Merry Christmas, happy Friday, and/or a pleasant second half opener to you, hockey fans. Ohio State gets back into action on Monday and Tuesday in the Florida College Classic. While the Buckeyes enjoy a rare trip to the Sunshine State, as is typical this season they’ll face some of the country’s top teams.
| game info | monday | tuesday |
|---|---|---|
| Opening Faceoff | 7:35 p.m. ET | 4:05 or 7:35 p.m. ET |
| Television | n/a | n/a |
| Radio | n/a | n/a |
| Online | n/a | n/a |
This will be Ohio State’s fifth appearance in the tournament. The team participated in the first four Florida College Classics from 2000-2003. The Buckeyes have never won the tourney. Their best finish came in 2003 when they were runners-up to Cornell.
The other three teams competing in the tournament are among the best in the nation. The first opponent on the docket for OSU is No. 4 Boston College. Depending on the outcome of Monday’s games, the Buckeyes face either No. 9 Cornell or No. 1 Providence on Tuesday.
The Eagles of Boston College possess lethal scoring ability and a top notch defense. They rank fourth nationally in average goals scored and third in average goals allowed. Veteran goaltender Thatcher Demko leads all NCAA goaltenders with six shutouts to date.
Providence rolls into the tournament undefeated at 12-0-3, a record that includes two wins over Ohio State back in October. Like BC, the Friars pair a high flying offense with stellar defense. The Buckeyes are the only team to hang more than three goals on Providence this season, though they ultimately lost that game to the Friars 6-4.
Cornell employs a different modus operandi than its high ranking brethren. The Big Red is one of the least offensively productive top ten teams. The squad makes up for any scoring struggles by being lights out defensively. It allowed three or more goals on only three occasions during the first half of the season.
| team stats | Ohio State | boston college | providence | cornell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Record | 3-11-0 | 13-2-1 | 12-0-3 | 8-1-2 |
| National Polls | n/a | No. 4 | No. 1 | No. 9 |
| Avg. Goals Scored | 2.71 | 4.31 | 3.87 | 3.09 |
| Avg. Goals Allowed | 3.36 | 1.62 | 1.80 | 1.73 |
| Points Leader | Nick Schilkey (8-7--15) | Colin White (8-15--23) | Jake Walman (11-8--19) | Jeff Kubiak (3-8--11) |
| Top Goaltender | Christian Frey (3.00/.906) | Thatcher Demko (1.62/.941) | Nick Ellis (1.70/.940) | Mitch Gillam (1.69/.937) |
| No. of NHL Draftees | 4 | 13 | 8 | 6 |
Wresting a victory from one of these elite teams will be difficult for Ohio State. The Buckeyes just don’t have a comparable talent level. However they are a gutsy, ever-improving team. They could surprise an opponent that’s foolish enough to underestimate them, or one that’s extra rusty coming off the holiday break.
Noteworthy
- Boston College will be without leading scorer Colin White this week as he skates for Team USA at the World Juniors.
- Michigan’s Zach Werenski is the sole Big Ten representative at the WJC.
| rk | big ten standings | w | l | t | sow | pts | this week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RV | Minnesota | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | Bye |
| 10 | Michigan | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | vs Northern Michigan / Michigan Tech or Michigan State |
| 14/15 | Penn State | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | vs Robert Morris / Clarkson or No. 8/9 UMass-Lowell |
| Wisconsin | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | Bye | |
| Michigan State | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | vs Michigan Tech / No. 10 Michigan or Northern Michigan | |
| Ohio State | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | vs No. 4 Boston College / No. 1 Providence or No. 9 Cornell |
