Ohio State’s underdog season came to an abrupt and brutal end on the afternoon of March 27th. Ohio State was playing Boston University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The first forty minutes of gameplay made it seem like these two hockey teams were going to play a classic. They were tied at 3-3, going into the third. Then, the Buckeyes melted down in a nuclear fashion.
The collapse of the Buckeye defense and goalie play also left Buckeye Nation wondering what the Big Ten Coach of the Year, Steve Rohlik, was thinking. Logan Terness had been a solid goalie most of this season, but he split time with Matt Eberly when needed.
When Boston had taken away the Buckeyes' 3-2 lead with three straight goals, and Terness and the defense were on their heels, it may have been a good time to go to their bullpen. But Coach Rohlik would stick with a struggling Terness, and the 3-3 tie after two periods would end with five unanswered Boston goals, and the Buckeyes would fall 8-3.
The defeat is heartbreaking because it ends the season and is one of the ugly of all ugly losses, but the worst part is that it overshadows the good season the Ohio State Buckeyes had in 2024-2025. They were predicted to finish dead last in the Big Ten, but they turned that narrative around and had a good year.
They finished in the top two of the Big Ten and made the NCAA Tournament, making them a top-16 team in all of college hockey. They had a 24-14-2 record and had amazing seniors like Logan Terness, Joe Dunlap, and Gunnarwolfe Fontaine.
This 8-3 loss will hang over them, but they should be remembered for having the second-most wins in a season under Steve Rohlik and their sixth season with 20 or more wins in the past eight years. Hopefully, this team will use this season to springboard their efforts in 2025-2026.