The No. 9 Ohio State men’s hockey team rallied with two late goals in the third period, but No. 1 ranked Michigan State prevailed in double overtime, 4-3, in the Big Ten Tournament championship game Saturday in Munn Ice Arena.
The Buckeyes, the tournament’s No. 3 seed, are now 24-13-2 on the year and the No. 1 seed Spartans are 26-6-4. Ohio State was playing in its third B1G Championship game and has lost in overtime in all three (2014, 2018, 2025). The game was the longest in Big Ten Tournament history.
Defenseman Damien Carfagna and forward Gunnarwolfe Fontaine both earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team.
The No. 3 seed Buckeyes will take on No. 2 Boston University at 2 p.m. Thursday in the Huntington Center in the 2025 NCAA Championship field and will head to Toledo, Ohio, for regional competition with ESPNU televising the matchup.
The other first-round matchup in Toledo features No. 1 seed Michigan State (the No. 2 overall seed) vs. No. 4 Cornell at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. The regional final is slated for 4 or 6:30 p.m. Saturday and will be carried by ESPNU. The regional winner advances to the NCAA Frozen Four in St. Louis, with the semifinals on April 10 and the final on April 12.
This marks the Buckeyes’ 11th appearance in the NCAA tournament. The squad reached the Frozen Four in 2018 and 1998 and also earned a spot in 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2017, 2019, and 2023.
The Short Story
Michigan State scored two power-play goals for a 2-0 lead less than 12 minutes into the game. Buckeye Joe Dunlap put the Buckeyes on the board with 2:09 left in the opening period. Neither team found the back of the net in the second period.
The Spartans pushed the lead to 3-1 just 42 seconds into the third. Ohio State notched the last two goals of regulation – from Damien Carfagna at 12:46 and Gunnarwolfe Fontaine at 17:39 – to tie the game.
Neither team scored in the first overtime, with Ohio State holding the edge in shots, 11-9. The Spartans’ Isaac Howard tallied at 15:09 of the second overtime for the win and their second consecutive B1G title.
Aiden Hansen-Bukata had three assists in the game to match his career high and Dunlap and Carfagna, who also had six shot blocks, each had a goal and an assist. Buckeye goalie Logan Terness had a career-high 47 saves while playing all 95:09.
How it Happened
- Michigan State scored twice on its first three power-play chances of the game for a 2-0 lead. Karsen Dorwart tallied at 7:39 and Isaac Howard scored off a faceoff at 11:41.
- The Buckeyes got on the board with a Joe Dunlap goal at 17:51. Aiden Hansen-Buakata led Damien Carfagna into the MSU zone. He carried and found Dunlap in the high slot for an open shot.
- Shots were 11-9 in favor of Michigan State in the first.
- No goals were scored in the second and Ohio State had the only power play chance. Michigan State had the edge in shots, 9-7.
- Just 42 seconds into the third Tanner Kelly put the Spartans up 3-1 with a goal from just outside the crease.
- From behind the goal line, Damien Carfagna knocked the puck in off the Spartan goalie at 12:46 for a one-goal game. Dunlap and Hansen-Bukata assisted on the goals.
- At 17:39, Gunnarwolfe Fontaine deadlocked the score, getting to a loose puck and scoring from inside the faceoff circle after a scramble by the Spartan net. Riley Thompson and Hansen-Bukata had the assists on the goal.
- Each team had 10 shots in the third and the Buckeyes had the lone power play chance.
- The teams combined for 20 shots, but no goals, in the first 20-minute overtime. Ohio State put 11 shots on net, Michigan State nine. Ohio State had one power play chance in the OT.
- The Spartans scored on their 12th shot on goal of the second overtime, with Howard tallying from outside the crease. The Buckeyes had four shots on goal in the second overtime.
- For the game, the Buckeyes were outshot, 51-41. Terness made 47 saves in 95:09 and MSU’s Trey Augustine had 38 stops in 95:09.
- Ohio State had 30-shot blocks as a team. Carfagna was first with six and Nathan McBrayer and Ryan Gordon each had three.
- The Spartans were 2-for-4 on the power play and the Buckeyes were scoreless on three chances.
Buckeye This and That
- The Buckeyes are 9-4 in one-goal games this season and six of the last seven games have been one-goal decisions, with three of the last four decided in overtime.
- Carfagna is on a four-game point streak and has a 7-21-28 line this season. His six shot blocks were a career high and he leads the team with 68.
- Fontaine leads the Buckeyes with 40 points and is tied for the team lead with 17 goals.
- Hansen-Bukata has a team-best 27 assists and is fourth with 29 points.
- Ohio State has outscored opponents 53-35 in the third period and 5-3 in overtime this season.