Men's Hockey Hosts Canisius, Women Trek to No. 6 North Dakota

Welcome once again to your weekly hockey previews. This week marks the first time the men's team will face an opponent that is not ranked or receiving votes in the national polls. Meanwhile the women's team begins a series of road trips that will have it out of town until mid-December. 

Men

Ohio State returns to action after a bye week. The last time the Buckeyes took the ice they split a series with then receiving votes Mercyhurst. The Bucks dominated, and probably should have swept, the series. But it was good just to see them finally put a mark in the win column. It was also good to see the offense come alive. Nine different Buckeyes recorded a point in the victory. 

This week the Scarlet and Gray play host to another Atlantic Hockey school, Canisius. The Golden Griffins are an extremely young team. They have just five upperclassmen and possess the nation’s second-largest freshman class. Even so the Griffs are expected to be in the mix of top teams in their conference.

The Canisius offense has been inconsistent. Defensively the Griffins struggle to keep their goals-against manageable. The struggle is especially noticeable in the first period. To date Canisius has been outscored 13-1 in the first period of its games. In four of its five losses the team coughed up three opening frame goals.

If this sounds vaguely familiar it’s because I’ve just described a more extreme version of Ohio State. The Buckeyes’ scoring comes and goes. They keep their goals against under three a bit more frequently than the Griffs but it’s a challenge. And, while their stats aren’t as alarming, the Bucks have occasionally been slow starters too.

The major difference between the teams is their strength of schedule. While OSU scrabbled for progress against, for example, current No. 1 Providence, Canisius has faced mostly less lethal opposition, for example, unranked Sacred Heart. (The teams have one opponent in common. Both squads played and lost to current No. 15 Bowling Green.)

The Buckeyes have their issues but they are the more experienced team. They are also the statistically stronger team. (First time we’ve said that this season.) And those stats have been accrued against statistically stronger opponents. OSU really ought to sweep this series.

Did You Know?

• Canisius coach Dave Smith is a former Buckeye. Smith racked up 140 career points skating with OSU from 1988-92.

Around the Conference

Last week the Big Ten earned its first wins over ranked teams. Minnesota defeated No. 18 Notre Dame while Wisconsin pulled off an improbable upset of No. 1 North Dakota. Michigan State has the next opportunity for a notable victory. The Spartans square off with No. 2 Boston College this week. 

Women

The Buckeye women’s team is coming off two hard fought and closely contested games against No. 4/5 Bemidji State. Though Ohio State wound up on the wrong side of the sweep the series was encouraging in showing the continuing development of Buckeyes. They look to keep the progress rolling at No. 6 North Dakota this week. 

When last we saw UND it bounced the Buckeyes from the WCHA playoffs in triple overtime. NoDak was defeated by Wisconsin in the semifinals the following week. Netminder Shelby Amsley-Benzie finished the season with the highest save percentage in the nation (.952) and was named a second team All-American.

North Dakota is a little more mortal so far this year but it’s still dangerous. Think Bemidji State with a more productive offense. Amsley-Benzie is back between the pipes. The team also returns two 30+ point scorers in senior Meghan Dufault and junior Becca Kohler. 

NoDak took Bemidji to overtime twice this season. It also split with Minnesota. The only weird result on its record is a 4-4 tie with struggling St. Cloud. A glimpse at the boxscore for that game reveals that North Dakota scored three extra attacker goals in the final five minutes to force overtime. While the result was still nothing to brag about, that particular fact is still impressive.

UND is traditionally a difficult opponent for Ohio State, though the games are usually close. Last year North Dakota took a 3-0-1-0 regular season edge. It will be difficult for the Buckeyes to tip the balance of power at this point. They’re beat up and NoDak is very, very good. If OSU carries points out of this series it will be because of killer special teams.

Around the Conference

A clear division has emerged between the top and bottom halves of the conference. Bemidji has an opportunity to make a big statement this week at Minnesota. There is also a very good chance that either St. Cloud or Minnesota State gets its first WCHA victory this week.