Not great, but not completely terrible by the Buckeyes today. It was a loss, dropping this team below .500, but had some encouraging signs as well.
Most encouraging is the re-emergence of Tre Leclaire as an offensive threat. Leclaire had a hat trick on the day, and was dangerous the entire game.
If Ohio State wants to really be a great team, they need to keep him involved with the offense. Getting Leclaire points is a great way to do that.
The other great sign is just how productive Ohio State was with underclassmen om the field. The only upperclassmen to score were Austin Seiple and Jack Jasinski. 8 of 10 Buckeye goals were scored by Leclaire, Terefenko, and assorted freshmen. That is a tremendous sign moving into next season.
One more bright spot was the play of Justin Inacio at the faceoff X. Inacio went out of his mind, winning 19 of 27 draws today. The young man has clearly turned a corner, and in the future will be a huge impact player for the Buckeyes
It wasn't all gum drops and rainbows, obviously. Cole Williams absolutely rocked the Buckeyes for 4 goals on the day. Tinney and Stanwick added goals of their own, along with 3 assists from Stanwick at X and 2 more assists for Tinney.
The seniors did their job, and really stuck it to a Buckeye defense that has sprung a couple leaks the past couple weeks, giving up 24 goals in their last 2 contests. The Buckeyes are coming up on a talented, mature TTUN squad next week, and must figure things out to keep their unblemished mark intact.
Special teams continue to be a disaster for the Buckeyes. Despite having a two man advantage at one point, Ohio State only converted 1 of their 4 EMOs. Hopkins went 1-3, right at their average, but the Buckeyes needed to have an efficient, good day on O. And they didn't get it.
The Buckeyes were outshot 35 to 30 and Turnbaugh had 11 saves against the Buckeyes. Someone needs to tell the players about changing planes.
Goalie Josh Kirson made some saves against Hopkins, but really didn't make the impact the Buckeyes would have liked. 6 saves is respectable, but giving up 13 goals is never going to end well. And it sure didn't today. This is a position that will continue to be in flux next season.
Now all there is to do is strap in and buckle up. It's rivalry week!
