Box Score

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Western Michigan hockey team came up short, 4-2, to Ohio State at Value City Arena on Saturday evening in Central Collegiate Hockey Association action.

The Buckeyes drew first blood with 7:20 remaining in the first period. Zac Dalpe fired a shot from the left circle and over the shoulder of WMU goaltender Riley Gill to give Ohio State a 1-0 lead. The power play goal was the fourth of the season for Dalpe, with assists to Hunter Bishop and Shane Sims.

Minutes later Bishop tallied to extend the lead to 2-0. After a Bronco chance, the Buckeyes rushed down the ice in transition and Bishop spun and fired the puck. Gill got a piece of the puck, but it trickled past him and across the goal line.

With time winding down in the first period the Broncos found themselves with a five-on-three advantage. Greg Squires sat at the goal line just right of the net, took the puck and fired it off of an Ohio State defender in front of the net. The puck bounced up and over the shoulder of Buckeye goaltender Cal Heeter’s shoulder and in  for his first goal of the season. Freshman defenseman Luke Witkowski and Max Campbell each tallied assists on the goal as the Broncos cut the lead to 2-1.

The Broncos kept the pressure on for the first half of the second period but ended up drawing four penalties in the final minutes to keep themselves in the box and off the attack. Western Michigan was able to kill off all four, including the final one that extended in to the first minute of the third period.

With 12:18 remaining in the third period Ohio State pushed its lead to 3-1 after a turnover in the Bronco zone. OSU’s Peter Boyd fed the puck from behind the goal line to Dalpe in the slot. Dalpe fired the puck between Gill’s legs for his second goal of the night.

Western Michigan cut the lead back to one goal with 10:00 remaining in the third. Derek Roehl picked up a pass from Squries in the neutral zone, pushed it between the legs of an OSU defender and across the blue line. The crafty sophomore then dished the puck through the slot to Patrick Nagorsen, who banged it home from just in front of the crease for his second of the season. The assists were the first of the season for Roehl and the ninth of the season for Squires.

Western Michigan pulled Gill for the extra attacker with 1:30 remaining in the third period. After a faceoff in the Ohio State zone, the puck sprang loose and Ohio State’s Boyd picked it up and put it in the net for the 4-2 final.

Western Michigan hosts No. 1 Miami on Friday and Saturday in CCHA action with both games starting at 7:35 p.m.