Something to Celebrate in First Half of Hockey Season

Well, dear readers, we’ve reached the halfway point of the college puck season. The first few months have been rough ones. Ohio State enjoyed some good results but they were few and far between. After graduating key contributors last year, both the men’s and women’s teams have struggled with new and reassigned roles.

The men’s team (3-11-0) faced a brutal non-conference schedule with a lot of rookies and not much marquee talent. The gutsy Bucks battled down to the wire in many of their games. Five of their losses were one-goal affairs. In another three games they were within a goal with five minutes to go. However, they haven’t been able to sustain high levels of play long enough to secure a win over a top ranked opponent.

The women’s team (6-12-0) was hit hard by injuries. Highly touted rookie Jincy Dunne has not seen action this season. Neither has fellow defender Jessica Dunne or standout goalie Kassidy Sauve. Several other players have missed significant time as well. While first year coach Jenny Potter labored to scrape up enough healthy bodies to fill the roster, her team did put together a few good outings, including an upset of then No. 6 North Dakota. 

The teams face the same challenges in second half of the season. There isn’t anything the women can do about their injury situation except ride it out. It’s going to be tough for them to climb the conference standings, even if they are healthy. There are a lot of very good teams ahead of them. However they can still ruin some seasons and destroy plenty of tournament dreams in the second half.

The men’s outlook is significantly more hopeful. The Buckeyes are steadily improving. It’s too late for any at-large aspirations but the Big Ten is a mess. A respectable showing within the conference is still possible, as is a B1G tournament run and an automatic NCAA bid.

After awful struggles you might be tempted to think there wasn’t anything about the first half worth celebrating. You’d be wrong. There’s always something to celebrate. Some seasons you just have to look a little harder. Drumroll please… 

Biggest Win - Women at No. 6 North Dakota, November 14

By far the most significant victory by any Buckeye team was the women’s road trip takedown of the Fighting Hawks. Ohio State rallied twice, getting game tying goals from veterans Claudia Kepler and Kendall Curtis. Freshman Maddy Field potted the game winner and sophomore goaltender Alex LaMere stopped a career high 38 shots (including 19 in the first period) to lock up the win. 

Most Heart Attack Inducing Game - Men vs Everyone, All the Games

The men’s team is an ongoing cardiac event. Take your pick of its last three games. There was the series finale rally at No. 6 Nebraska-Omaha. Then the following week, two near misses in overtime at Minnesota. Ohio State ought to start officially licensing defibrillators. 

Best Individual Performance - Dave Gust vs Canisius, November 13-14

On one glorious, victorious week in November the men’s team swept the opposition. Ohio State downed Canisius twice while hanging ten goals on the Golden Griffins. Half of those tallies were engineered, at least in part, by Dave Gust. For his efforts the junior was named the Big Ten’s First Star of the Week. 

Best Goal Scorer - Kendall Curtis

Curtis leads all Buckeyes with nine goals. Two of those scores were game winners. The most recent one secured an Ohio State victory over Vermont. Interestingly, all of Curtis’ goals have been recorded at even strength. The senior’s stat line is rounded out with five assists. 

Unsung Hero - Luke Stork

Stork (3-6--9) does not make a lot of headlines but he does make a lot happen on the ice. The sophomore is a noticeable presence in the offense zone. Game in and game out, with or without the puck, he helps generate opportunities for the Bucks. Sometimes it’s in the form of a nifty pass or a deft scoring touch. Other times it is dogged puck possession or willingness to engage in the thick of the net front battle. Stork does whatever he needs to help better the Buckeyes’ odds. 

Top Shot Blockers - Alexa Ranahan and Dani Sadek

Ranahan (38) and Sadek (33) are the best blockers in Buckeye hockey. They also rank in the top-5 in the WCHA and the top-20 in the NCAA. When they aren’t fearlessly facing down flying pucks, they’re chipping in offensively. Ranahan recorded eight assists in the first half while Sadek added a goal and nine helpers. 

Best Goalie - Alex LaMere

This was a tough one. The Buckeye netminders have had their share of struggles this season. Ultimately I think the winner has to be LaMere. Christian Frey owns the best stats of any Ohio State goaltender (3.00/.906) but LaMere has the most wins (4). The sophomore also boasts the only shutout by a Buckeye goalie this season and the only victory over a ranked team. 

Mr. Consistency - Nick Schilkey

It took a couple weeks for Schilkey to get rolling but since then the junior has been the Bucks’ most reliable contributor. He recorded points in nine of the team’s final ten games heading into the break. (He was shut out once by Omaha.) His point total stands at 15, eight goals and seven assists. If he manages to keep up his present pace 2015-16 will be a career season. 

Freshman Phenom - Maddy Field

Field has made, by far, the biggest impact among the rookie set this season. The Oakville, Ontario native lit the lamp seven times in the first half which makes her the second best rookie goal scorer in the WCHA (trailing Minnesota’s Sarah Potomak by just one). She is also tied for ninth most goals by a rookie in the entire NCAA. She also contributed two assists over her first 16 games and once earned WCHA Rookie of the Week honors. Look for more from this young star when the women’s team returns to action.

Best Hair - Victor Bjorkung

Is that Victor Bjorkung or Ragnar Lothbrok? It’s hard to tell. The fiercest flow on the blue line or in the shield wall belongs to the Swedish defenseman. In addition to his straight outta Kattegat style, Bjorkung has contributed three assists to the Buckeye cause this season. 

Did I leave out a crucial award? Disagree with my winners? Leave a comment and tell me how wrong I am.

Conference Standings at Midseason