Box Score
Three rookies provided the scoring punch, a grizzled five-year collegiate veteran delivered the goods at the other end of the ice and the University of Minnesota Duluth skated out of Value City Arena with a 3-1 non-conference victory over Ohio State University Friday evening.
Freshmen forwards
Kyle Osterberg,
Sammy Spurrell and
Dominic Toninato each had one goal and senior goaltender
Aaron Crandall turned aside 28 of 29 shots for the 20th-ranked Bulldogs, who improved to 4-2-1 on the year and snapped the Buckeyes' three-game winning streak. Osterberg, the reigning National Collegiate Hockey Conference Rookie of the Month, buried a shot from the high slot at 9:05 of the first period to give UMD a lead (1-0) it wouldn't relinquish. It was Osterberg's third goal of the season and fifth point, but first on the power play. Spurrell finished off a 2-on-1 break with sophomore left winger
Charlie Sampair, registering his first collegiate point with 3:33 to go in the second period. Ohio State (3-4-0 overall) cut the gap to 2-1 at 5:06 of the third when Tyler Lundey's redirect slipped by Crandall, but six minutes later, Toninato answered with a wrister between the face off circles.
Aaron Crandall, who has now made four straight starts for the first time in his career, helped keep the Buckeyes off the board on all five of their power play opportunities. He has allowed only two goals in his last seven periods of crease work and now possesses a 1.51 goals against average.Â
Ohio State, which is under the direction of first-year head coach Steve Rohlik, a former UMD assistant coach, owned a commanding 53-25 advantage in faceoffs.
"I was happy to get that first goal on the road," said UMD head coach
Scott Sandelin, who Rohlik worked under for 10 years (2000-10). "It gave us a little bit of a spark. I'd have to say we were very opportunistic with all our goals tonight."
The two clubs will conclude their first-ever series in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday night.
Video Highlights
Scott Sandelin's post-game press conference
