
On the offensive breaks in the third period
"We need our best players scoring goals. Our effort was there and we had a couple of big hits. Our players cheered for each other, hoping we would come back after their power play goals. We showed determination and successfully did our jobs in discovering what needs to be done. Our maturing process is evolving."
On better effort from the teams' scorers
"They didn't stop working and got better using teammates. They moved their feet down low, even though they got tired, but now with success, it's our job to show tape and prepare them so they can score goals that way."
On the goalie combination between Cal Heeter and Dustin Carlson
"I think both of them did well this weekend. Carlson had a good game (Friday in a 1-0 loss) and Heeter got the win. That's part of being a successful team. But either way, both of them are capable of winning."
Walt Kyle, Northern Michigan head coach
On the difference between tonight's game and NMU's Friday night win
"We just didn't play the same game we did last night, and a lot of that is because of what Ohio State did. They played harder, faster and really wanted the win."
On Ohio State's offense in the second and third periods
"They came at us in waves, and we just kept trying to ride out the storm. Our forwards did a poor job of covering Ohio State's defensemen, which allowed them to create extra pressure on the net."
