Men's Hockey Readies for No. 14 Penn State, Women Travel

We are approaching crunch time in college hockey. The Buckeye women have five series left in the regular season. The men’s team has seven. That includes this week’s matches against Minnesota State and Penn State.

Men

Ohio State has come a long way from the beginning of the season. Over two long months the young Buckeyes learned what it takes to compete with the nation’s top squads. Now they can skate with any team in the country. Since the holiday break they are 3-1-2. 

The Bucks still have some work to do, though. They desperately need to figure out how to lock down a lead. OSU has been ahead in each of its conference games this year but managed only one outright victory. Over the course of six Big Ten outings, the Buckeyes have blown five two-goal leads.

Ohio State hopes to have the opportunity for a finishing move this week against No. 14 Penn State. Getting into a winning position may be a challenge, however. The Nittany Lions are in the midst of their best season yet.

In a sense this year’s PSU team is no different from the ones we’ve seen in the past. The Nittany Lions are still a hard working, shot-happy group. It isn’t the most attractive of systems but you can’t argue with its effectiveness. Penn State is flirting with an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.

Why is the Nits’ game plan so successful this season? For one thing, it’s a comfortable, familiar system for PSU’s upperclassmen, and there are a lot (15) of them. The Penn State seniors account for more than 40% of the team’s scoring.

The freshmen are major factors in as well. A pair of rookies leads the team in goals. Andrew Sturtz (11) paces the squad, one up on fellow freshman Chase Berger (10).

Another reason for this recent success is the improvement of the Nittany Lions’ special teams. Their 26.1% power play efficiency is sixth best in the country. Their penalty kill (85.5%) is tops in the Big Ten.

It isn’t a small core contributing on special teams, either. Twelve Penn State players have at least one power play goal to their credit. An astounding seven different skaters have recorded shorthanded goals.  

Goaltending will be key for Ohio State this week. Whoever mans the net (probably Tomkins) will be busy. It’s imperative that he stay sharp and not surrender any cream puff goals on PSU’s lower quality shots.

Though the Nits boast the conference’s top defense, they aren’t invulnerable. They will allow opponents to the front of the net and they aren’t as careful with the puck as they could be. This, coupled with Ohio State’s speed, could lead to some turnovers and odd man chances for the Bucks.

OSU has proven it has the firepower to take down Penn State. However the Buckeyes have yet to demonstrate the kind of killer instinct they’ll need to sweep. I’d expect a split.

News and Notes

• As a result of the postgame shenanigans against Michigan, OSU freshmen Dakota Joshua and Brandon Kearney are ineligible for tonight’s game. The game disqualification penalties they received on Sunday carry automatic single game suspensions.
• Penn State goalie Eamon McAdam is statistically the best goaltender in the Big Ten (though I’m not sure that’s much of a compliment this season).
• McAdam returned to the net last Saturday after missing two games due to injury.
• Nittany Lions junior defenseman Mike Williamson has announced the end of his hockey career.

Around the Conference

Minnesota and Wisconsin go another round in their rivalry this week. Tonight’s game airs live on BTN at 9pm ET. ASN is carrying Saturday’s contest (locally on Channel 7) at 8pm ET.  

Michigan and Michigan State each play an exhibition tilt against the US Under-18 team. The Wolverines will be without Dexter Dancs and Cutler “Wallaby Dundee” Martin as a result of additional suspensions issued by the Big Ten following their scuffle with Ohio State. Dancs will miss the exhibition game and next week’s series opener at Penn State. Martin is ineligible for the exhibition and the entire PSU series.

Women

In hockey, as in life, you have to make the best of the cards you’re dealt. This season Ohio State’s hand really stinks. The women continue to battle inexperience, injury woes, and cutthroat competition in the toughest conference in women’s college hockey.

The Buckeyes are on a five game losing skid. They’ve come close to victory in recent action, skating close matches against Minnesota (once) and St. Cloud (twice). However they haven’t gotten the offensive boost needed to secure a win. 

They have a chance to break through this week as they travel to meet the WCHA’s last place team, Minnesota State. Two of OSU’s three conference wins came against MSU back in October. The Buckeyes swept that series by final scores of 5-3 and 4-0.

You might be tempted to let the Mavericks’ terrible record fool you. Don’t. They are playing some of their best hockey right now. They’re 1-4-1 since the break.

Minnesota State comes into the weekend fresh off a pair of one-goal losses to No. 3 Minnesota. The Mavs allowed just five goals in the series and only two of those at even strength. Goaltender Brianna Quade stopped 80 of the 85 shots she faced. For her efforts she was named the WCHA’s Defensive Player of the Week.

Prior to that, MSU played a close set against St. Cloud. The team picked up its first conference point of the season in that series. The Mavericks have to feel as though they’re close to putting one in the W column.

It says a lot about the kind of season the Bucks are having that a split this week would be a good outcome.