Hey there hockey fans! The first game of what we’re calling the Ted Carter hockey series between Omaha and Ohio State ended in a tie on Friday night. The game was a real nail-biter, finishing in a 2-2 draw in front of a crowd of 6,402 at Baxter Arena. The excitement didn’t stop there, as the Buckeyes went on to win the seven-round shootout after a scoreless five-minute overtime.
Before the game, we had a special guest drop the ceremonial puck. Ted Carter, the president of the University of Nebraska System and the incoming president at Ohio State, kicked off the action.
UNO coach Mike Gabinet was pleased with his team’s performance for most of the game, saying, ‘For the majority of the game, I liked our play.’ However, he did admit that they got a little sloppy in the third period.
The Buckeyes struck first, scoring with just over 8 minutes left in the first period. Omaha goalie Simon Latkoczy did his best, but Michael Gildon managed to find the back of the net. But the Mavericks weren’t about to let the Buckeyes take the lead for long. Just two minutes later, Brock Bremer scored his first goal of the season, tying the game.
In the second period, UNO took the lead when defenseman Kirby Proctor scored a beauty of a goal. He teamed up with forward Matt Miller on a 2-on-1 and fired a wrist shot into the net. The Buckeyes quickly responded, though, with Mason Klee scoring to tie the game once again.
The Mavericks had a couple of other great scoring opportunities, but they just couldn’t find the back of the net. Jack Randl was denied on a breakaway, and a shot by defenseman Nolan Krenzen hit the goal post.
Heading into the third period, UNO had a slight advantage with a 25-17 edge in shots. But it was Latkoczy who stole the show in the final period, making some incredible saves to keep the game tied. He even stopped two breakaways while the Mavericks were on the power play.
With the game still deadlocked at 2-2, it was time for some shootout action. Both goalies were on fire, stopping the first six attempts. But on the seventh attempt, Ohio State’s Damien Carfagna managed to score, giving the Buckeyes the win. Unfortunately, Omaha’s Ray Fust couldn’t get a shot off against Ohio State’s goalie, Logan Terness.
Despite the tie, Coach Gabinet remains optimistic, saying, ‘Overall, we’ll keep building. That’s a good hockey team over there, and there were some positives, but we have to be better.’
The two teams will face off again on Saturday at 7:07 p.m., so be sure to tune in for another exciting game!
And hey, if you want to see some awesome photos from the game, check them out below!
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