Buckeye senior Rod Pelley’s unassisted goal early in the third period broke a 2-all tie, lifting No. 5 Ohio State to a 4-2 victory over No. 6 Colorado College Friday in Colorado Springs, Colo. The game marked the opening of the regular season for the Buckeyes, while the Tigers, a 2005 NCAA Frozen Four team, fell to 2-1 on the year.
Pelley had a goal and an assist in the game, while junior Andrew Schembri and sophomore Tom Fritsche each chipped in two helpers.
“It was a good road win against a very good hockey club,” Ohio State head coach John Markell said. “We have to take it for what it is–it’s our first game of the year and we won. Now we have to prepare ourselves for the next one. It’s just as important.”
The Tigers took the lead just 1:38 into the game when Brett Sterling scored a power-play goal, set up by Joey Crabb and Lee Sweatt.
Ohio State tied the game with a Tyson Strachan goal at 11:57. Pelley won the faceoff and took the puck along the boards, winning the battle and passing to Strachan. Strachan, who had come in from the point, then beat CC goalie Matt Zaba with a high shot. Ohio State had 11 shots on goal in the period, while CC had six.
The Buckeyes took the lead 1:30 into the second period when Matt McIlvane got a loose puck in the crease and put it into the net with OSU on the power play. Schembri and Fritsche assisted on the goal.
Colorado College retied the game less than a minute later when Derek Patrosso scored–set up by Sterling–at 2:26. Each team had eight shots on net in the second.
In the third period, Pelley broke the tie when he picked up a CC clearing attempt just over the Tiger blue line. Pelley skated in alone down the left side and beat Zaba high at 4:48. Kyle Hood extended the Buckeye lead to 4-2 with a power-play goal at 10:11, taking passes from Fritsche and Schembri and scoring from the point. OSU was outshot in the period 11-7.
The Buckeyes outshot the Tigers, 26-25. Buckeye senior goalie Dave Caruso had 23 saves in the game. Zaba had 22 stops.
Ohio State converted 2 of 8 power-play chances, and CC was 1 for 7.
The Buckeyes and Tigers will end the two game series at 9:05 EDT Saturday at Colorado Springs World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colo.
