Ohio
Gophers men's hockey gets Big Ten sweep with 6-3 rout of Ohio State
To Gophers men’s hockey coach Bob Motzko, Minnesota’s three-goal victory over Ohio State on Friday night wouldn’t mean much if his team didn’t sweep the Buckeyes on Saturday.
His players got the message and adhered to their coach’s directive.
Second-period goals by Garrett Pinoniemi, Bryce Brodzinski and Rhett Pitlick broke open a scoreless game, and 24 saves from Justen Close enabled the Gophers to beat Ohio State 6-3 on Saturday night at 3M Arena at Mariucci in front of a crowd of 9,594. Aaron Huglen, Jaxon Nelson and Brody Lamb added third-period goals as the Gophers won their fifth game in a row and gained three points over the weekend on first-place Michigan State in the Big Ten standings.
The Gophers (14-6-4, 7-4-3 Big Ten) posted their first conference sweep of the season and remained in fourth place in the Big Ten with 23 points, one behind third-place Notre Dame. Michigan State leads with 34 points, and Wisconsin is second with 30. Minnesota will play the Spartans and Badgers on the road over the next two weekends.
“The speed limit goes up,” Motzko said.
Brothers Joe and Jake Dunlap, plus Caden Brown, scored goals for Ohio State (9-11-4, 1-11-2). Logan Terness made 24 saves for the Buckeyes, who are in last place in the Big Ten.
The Gophers took control of the game in the second, getting goals from three different lines.
Pinoniemi, a fourth-line left winger, started it 3:14 into the period. Freshman defenseman Sam Rinzel tried to stuff the puck past Terness on a wraparound. The goalie made the save but gave up a rebound that Pinoniemi pounded home for his first goal of the season.
“It felt good,” the sophomore said. “I just went to the net and tried to keep it simple.”
Brodzinski, starting at left wing instead of his usual right wing, increased the Gophers’ lead to 2-0 at 7:21 of the second. The fifth-year senior skated the puck up the ice and into the Buckeyes’ zone, sent it to Mason Nevers, who left a drop pass that Brodzinski sniped over Terness’ left shoulder.
“I just had to get it off in a hurry,” said Brodzinski, who also had two assists.
After Joe Dunlap’s goal at 7:44, Pitlick, who had a hat trick and an assist in Friday’s 5-2 win, stretched the lead to 3-1 at 17:46 of the second. Oliver Moore won a faceoff, sending the puck between his legs back to Pitlick, who one-timed a shot for his 15th goal of the season.
“Overall, I couldn’t be more pleased with our effort throughout our entire lineup,” Motzko said. “… Our guys have confidence right now.”
Huglen made it 4-1 at 5:17 of the third period. Nelson stretched the lead to 5-1 at 9:19 with a blast from the left circle.
Goals by Jake Dunlap and Brown cut the lead to 5-3 before Lamb scored into an empty net with 34 seconds left.
After a sluggish first half of the season that left the Gophers with a 5-4-3 conference mark, the team believes it’s finding its stride.
“Our biggest stump the first half was we’d win the first game and get complacent,” Brodzinski said. “Our thing [Saturday] was to play like we lost the first game. … It was a big emphasis.”
The Oregon Ducks and coach Dan Lanning have lost out on a top offensive lineman target for their 2027 recruiting class.
On Friday, four-star interior offensive lineman Caden Moss committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes, per On3’s Hayes Fawcett. The 6-5, 320-pound offensive lineman from Jackson Academy in Mississippi chose the Buckeyes over Oregon, Ole Miss, LSU, and Kentucky.
In his commitment post on Instagram, Moss said, “Go Bucks, I’m home.” Moss arrives at Ohio State rated as the No. 72 overall player nationally and No. 7 offensive tackle in the 2027 recruiting class, per 247Sports Composite rankings.
How Moss Commitment Impacts Oregon’s 2027 Recruiting Class Ranking
Despite the loss of Moss to their 2027 recruiting class, the Ducks are ahead of the Buckeyes in the rankings, per 247Sports. The Ducks are No. 6 in the 2027 recruiting class rankings, while the Buckeyes are two spots behind Oregon at No. 8 overall in the country.
The Ducks and Buckeyes, the way things stand at the end of June, have the two best 2027 recruiting classes in the Big Ten and are the only schools from the conference currently ranked inside the top 10. Oregon, however, has four more commits than Ohio State following Moss’ commitment to the Buckeyes on Friday.
The four Big Ten teams behind the Ducks and Buckeyes, but inside the top 20 of the 2027 recruiting class rankings, per 247Sports, include the Penn State Nittany Lions (No. 13), USC Trojans (No. 14), UCLA Bruins (No. 16), and Nebraska Cornhuskers (No. 18).
Oregon and Ohio State’s 2027 recruiting classes are very similar as they both have 11 total blue-chip commits, per 247Sports, including two five-stars and nine four-stars.
Oregon 2027 Offensive Line Commits
While wide receiver Dakota Guerrant and edge rusher Rashad Streets are Oregon’s two five-star commits in the 2027 recruiting class, the Ducks have four offensive line commits despite the loss of Moss to coach Ryan Day and the Buckeyes.
Offensive lineman commits in the Ducks’ 2027 recruiting class include a pair of four-star recruits, Gus Corsair and Cameron Wagner. Three-star commits Avery Michael and Lex Mailangi also highlight the offensive line commits in the Ducks’ 2027 recruiting class.
Over the course of his four seasons as coach of the Ducks, Oregon has been known for its efficient offensive line play, building one of the best groups in the country. In the last four seasons, the Ducks have been the only school to have their offensive line named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award.
With the commits in Oregon’s 2027 recruiting class, along with the returners that the Ducks have for the 2026 season, the offensive line looks to continue that trend heading into a year with national championship expectations.
As for the Buckeyes, Ohio State hopes that a dominant offensive lineman can help it continue to be a Big Ten championship and national title contender consistently, as it looks to avenge last season’s loss to the Miami Hurricanes in the CFP Quarterfinal at the Cotton Bowl.
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And because of those very distinct emotional states, you’d never know that the Mariners’
Bruce Thornton was already grateful the Houston Rockets traded up with the New York Knicks to take him, but the former Ohio State star also quickly realized there was another incentive to landing in Texas.
After being projected by many mock drafts in the late 40s or early 50s entering the week, the Buckeyes’ all-time leading scorer sounds more than ready for his opportunity in Houston. He met with the media following the selection.
Were you anxious going into the night not knowing where you would land?
Bruce: For me, I’m not picky at all. Whoever wanted me and gave me, a kid from Fairburn, Georgia, an opportunity, I would be very blessed and very grateful. I’m so thankful for the Houston Rockets just taking a chance on me. And I’m going to do everything I can in my power to be the best player I can be for the Houston Rockets.
Did you know that you weren’t going to the Knicks at all?
Bruce: I knew at the last minute. Somebody said I got the wrong hat. I’m like, “What do you mean?” Then I heard the Houston Rockets. I’m like, “No state tax, so that’s even better.”
How does being a four-time team captain prepare you for the expectations of leadership as an NBA point guard?
Bruce: First, I want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, because without him, I wouldn’t be here right now. But for my experiences at Ohio State, being a four-year guy, it definitely helped me. The experience of just going through college, going through life and the stuff that you just go through, it definitely helped me prepare to talk to grown men at this level. But I feel like the experience I have at Ohio State is going to prepare me to be the best player I can be as a Houston Rocket.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome in order to get to this point in your life right now?
Bruce: I feel like for me, from a basketball standpoint, I didn’t make it to March Madness my first three years of college. A lot of people chose to leave and make better situations to get to March Madness, but I just wanted to do it at Ohio State. So I did everything I could. My coaching staff helped me. I did a lot of praying, using my faith to the best of my ability, and I got through it my senior year. One of the best feelings, I ever decided to stay at Ohio State for all four years.
Throughout your basketball journey, is there someone that you’ve considered a mentor or looked up to that shaped the player you are today?
Bruce: First, my mother. She sacrificed so much. She also played at the University of Georgia, so she taught me a lot of things like handling the cookie jar, make sure you hold your follow through, boxing out, stuff I didn’t want to hear at all. But she definitely helped me.
And my friends from back home. It was all of our dream to be in the NBA. And for them to have my support, and having a great support cast throughout this journey was a big thing. The village I had behind me throughout this journey really helped me get to the point I am right now.
When Rockets fans start watching you professionally, is there a part of your game that you think will surprise them the most?
Bruce: I think I’m a winner. I want to win everything I possibly can. I’m trying to impact winning. For me, I feel like everybody eats when everybody wins. So I do everything I can. Whatever they ask me to do, I’m going to make sure I do it at a high level and with a great attitude.
When people look back at your career 10 or 15 years from now, what do you hope they remember most about you?
Bruce: I just hope I’m just a kid that gave everything I got each and every night. When I put that jersey on, I’m just going to perform at the best I can each and every night. I’m never going to quit. I’m never going to stop giving up. So I hope everybody can take that one thing from me, that when you have the opportunity, take full advantage of it.
What do you think you will bring to the Houston Rockets in terms of your attitude, work ethic and willingness to get one percent better each and every day?
Bruce: I think it starts on defense. Me just getting to the ball, being disruptive and making big-time shots. We got great players like Sengun and KD at a very high level. So me just filling in my role at a high level, doing the things they need me to do and just impacting winning as much as I possibly can, and being a great teammate in the locker room.
What is the biggest adjustment you expect to have to make in the NBA?
Bruce: The biggest adjustment is probably playing over 100 games in a year. There’s a deep playoff team this year. So [it’s up to] me just adjusting my body, having the time management skills to play over 100 games and try to win a championship.
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