No. 10 Buckeyes Down Penn State in OT, Move on to B1G Title Game

Saturday, March 15

8:30 p.m.

Ohio State

24-12-2

Penn State

20-13-4

OT 1

Penn State

Ohio State

No. 10 Buckeyes Down Penn State in OT, Move on to B1G Title Game

3/16/2025 1:04:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey

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Ohio State will take on Michigan State in the championship next Saturday in East Lansing

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Gunnarwolfe Fontaine's second goal of the game lifted the No. 10 Ohio State men's hockey team to a 4-3 win in overtime over No. 11 Penn State Saturday in a Big Ten Tournament semifinal in Value City Arena.

Ohio State, the No. 3 seed, advances to the final, where it will take on top seed Michigan State at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in East Lansing, Mich. The Buckeyes are looking for the program's first B1G postseason title. The Spartans downed No. 7 seed Notre Dame, 1-0, in the semifinals.

The Buckeyes are now 24-12-2 on the year and the Nittany Lions are 20-13-4. Ohio State was 3-1-1 vs. Penn State in 2024-25.

The Short Story
The Buckeyes led 1-0 after the first period on a Gunnarwolfe Fontaine tally. Penn State scored the only goals of the second, at 2:08 and 9:05 on the power play, for a 2-1 lead heading into the third period. Nathan Lewis tied the game at two at 9:19 and less than two minutes later Patrick Guzzo scored on a 2-on-1 for a 3-2 Buckeye lead. Penn State deadlocked the score at 14:05, setting up overtime for a spot in the final.

In overtime, Davis Burnside forced a turnover in the neutral zone, and Riley Thompson picked the puck up, with his pass setting up Fontaine alone in front, who scored five-hole at 14:31 for the Buckeye win.

Eleven Buckeyes had a point in the game and goalie Logan Terness made 31 saves in 74:31. Ohio State outshot Penn State, 42-34, and had 20 shot blocks. Each team had one power play chance.

How it Happened

At 10:37 of the first Gunnarwolfe Fontaine redirected a shot by Aiden Hansen-Bukata to put the Buckeyes on the board. Damien Carfagna had the second assist on the tally.
Shots were 11-6 in favor of the Buckeyes in the first and they had the only power play opportunity.
Ben Schoen tied the game at 2:08, scoring from in close after a Buckeye turnover deep in their zone. At 9:05 JJ Waiebusch scored on the lone Nittany Lion power play chance of the game to give Penn State the lead, 2-1.
Each team had 12 shots on goal in the middle stanza.
Nathan Lewis tied the game 9:19 into the third. Max Montes threw the puck toward the net; it bounced high, and Lewis knocked it in out of the air. It was originally called no-goal on the ice because of a high stick but Ohio State challenged the call and it was determined it was a good goal after review. James Hong picked up the second assist on the tally.
Just over two minutes later, Joe Dunlap sent his brother Jake on a two-on-one, with Patrick Guzzo scoring off a pass in front at 11:36 for a 3-2 Buckeye lead.
Penn State tied the game at 14:05 when Matt Di Marsico scored on a rebound.
The teams combined for 28 shots in the third, with Penn State ahead 15-13.
In overtime, Ohio State had five of the first six shots on goal. On the winner, Davis Burnside forced a turnover in the neutral zone on a Penn State clearance attempt. Riley Thompson got to the puck and passed over to Gunnarwolfe Fontaine. His shot went five-hole at 14:31, sending the Buckeyes to the championship game.
Ohio State had the shot advantage, 42-34, in the game. Logan Terness made 31 saves in 74:31. Penn State's Arsenii Sergeev had 38 stops in 74:28.
The Buckeyes blocked 20 shot attempts. Chris Able and Lewis were first with three each. Penn State had 19 shot blocks.
Each team had one power play chance in the game.

Buckeye This and That

Ohio State will be making its third appearance in the Big Ten Tournament final (2014, 2018).
The Buckeyes are looking for their first B1G tourney crown.
Fontaine had his sixth career two-goal game and his fourth as a Buckeye. He is first on the team with 39 points, ranking second with 16 goals and 23 assists. He has five points (3g, 2a) in his last three games combined.
The Buckeyes are 9-3 in one-goal games this season and five of the last six games have been one-goal decisions.
Burnside and Carfagna are both on three-game point streaks. Burnside is second on the team with 33 points this year and Carfagna is tied for fourth with 26.
Ohio State has outscored opponents 51-34 in the third period and 5-2 in overtime this season.
Lewis' goal was his second of the year and first since Nov. 1 vs. Lake Superior State.