Buckeyes Blast Falcons, 10-1

The Ohio State Buckeyes were bolstered by seven third period goals in a 10-1 home win against the Bentley Falcons in front of 2,495 in Value City Arena Friday evening.

Ohio State has won five in a row, and eight of their last nine. Bentley has lost two in a row. This was Ohio State’s highest scoring game since Nov. 28, 2000 when they won a 10-0 home game against the now defunct Findlay hockey program. Ohio State has now scored 17 goals in the last two games. Bentley last allowed 10 goals in a contest in the 2005-06 season at Mercyhurst.

“We played solid hockey for a couple periods, we were in good position (trailing) 3-1 going into the third,” Bentley coach Ryan Soderquist said. “I thought that our goaltending was average tonight. We coughed up a pretty soft goal on the first (Buckeye) goal of the game and we thought we were gaining momentum and then we gave up that soft goal.”

“I don’t think 10-1 was an indication of the score,” Ohio State coach John Markell said. “Our approach into the game, that team beat us up for two periods. We weren’t paying attention to the things that make us successful.”

“I don’t think the score was realistic of the game,” Ohio state senior forward Corey Elkins said. “They beat on us the first two periods. . . . If it wasn’t for Dusty, it could have been a different game easily.”

Bentley took the early 1-0 lead 5:25 into the first. After a flurry of shots, Falcons defenseman Ryan Kayfes keeps a Peter Boyd clearing attempt in his offensive zone. Forward Pat Percella scored seconds later through the five hole of Dustin Carlson on a well placed pass from Brendan Harrison.

Bentley had an excellent chance to go up 2-0 midway through the first when Trent Bonnett tried a back handed shot into an open net, but Carlson dove to his left to stop the shot.

Ohio State tied the game five minutes later when Bentley goaltender Joe Calvi turned the puck over off his stick onto the stick of Ohio State forward Sergio Somma as his shot beat the stick side of Calvi.
The Buckeyes took the lead a minute later when forward Ian Boots fed Elkins whose shot bounced off the skate of Kayfes and through the five hole of Calvi. Bentley outshot Ohio State 14-6 through one period.

“If Dusty Carlson doesn’t make that save, it is a 2-0 game for them, a whole different game,” Markell said. “Dusty has been there for us, and that is important. But we continued making little mistakes. With turnovers, I think our video guys fingers are nearly broken from the turnovers.”

Ohio State senior co-captain Zach Pelletier scored the second period’s only goal when he put back a rebound off of Calvi after the goalie saved a shot off of C.J. Severyn.

The third period featured seven Ohio State goals and 12 Bentley penalties. After Ohio State got goals from Severyn and Boots early in the third, Ohio State would finish the game with five power-play goals in the final eight minutes.

Buckeyes forward John Albert scored 12:11 into the third on a delayed penalty while already on a power play. Albert’s shot deflected off the skate of defenseman Bobby Preece and into the net behind Falcons’ backup goaltender Nick Moise. Preece then speared Somma as the goal horn blared which caused Preece to be ejected from the rest of the series.

Ohio State went on to score a pair of five-on-three goals from Hunter Bishop and Corey Elkins just seconds apart to give Ohio State the 8-1 lead. Buckeyes’ Peter Boyd scored a 4-on-3 goal, followed by an Erick Belanger goal while being up 6-on-3 during a delayed penalty in the final seconds. Ohio State’s power play percentage went from 12.8 percent to 16.5 percent following the game.

After the final goal, there was a scrum between Percella and Kayfes of the Falcons, and Pelletier and Folkes of the Buckeyes.

“Honestly, I thought it was a well officiated game,” Soderquist said. “I thought there could have been a couple calls, just like any coach out there, a couple calls when the game was out of hand at 9-1, they could have called a quick one on Ohio (State) and we wouldn’t have had a couple issues.”

Ohio State (10-6-1, 6-5-1-1) and Bentley (6-7-1, 5-4-1) returns Saturday to Value City Arena Saturday evening for the final game before the holiday break for both teams.