Hello again, hockey fans. Happy game d- Oh wait. There are no games. We're still mired in the midseason break. Le sigh.
We took a look back at the first half of the season last week. It seems fitting that we now look forward to what's in store for your men's and women's hockey Bucks in seasons to come. Let's talk recruiting.
According to CollegeCommitments.com 24 players have given at least a verbal commitment to play their D-I hockey at Ohio State. I think that number is actually 23. The website still lists goaltender Breanna Blesi as a recruit for the women’s team. She switched her commitment to Wisconsin this week.
Dana Rasmussen, who transferred from Ohio State to St. Cloud after her freshman year, is also included. This is a mistake unless it means she intends to transfer back to OSU which would be weird. And, unless I am seriously missing something, Paetyn Levis should be on that list.
The tables on the right are current and correct to the best of my knowledge. Don't take the starting years as gospel. They can be fluid depending on the needs of the players as well as the team. Some recruits are locked in with National Letters of Intent. All have at least made a publicly reported, verbal commitment to Ohio State. Not every player is mentioned in greater detail below. Internet scuttlebutt on some skaters was scant.
Buckeye Women Boast Star Power
The women's team has been through a couple seasons of coaching upheaval. The uncertainty did nothing to help the program's recruiting efforts. Yet despite that hurdle Ohio State has both retained and enlarged an exciting corps of recruits.
| women's commits | pos | year | current team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lisa Bruno | D | 2017-18 | Durham Lightning (PWHL) |
| Emma Maltais | F | 2017-18 | Oakville Hornets (PWHL) |
| Liz Schepers | F | 2017-18 | MN Jr. Whitecaps Black (US) |
| Tatum Skaggs | F | 2017-18 | Chicago Mission U19 (HPHL) |
| McKenna Wesloh | D | 2017-18 | MN Revolution Blue U19 (US) |
| Madison Bizal | D | 2018-19 | MN Jr. Whitecaps Black (US) |
| Sophie Jaques | D | 2018-19 | Toronto Aeros (PWHL) |
| Paetyn Levis | F | 2018-19 | Rogers H.S. Royals (MN-HS) |
| Shae-Elle McLean | F | 2018-19 | Elk River/Zimmerman (MN-HS) |
| Ramsey Parent | F | 2019-20 | MN Jr. Whitecaps White (US) |
Five players signed NLI's to play for the OSU women in 2017-18. Two hail from Minnesota. McKenna Wesloh is currently skating for the Minnesota Revolution Academy’s U19 squad. She has posted a scorching 54 points through just 24 games.
Liz Schepers was one of the state’s top 15 scorers last season. She racked up 57 points and captained Mound Westonka High School to a conference title. It’s no surprise she was named one of the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s 20 Metro Players to Watch this year.
Wisconsin native Tatum Skaggs is slated to join the Bucks next season as well. She was a key contributor for 2015 USA Hockey Nationals champion Chicago Mission U19 team. Skaggs and Wesloh are both USA Hockey development camp invitees.
Ohio State also welcomes two standout Canadians in 2017-18. Lisa Bruno is presently the team captain for the Durham Lightning and one of the Provincial Women’s Hockey League’s premier defenders. Fellow countrywoman Emma Maltais is, without a doubt, the incoming Buckeye with the most exciting resume.
Maltais recently collected point No. 130 with the Oakville Hornets. She is going to finish her career as one of the top 10 all-time scorers in PWHL history. (As a point of reference Natalie Spooner, arguably the greatest women's hockey Buckeye ever, scored 112 points in her PWHL days.)
Unsurprisingly, the high flying forward is a fixture on Canadian national teams. Maltais led her country to a silver medal showing at the 2016 IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championship. She will represent Team Canada again at the upcoming 2017 U-18 Women’s Worlds. (Click the links to read more about Maltais following in Spooner's footsteps and playing for Team Canada.)
Some of these players were not originally recruited by Nadine Muzerall and Jess Koizumi. Bruno and Schepers both signed on after the arrival of the current staff, but Maltais, Skaggs, and Wesloh initially committed to a Buckeye team under different management. It is notable that Muzerall was able to retain the commitments of these players who would surely have been welcomed with open arms by rival programs.
The Bucks continue to stockpile talent. Within the last three months they secured verbal commitments from up-and-coming Toronto Aeros defenseman Sophie Jaques, Rogers, Minn. standout Paetyn Levis, and Blaine, Minn. forward Ramsey Parent who made her school's varsity squad as an eighth grader (though a district policy prevented her from actually playing on the team).
Buckeye Men Welcome Three in 2017-18
The men’s hockey Bucks don’t boast any international stars. Theirs is a more modest stable of recruits. But fear not, Buckeye nation. Judging by this season's results to-date, Steve Rohlik doesn't need a lot of marquee talent to ice a winning team. Besides, these players still possess a fair amount of skill.
| men's commits | pos | year | current team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brock Caufield | F | 2017-18 | Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) |
| Vincent de Mey | F | 2017-18 | Madison Capitols (USHL) |
| Brian Hurley | D | 2017-18 | Fargo Force (USHL) |
| Evan Moyse | G | 2017-18 | Wichita Falls Wildcats (NAHL) |
| Tommy Nappier | G | 2017-18 | Omaha Lancers (USHL) |
| Austin Pooley | F | 2017-18 | Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) |
| Michael Rounds | D | 2017-18 | Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) |
| Aaron Grounds | F | 2018-19 | Hudson H.S. Raiders (WI-HS) |
| Caleb Rule | F | 2018-19 | Shattuck-St. Mary's (USP-HS) |
| Kamil Sadlocha | F | 2018-19 | Madison Capitols (USHL) |
| Cole Caufield | F | 2019-20 | Stevens Point Area Sr. H.S. (WI-HS) |
| Marcus Gretz | D | 2020-21 | Detroit Belle Tire 16U (T1EH16) |
| Alex Trombley | F | 2020-21 | Detroit Belle Tire 16U (T1EH16) |
Three youngsters signed NLI’s in November and will be joining Ohio State in 2017-18. Forward Austin Pooley will be a familiar name for Buckeye fans. His uncle, Paul, is OSU’s all-time leading scorer and his dad, Perry, ranks fifth on the Buckeyes’ career points list. But the young Pooley doesn't seem intimidated by his antecedents’ success. When he gave his verbal commitment he said, “I have a good family history [at Ohio State]. I’m looking forward to going in and helping the Buckeyes win a national championship.”
Pooley is currently skating with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms. He has seven goals and four assists through 27 games. The Ohio native describes his type of game as “physical, in your face, shoot the puck.”
The Buckeyes are set to graduate three goaltenders in 2016-17 so netminder Tommy Nappier is poised to be a key addition to the Scarlet and Gray next season. Nappier is honing his skills in the USHL as well. He owns a 11-3-2-0 record with a 2.10 GAA and .920 save percentage in 16 games split between Chicago and Omaha.
Next year’s freshman class also includes defenseman Michael Rounds. The Michigander skates for the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers. He has posted two assists and a +1 rating through 24 games. NAHL coach, John LaFontaine cited Rounds’ “work ethic, character, and commitment” as traits which give the blue-liner “a very promising” career at Ohio State.
Looking Further Ahead for the Buckeye Men
It might be difficult to see it now as many of these players are still in the early stages of their junior hockey careers, but Steve Rohlik and the OSU coaching staff have collected verbal commitments from a few potentially exciting prospects (though not the Dhooghe brothers).
Kamil Sadlocha is a long shot for an NHL Draft selection but he likely represents Ohio State’s best chance in 2017. The forward rated as a “C” prospect (a possible later round pick) on Central Scouting’s Players to Watch list. Jeff Cox of SBN College Hockey noted his speed and skating ability at the US Select 17 Development camp this past summer.
Brock and Cole Caufield are offensively gifted Wisconsinites who have garnered attention from USA Hockey. Brock was one of the final cuts from the US Under-17 team. Both Caufields were first team all-state last season playing for Stevens Point Area Senior High. The brothers may also be genetically predisposed to big point totals.
Vincent de Mey performed well throughout his career at storied Shattuck-St. Mary’s prep school and made his way onto Central Scouting’s radar but didn’t get any takers at the 2016 NHL Draft. Chris Dilks of SBN College Hockey describes de Mey as “effective.” It isn’t a particularly electrifying word but there is something to be said for a player who does what he needs to accomplish the task at hand.
Ohio State is the school of choice for one of Shattuck’s current top players as well. Despite hailing from Spartan territory, Caleb Rule jumped at the chance to don the Scarlet and Gray. On announcing his verbal commitment to the Buckeyes he told MiHockey that he likes “the direction the program is headed and think Coach Rohlik and Coach Strobel are doing great things with the team.”
The Bucks’ two longest range commits, Marcus Gretz and Alex Trombley, are both presently members of Detroit Belle Tire 16U. They are also the subjects of some intriguing scouting report snippets (i.e. the part of the scouting reports you can read for free in the Google search results). Trombley’s hard-nosed play is noted as well as his precision passing and all-in attitude. Already sizable at 6’ 2”, Gretz is described by EliteHockeyProspect.com as an “elite rearguard with NHL type skills.” Both players are scheduled to arrive in Columbus for the 2020-21 season.
This concludes your look at OSU's recruiting lists. Who are you most excited to see sporting an Ohio State jersey? As always, feel free to share your thoughts, opinions, insights, etc. in the comments section.
