I warned everyone that this game ultimately had little to tell us. And I think that was borne out, for the most part. Although offensive struggles in the half field are really becoming a trend I don't like to see. This game was won in the chaos, and the Buckeyes won't have that in their favor the rest of the season.
Today's broadcast made mention of the fact that last year was Cleveland State's winningest season ever in terms of raw numbers. The team I saw, even in game one, is going to struggle.
Ohio State didn't really jump on top of Cleveland State so much as stuff the Vikings in a crockpot for nearly two quarters, slowly turning up the heat, then throwing them into the proverbial fire for the final sear.
Ohio State scored two goals, painstaking, laborious goals, while shot after shot missed the cage or was saved. Cleveland State scored in the second quarter after being handed an extra man opportunity, but otherwise was completely shut down.
The Buckeyes scored three quick goals to end the half, then had another big scoring burst in the middle of the third quarter. In unsettled situations, the Buckeyes were unstoppable. Marinier scored three of his goals on the fast break, Shean had two on the break, and the Buckeyes thrived off of groundball scoring.
Whenever Ohio State was in settled offense, however, it was pretty bad. No one really knows how to cut off ball. Picks and drifts make up the majority of actions, which is not sustainable. Cleveland State was sliding really, really early, shutting down the pick and roll. Ohio State players had no idea where to go.
Ohio State's dodgers had no success against long poles. On shorties, things got better, but Ohio State didn't dodge the SSDMs all that much. And it resulted in a ton of bad shots.
At faceoff, Ohio State rocked Cleveland State, winning a glittering 66% of draws. That many bites of the apple, you're going to score. Realistically, though, this game should have seen Ohio State score 20+.
Overall, the Buckeyes needed 47 shots to score 14 goals. Only 57% of those shots were on goal. This happened last year, too. If those numbers continue, as they did in 2024, the upcoming schedule is going to be a meat grinder.
Ohio State totally flipped the script on me today, putting the Vikings completely on the ropes offensively, while the Buckeye offense sputtered sloppily. If Fyock hadn't made some exceptional saves on his way to a .833 save percentage, the Buckeyes probably had a much tighter game on their hands. That level of goalkeeping isn't sustainable once Virginia comes to town.
The Buckeyes have another short break as they take on Bellarmine on Tuesday. The Knights are 1-1, having gotten blown out by Duke, and then blowing out Mercyhurst. The Buckeyes will have a much stiffer test on their hands, with another short turnaround. Enjoy today, because the real schedule awaits.
Go Bucks!
