Buckeye hockey begins in earnest this week. The men open the season against some of the nation’s elite at the Ice Breaker Tournament. Meanwhile the women commence conference play with a road series at No. 1.
Men
| game info | fri | sat |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Faceoff | 9:30 p.m. ET | 6:00 p.m. ET |
| Television | Altitude Sports | n/a |
| Radio | 104.3 FM (Denver) | n/a |
| Online | PioneerVision ($) | PioneerVision ($) |
Expectations are uncommonly optimistic for Ohio State this season. The team’s preseason prediction usually lands somewhere between not great and slightly better than average. However this year the Buckeyes rank second in the Big Ten coaches' preseason poll and, while not ranked, are receiving a respectable number of votes in the national polls.
The positivity is unusual but not surprising. Unlike many Big Ten teams OSU returns nearly all of the key contributors from last season’s potent offense. Nine of the Bucks' top ten scorers are back including Nick Schilkey (19-22--41), Dave Gust (11-25--36), Matt Weis (11-21--32), and Mason Jobst (12-18--30).
And the already well-armed Buckeyes also add a pack of skilled rookies to the roster. Tanner Laczynski was the USHL’s fourth leading scorer last season. He has long been on Team USA’s radar and this past August survived the final roster cut at the team’s summer World Juniors evaluation camp. The scouting reports regarding his vision and play-making abilities are Dzingel-esque.
| other week 1 b1G Match ups |
|---|
| Union vs No. 11/12 Michigan |
| No. 13/11 Minnesota vs Alaska-Anchorage/Alaska |
| No. 16 St. Lawrence vs RV Penn State |
| RV Wisconsin vs Northern Michigan |
| RV Michigan State has a bye |
Sam McCormick (yes, Max’s brother) was not far behind Laczynski on the USHL charts. He ranked eighth in scoring with 57 total points. Another Buckeye rookie, Ronnie Hein, landed just outside the top 20 with 49 points.
We saw the potential for explosive offensive chemistry between these veterans and rookies in Ohio State’s authoritative 9-2 exhibition win over Wilfrid Laurier. Now the Bucks test their mettle against much more challenging competition.
OSU opens the season at the Ice Breaker Tournament which also features No. 3/4 Denver, No. 5/9 Boston College, and Air Force. The Pioneers are up first for the Buckeyes. Saturday’s opponent will be determined by the outcome of Friday’s games.
Last season Denver advanced to the Frozen Four. The team lost three of the top five scorers from that squad. However the Pioneers are still expected to challenge for the NCHC title and another spot in the NCAA tournament.
I think Ohio State is going to give Denver a run for its money tonight. Whether or not the Bucks come out ahead on the scoreboard, I think this weekend is going to be a solid starting block for a definitively improved season.
Season Prediction
Since it’s more fun to have a specific prediction to either gloat over or mock mercilessly at the end of the year I’ll put on my fortune-telling hat for you and say… Ohio State will have a winning record in non-conference play, finish the regular season with a national ranking, and earn a first round Big Ten tournament bye.
Did you know?
The 2016-17 Buckeyes include four NHL drafted prospects: Miguel Fidler (Florida Panthers), Dakota Joshua (Toronto Maple Leafs), Tanner Laczynski (Philadelphia Flyers), and Matt Tomkins (Chicago Blackhawks).
Women
| Game Info | fri | sat |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Faceoff | 8pm ET | 2pm ET |
| Television | n/a | n/a |
| Radio | n/a | 92.1 FM (Wisconsin) |
| Online | n/a | n/a |
Expectations for Ohio State’s women are considerably more modest. The offseason brought another wind of change to the Buckeyes. With such upheaval it’s no surprise the WCHA coaches placed OSU seventh out of eight teams in the conference’s preseason poll.
In more exciting news, the Bucks get two dynamic players back this season. Injuries sidelined defenseman Jincy Dunne and goaltender Kassidy Sauve for all of 2015-16. Both were cleared for active duty this year and both have already made an impact, factoring in OSU’s season opening sweep of RPI.
This week the Buckeyes head into Wisconsin to begin the WCHA portion of their schedule against the top ranked Badgers. If the team hacks some points off this series, that’s great. If not, they’ll be in pretty good company. Wisconsin isn’t going to cede many points to any opponent this year.
| this week's WCHA match ups |
|---|
| No. 2 Minnesota vs RV Bemidji State |
| Minnesota State vs No. 8/6 Minnesota-Duluth |
| No. 6/7 North Dakota vs St. Cloud |
| Ohio State vs. No. 1 Wisconsin |
But, hey, weird things happen early in the season. OSU is riding a small surge of momentum. With a little luck and a Herculean defensive effort, maybe the Bucks can come away from the series with more than just a moral victory.
Season Prediction
The WCHA is a killer conference, but I do think the Buckeyes are going to surprise some teams and be a tough out. Perhaps I'm looking at things through my scarlet colored glasses, but I think Ohio State one-ups the coaches poll and finishes sixth in the WCHA.
